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2,291 results for “life history”
Data from: Reconstructing the phylogenetic history of long-term effective population size and life-history traits using patterns of amino acid replacement in mitochondrial genomes of mammals and birds
The nearly neutral theory, which proposes that most mutations are deleterious or close to neutral, predicts that the ratio of nonsynonymous over synonymous substitution rates (dN/dS), and potentially also the ratio of radical over conservative amino acid replacement rates (Kr/Kc), are negatively correlated with effective population size. Previous empirical tests, using life-history traits (LHT) such as body-size or generation-time as proxies for population size, have been consistent with these predictions. This suggests that large-scale phylogenetic reconstructions of dN/dS or Kr/Kc might reveal interesting macroevolutionary patterns in the variation in effective population size among lineages. In this work, we further develop an integrative probabilistic framework for phylogenetic covariance analysis introduced previously, so as to estimate the correlation patterns between dN/dS, Kr/Kc, and three LHT, in mitochondrial genomes of birds and mammals. Kr/Kc displays stronger and more stable correlations with LHT than does dN/dS, which we interpret as a greater robustness of Kr/Kc, compared with dN/dS, the latter being confounded by the high saturation of the synonymous substitution rate in mitochondrial genomes. The correlation of Kr/Kc with LHT was robust when controlling for the potentially confounding effects of nucleotide compositional variation between taxa. The positive correlation of the mitochondrial Kr/Kc with LHT is compatible with previous reports, and with a nearly neutral interpretation, although alternative explanations are also possible. The Kr/Kc model was finally used for reconstructing life-history evolution in birds and mammals. This analysis suggests a fairly large-bodied ancestor in both groups. In birds, life-history evolution seems to have occurred mainly through size reduction in Neoavian birds, whereas in placental mammals, body mass evolution shows disparate trends across subclades. Altogether, our work represents a further step toward a more comprehensive phylogenetic reconstruction of the evolution of life-history and of the population-genetics environment.
Data from: The fitness effects of a pale mutant in the aposematic seed bug Lygaeus simulans indicate pleiotropy between warning coloration and life history
Conspicuous warning colours that signal chemical or other defences are common in the natural world. For instance, such aposematic warning patterns of red-and-black or yellow-and-black are common among insect taxa, particularly in the order Hemiptera, often forming the basis of Batesian and/or Müllerian mimicry rings. In addition, it has been repeatedly noted that colour polymorphisms or mutants that influence pigmentation can show pleiotropy with other behavioural, physiological or life-history traits. Here we describe a pale mutant of the seed bug Lygaeus simulans that appeared in our lab population in 2012, which differs in colour to the wild-type bugs. Through multigenerational experimental crosses between wild-type and pale mutant L. simulans, we first show that the pale phenotype segregates as a single Mendelian locus, with the pale allele being recessive to the wild-type. Next, we show (1) that there is a large heterozygous advantage in terms of fecundity, (2) that pale females suffer reduced longevity, and (3) that pale males have increased body length compared to wild-type homozygotes. Our data therefore suggest that the colour locus is pleiotropic with a number of life-history traits, opening the door for a more complete genetic analysis of aposematic colouration in this species. In addition, this phenotype will be useful as a visible genetic marker, providing a tool for investigating sperm competition and other post-copulatory drivers of sexual selection in this species.
Impact of mitonuclear interactions on life-history responses to diet
<p>Mitochondria are central to both energy metabolism and biosynthesis. Mitochondrial function could therefore influence resource allocation. Critically, mitochondrial function depends on interactions between proteins encoded by the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Severe incompatibilities between these genomes can have pervasive effects on both fitness and longevity. How milder deficits in mitochondrial function affect life-history trade-offs is less well understood. Here we analyse how mitonuclear interactions affect the trade-off between fecundity and longevity in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>. We consider a panel of 10 different mitochondrial DNA haplotypes against two contrasting nuclear backgrounds (WE and ZIM) in response to high-protein versus standard diet. We report strikingly different responses between the two nuclear backgrounds. WE females have higher fecundity and decreased longevity on high-protein. ZIM females have much greater fecundity and shorter lifespan than WE flies on standard diet. High-protein doubled their fecundity with no effect on longevity. Mitochondrial haplotype reflected nuclear life-history trade-offs, with a negative correlation between longevity and fecundity in WE flies and no correlation in ZIM flies. Mitonuclear interactions had substantial effects but did not reflect genetic distance between mitochondrial haplotypes. We conclude that mitonuclear interactions can have significant impact on life-history trade-offs, but their effects are not predictable by relatedness. </p>
Data from: Patterns and drivers of intraspecific variation in avian life history along elevational gradients: a meta-analysis
Elevational gradients provide powerful natural systems for testing hypotheses regarding the role of environmental variation in the evolution of life-history strategies. Case studies have revealed shifts towards slower life histories in organisms living at high elevations yet no synthetic analyses exist of elevational variation in life-history traits for major vertebrate clades. We examined (i) how life-history traits change with elevation in paired populations of bird species worldwide, and (ii) which biotic and abiotic factors drive elevational shifts in life history. Using three analytical methods, we found that fecundity declined at higher elevations due to smaller clutches and fewer reproductive attempts per year. By contrast, elevational differences in traits associated with parental investment or survival varied among studies. High-elevation populations had shorter and later breeding seasons, but longer developmental periods implying that temporal constraints contribute to reduced fecundity. Analyses of clutch size data, the trait for which we had the largest number of population comparisons, indicated no evidence that phylogenetic history constrained species-level plasticity in trait variation associated with elevational gradients. The magnitude of elevational shifts in life-history traits were largely unrelated to geographic (altitude, latitude), intrinsic (body mass, migratory status), or habitat covariates. Meta-population structure, methodological issues associated with estimating survival, or processes shaping range boundaries could potentially explain the nature of elevational shifts in life-history traits evident in this data set. We identify a new risk factor for montane populations in changing climates: low fecundity will result in lower reproductive potential to recover from perