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245 results for “seasonal pattern”
Seasonal patterns of melatonin alter aggressive phenotypes of female Siberian hamsters
<p>Many animal species exhibit year-round aggression, a behaviour that allows individuals to compete for limited resources in their environment (e.g., food and mates).<br> Interestingly, this high degree of territoriality persists during the non-breeding season, despite low levels of circulating gonadal steroids (i.e., testosterone [T] and oestradiol<br> [E<sub>2</sub>]). Our previous work suggests that the pineal hormone melatonin mediates a 'seasonal switch' from gonadal to adrenal regulation of aggression in Siberian hamsters<br> (<em>Phodopus sungorus</em>); solitary, seasonally breeding mammals that display increased aggression during the short, 'winter-like' days (SDs) of the non-breeding season. To test<br> the hypothesis that melatonin elevates non-breeding aggression by increasing circulating and neural steroid metabolism, we housed female hamsters in long days (LDs)<br> or SDs, administered them timed or mis-timed melatonin injections (mimic or do not mimic a SD-like signal, respectively), and measured aggression, circulating hormone<br> profiles, and aromatase (ARO) immunoreactivity in brain regions associated with aggressive or reproductive behaviours (paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus [PVN],<br> periaqueductal gray [PAG], and ventral tegmental area [VTA]). Females that were responsive to SD photoperiods (SD-R) and LD females given timed melatonin injections<br> (Mel-T) exhibited gonadal regression and reduced circulating E<sub>2</sub>, but increased aggression and circulating dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Furthermore, aggressive challenges differentially altered circulating hormone profiles across seasonal phenotypes; reproductively inactive females (ie, SD-R and Mel-T females) reduced circulating<br> DHEA and T, but increased E<sub>2</sub> after an aggressive interaction, whereas reproductively active females (i.e., LD females, SD non-responder females, and LD females given mis-timed melatonin injections) solely increased circulating E<sub>2</sub>. Although no differences in neural ARO abundance were observed, LD and SD-R females showed distinct associations between ARO cell density and aggressive behaviour in the PVN, PAG, and VTA. Taken together, these results suggest that melatonin increases non-breeding<br> aggression by elevating circulating steroid metabolism after an aggressive encounter and by regulating behaviourally relevant neural circuits in a region-specific manner.</p>
Genomic architecture of a genetically assimilated seasonal color pattern
<p><span><span>Developmental plasticity allows genomes to encode multiple distinct phenotypes that can be differentially manifested in response to environmental cues. Alternative plastic phenotypes can be selected through a process called genetic assimilation; although the mechanisms are still poorly understood. We assimilated a seasonal wing color phenotype in a naturally plastic population of butterflies, and characterized three responsible genes. Combined with endocrine assays, and chromatin accessibility and conformation analyses, we found that the transition of wing coloration from an environmentally determined trait to a predominantly genetic trait occurred through selection for regulatory alleles of downstream wing patterning genes. This mode of genetic evolution is likely favored by selection because it allows tissue- and trait-specific tuning of reaction norms without affecting core cue detection or transduction mechanisms.</span></span></p>
Data from: Overwintering strategies of migratory birds: a novel approach for estimating seasonal movement patterns of residents and transients
1. Our understanding of movement patterns in wildlife populations has played an important role in current ecological knowledge, and can inform landscape conservation decisions. Direct measures of movement can be obtained using marked individuals, but this requires tracking individuals across a landscape or multiple sites. 2. We demonstrate how movements can be estimated indirectly using single-site, capture–mark–recapture (CMR) data with a multistate open robust design with state uncertainty model (MSORD-SU). We treat residence and transience as two phenotypic states of overwintering migrants, and use time- and state-dependent probabilities of site entry and persistence as indirect measures of movement. We applied the MSORD-SU to data on eight species of overwintering Neotropical birds collected in 14 countries between 2002 and 2011. In addition to entry and persistence probabilities, we estimated proportions of residents at a study site, and mean residence times. 3. We identified overwintering movement patterns and residence times that contrasted with prior categorizations of territoriality. Most species showed evidence of residents entering sites at multiple time intervals, with transients tending to enter between peak resident movement times. Persistence and the proportion of residents varied by latitude, but were not always positively correlated for a given species. 4. Synthesis and applications: Our results suggest that migratory songbirds commonly move among habitats during the overwintering period. Substantial proportions of populations appear to be comprised of transient individuals, and residents tend to persist at specific sites for relatively short periods of time. This information on persistence and movement patterns should be explored for specific habitats to guide landscape management on the wintering grounds, such as determining which habitats are conserved or restored as part of certification programs of tropical agroforestry crops. We suggest that research and conservation efforts on Neotropical migrant songbirds focus on identifying landscape configurations and regional habitat networks that support these diverse overwintering strategies to secure full life cycle conservation.
Data from: Seasonal patterns in δ2H values of multiple tissues from Andean birds provide insights into elevational migration
Elevational migration is a widespread phenomenon in tropical avifauna but it is difficult to identify using traditional approaches. Hydrogen isotope (δ2H) values of precipitation decrease with elevation so δ2H analysis of multiple bird tissues with different isotopic incorporation rates may be a reliable method for characterizing seasonal elevational migration. Here we compare δ2H values in metabolically inert (feathers and claws) and metabolically active (whole blood) tissues to examine whether an upslope migration occurs prior to the breeding season in the Yungas Manakin (Chiroxiphia boliviana). We compare results from C. boliviana with data from a known elevational migrant, the Streak-necked Flycatcher (Mionectes striaticollis). Opposite to our expectations, tissue δ2H values increased over time, largely reflecting seasonal patterns in precipitation δ2H rather than elevational effects; linear mixed-effects models with strongest support included ordinal date, tissue type and elevation. This seasonal increase in precipitation δ2H is a general phenomenon in both tropical and temperate mountain ranges. We use these data to propose a hypothetical framework that predicts different patterns in tissue δ2H values collected in different seasons from residents and elevational migrants. This framework can serve as a reference for future studies that assess elevational migration in birds and other animals.
Seasonal patterns of fungal colonisation in Australian native plants of different ages
<p>Plant fungal relationships should vary with abiotic and biotic factors to minimise plant stress and are likely to vary seasonally and with age. We investigated how fungal colonisation, specifically arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate fungal endophytes, would vary with species identity and season, and how these interactions change with ontogeny. Plant roots of adults and seedlings of 9 species were collected from heathland and coastal dune habitats along the Australian east coast in New South Wales. Roots were stained and investigated for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophyte structures to determine colonisation strength. Species identity was the most important factor driving colonisation strength, while low rainfall and heatwaves were associated with declining arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonisation in the warmest sampling period. AMF colonisation may be supressed by plants under heat and water stress as a way of avoiding loss of limited photosynthates. Dark septate endophyte colonisation was more common in this time period and may assist with the stress of the warmer, drier conditions. Colonisation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi differed with age but in unpredictable ways and, along with dark septate endophytes, was evident even in plants that are considered non-mycorrhizal, although more extensive in known mycorrhizal species. The lack of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonisation and the increase in dark septate endophyte colonisation during the most stressful period suggest an uncoupling mechanism in the symbiotic relationship which needs further investigation.</p>
Data from: Extensive transcriptional response associated with seasonal plasticity of butterfly wing patterns
In the eastern United States the buckeye butterfly, Junonia coenia, shows seasonal wing color plasticity where adults emerging in the spring are tan, while those emerging in the autumn are dark red. This variation can be artificially induced in laboratory colonies, thus making J. coenia a useful model system to examine the mechanistic basis of plasticity. To better understand the developmental basis of seasonal plasticity we used RNA-seq to quantify transcription profiles associated with development of alternative seasonal wing morphs. Depending on the developmental stage, between 547 and 1420 transfrags were significantly differentially expressed between morphs. These extensive differences in gene expression stand in contrast to the much smaller numbers of differentially expressed transcripts identified in previous studies of genetic wing pattern variation in other species, and suggest that environmentally induced phenotypic shifts arise from very broad systemic processes. Analyses of candidate endocrine and pigmentation transcripts revealed notable genes upregulated in the red morph, including several ecdysone-associated genes, and cinnabar, a pigmentation gene implicated in color pattern variation in other butterflies. We also found multiple melanin-related transcripts strongly upregulated in the red morph, including tan and yellow-family genes, leading us to speculate that dark red pigmentation in autumn J. coenia may involve non-ommochrome pigments. While we identified several endocrine and pigmentation genes as obvious candidates for seasonal color morph differentiation, we speculate that the majority of observed expression differences were due to thermal stress response. The buckeye transcriptome provides a basis for further developmental studies of phenotypic plasticity.
Data from: Global circulation patterns of seasonal influenza viruses vary with antigenic drift
Understanding the spatiotemporal patterns of emergence and circulation of new human seasonal influenza virus variants is a key scientific and public health challenge. The global circulation patterns of influenza A/H3N2 viruses are well characterized1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, but the patterns of A/H1N1 and B viruses have remained largely unexplored. Here we show that the global circulation patterns of A/H1N1 (up to 2009), B/Victoria, and B/Yamagata viruses differ substantially from those of A/H3N2 viruses, on the basis of analyses of 9,604 haemagglutinin sequences of human seasonal influenza viruses from 2000 to 2012. Whereas genetic variants of A/H3N2 viruses did not persist locally between epidemics and were reseeded from East and Southeast Asia, genetic variants of A/H1N1 and B viruses persisted across several seasons and exhibited complex global dynamics with East and Southeast Asia playing a limited role in disseminating new variants. The less frequent global movement of influenza A/H1N1 and B viruses coincided with slower rates of antigenic evolution, lower ages of infection, and smaller, less frequent epidemics compared to A/H3N2 viruses. Detailed epidemic models support differences in age of infection, combined with the less frequent travel of children, as probable drivers of the differences in the patterns of global circulation, suggesting a complex interaction between virus evolution, epidemiology, and human behaviour.
Data from: Seasonal dynamics and co-occurrence patterns of honey bee pathogens revealed by high-throughput RT-qPCR analysis
The health of the honey bee Apis mellifera is challenged by introduced parasites that interact with its inherent pathogens and cause elevated rates of colony losses. To elucidate co-occurrence, population dynamics and synergistic interactions of honey bee pathogens, we established an array of diagnostic assays for a high-throughput qPCR platform. Assuming that interaction of pathogens requires co-occurrence within the same individual, single worker bees were analyzed instead of collective samples. Eleven viruses, four parasites and three pathogenic bacteria were quantified in more than one thousand single bees sampled from sixteen disease-free apiaries in Southwest Germany. The most abundant viruses were Black Queen Cell Virus (84%), Lake Sinai Virus 1 (42%), and Deformed Wing Virus B (35%). Forager bees from asymptomatic colonies were infected with two different viruses in average, and simultaneous infection with four to six viruses was common (14%). Also the intestinal parasites Nosema ceranae (96%) and Crithidia mellificae/Lotmaria passim (52%) occurred very frequently. These results indicate that low-level infections in honey bees are more common than previously assumed. All viruses showed seasonal variation, while N. ceranae did not. The foulbrood bacteria Paenibacillus larvae and Melissococcus plutonius were regionally distributed. Spearman's correlations and multiple regression analysis indicated possible synergistic interactions between the common pathogens, particularly for Black Queen Cell Virus. Beyond its suitability for further studies on honey bees, this targeted approach may be, due to its precision, capacity and flexibility, a viable alternative to more expensive, sequencing-based approaches in non-model systems.
Data from: Snowmobile noise alters bird vocalization patterns during winter and pre-breeding season
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Patterns of Testosterone in Male White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus): Seasonal and Lifetime Variation
<p>Testosterone is strongly associated with the annual development of antlers in cervids, but. endocrine research on wild, freely breeding ungulates is often done without repeated capture of known-aged individuals. As a result, our knowledge on how testosterone fluctuates over the course of a lifetime and variation in lifetime patterns among individuals is limited. We investigated patterns of testosterone in a freely breeding population of white-tailed deer (<i>Odocoileus virginianus</i>) in Alabama, USA that breeds in January. Testosterone peaked during the height of the breeding season, despite this period occurring approximately two months later than in most temperate-region, white-tailed deer populations. Age-related differences in testosterone were only prevalent during the breeding season, with bucks ≥3.5 years old having greater testosterone (853 ng/dl ±96 SE; <i>P</i> = 0.012) than bucks 1.5–2.5 years old (364 ng/dl ±100 SE). Additionally, an individual's testosterone level as a yearling was not positively associated with their lifetime maximum testosterone level (<i>P</i> = 0.583), and an individual's mean testosterone level was positively associated with lifetime testosterone variation (<i>P</i> < 0.001). To our knowledge our study is one of the first to assess how testosterone early in life might relate to individual testosterone later in life. We believe these data provide insight into lifetime hormonal patterns in cervids, and that these patterns may indicate intraspecific variation of lifetime reproductive strategies.</p>
Derived products from "Beyond glacier wide mass balances: parsing seasonal elevation change into spatially-resolved patterns of accumulation and ablation at Wolverine Glacier, Alaska"
<p>Distributed mass balances, emergence velocities, firn compaction rates, and co-registered 10 m resolution DEMs from "Beyond glacier wide mass balances: parsing seasonal elevation change into spatially-resolved patterns of accumulation and ablation at Wolverine Glacier, Alaska" (in review) (Zeller et al., 2022).</p>
FIG. 3. Cumulative rainfall for coastal southeast Texas. Note that the 2011 field season experienced only 54.8 in Nest Attendance Patterns in the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
FIG. 3. Cumulative rainfall for coastal southeast Texas. Note that the 2011 field season experienced only 54.8% of the normal rainfall through the first nine months of the year, while the 2012 season has much higher rainfall (71% above normal). This time frame covers the entire breeding, nesting, and incubation periods for alligators, and nest attendance patterns were not different between years despite drastic difference in climatic conditions.
Dataset supporting "Predictable Patterns of Seasonal Atmospheric River Variability Over North America During Winter"
<p>A dataset containing selected outputs from real time forecasts and hindcasts produced by the Seamless System for Prediction and Earth System Research (SPEAR). Variables in the dataset include atmospheric river frequency, surface temperature, 500 hPa geopotential height and precipitation. The period covers 1991 through 2023 averaged seasonally in the months December through February. Forecasts initialized in a given month "MM" are stored in subdirectories and files with the indicator "iMM," where MM varies from 03 to 12 (March through December). A pair of python scripts demonstrating average predictability time analysis are also included. This data is associated with the study "Predictable Patterns of Seasonal Atmospheric River Variability over North America during Winter," by Clark et al. </p>
Spatiotemporal patterns and implications of changing seasonal flooding extents on wetland landscapes of a transboundary Chobe River Basin in Southern Africa
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Data from: Seasonal variation in daily patterns of social contacts in the European badger Meles meles
Social interactions among hosts influence the persistence and spread of infectious pathogens. Daily and seasonal variation in the frequency and type of social interactions will play an important role in disease epidemiology and, alongside other factors, may have an influence on wider disease dynamics by causing seasonal forcing of infection, especially if the seasonal variation experienced by a population is considerable. We explored temporal variation in within-group contacts in a high-density population of European badgers Meles meles naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis (the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis). Summer contacts were more likely and of longer duration during the daytime, while the frequency and duration of winter contacts did not differ between day and night. In spring and autumn, within-group contacts peaked at dawn and dusk, corresponding with when they were of shortest duration with reduced potential for aerosol transmission of pathogens. Summer and winter could be critical for transmission of M. bovis in badgers, due to the high frequency and duration of contacts during resting periods, and we discuss the links between this result and empirical disease data. This study reveals clear seasonality in daily patterns of contact frequency and duration in species living in stable social groups, suggesting that changes in social contacts could drive seasonal forcing of infection in wildlife populations even when the number of individuals interacting remains similar.
Data from: Meerkat close calling patterns are linked to sex, social category, season and wind, but not fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations
It is well established that animal vocalizations can encode information regarding a sender's identity, sex, age, body size, social rank and group membership. However, the association between physiological parameters, particularly stress hormone levels, and vocal behavior is still not well understood. The cooperatively breeding African meerkats (Suricata suricatta) live in family groups with despotic social hierarchies. During foraging, individuals emit close calls that help maintain group cohesion. These contact calls are acoustically distinctive and variable in rate across individuals, yet, information on which factors influence close calling behavior is missing. The aim of this study was to identify proximate factors that influence variation in call rate and acoustic structure of meerkat close calls. Specifically, we investigated whether close calling behavior is associated with sex, age and rank, or stress hormone output (i.e., measured as fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations) as individual traits of the caller, as well as with environmental conditions (weather) and reproductive seasonality. To disentangle the effects of these factors on vocal behavior, we analyzed sound recordings and assessed fGCM concentrations in 64 wild but habituated meerkats from 9 groups during the reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. Dominant females and one-year old males called at significantly higher rates compared to other social categories during the reproductive season. Additionally, dominant females produced close calls with the lowest mean fundamental frequencies (F0) and the longest mean pulse durations. Windy conditions were associated with significantly higher call rates during the non-reproductive season. FGCM concentrations were unrelated to close calling behavior. Our findings suggest that meerkat close calling behavior conveys information regarding the sex and social category of the caller, but shows no association with fGCM concentrations. The change in call rate in response to variation in the social and ecological environments individuals experience indicates some degree of flexibility in vocal production.
Figure 1 in Reproductive phenology in a Neotropical aquatic snake shows marked seasonality influenced by rainfall patterns
Figure 1. Habitat of Helicops pastazae in the Bata River. (a) Map locating the studied population of H. pastazae. (b) Adult female of H. pastazae. (c) Bata River during the dry season surrounded by rocks and relictual forest. (d) Chivor dam. (e) Discharge of the water dam of Chivor. Photographs A-D by Diego A. Gómez-Sánchez, and photograph E by Adrian Pinzón.
Figure 4 in Reproductive phenology in a Neotropical aquatic snake shows marked seasonality influenced by rainfall patterns
Figure 4. Proportion of adult females and males of H. pastazae in different reproductive stages by season. (a) Females in previtellogenic (dark grey), vitellogenic I (light grey), vitellogenic II (white), and gravid (black) stages. (b) Males in stage 4 (black), stage 5 (dark grey), stage 6 (light grey), and stage 7 (white) of spermatogenesis. The numbers above the bars represent the sample size.
Figure 3 in Reproductive phenology in a Neotropical aquatic snake shows marked seasonality influenced by rainfall patterns
Figure 3. Monthly variation in gonadal measurements and reproductive stages versus mean rainfall by month. Striped bars indicate the 4-month dry season. White bars indicate the high-rainfall portion of the wet season and grey bars indicate the low-rainfall portion. (a) Monthly variation in the follicular diameter and reproductive stages in H. pastazae. Dark grey triangles: previtellogenic follicles. Squares: vitellogenic I follicles. Dark grey circles: vitellogenic II follicles. Open circles: females with oviductal eggs. (b) Monthly variation in testicular volume (mm3) and spermatogenic stages. Open circles: Stage 4 (early spermatids at lumen). Gray triangles: stage 5 (transforming spermatids at lumen). Dark grey circles: stage 6 (abundant spermatozoa at lumen). White squares: Stage 7 (testicular regression).
Figure 2 in Reproductive phenology in a Neotropical aquatic snake shows marked seasonality influenced by rainfall patterns
Figure 2. Sexual dimorphism in juveniles and adults body shape of H. pastazae. (a) Snout-vent length for both juveniles and adults. (b) Juveniles tail length. (c–f) Sexual dimorphism in adults. (c) Tail length. (d) Head length. (e) Head width. (f) Mid-body width considering only previtellogenic females. Closed circle: males. Opened circles: females.
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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.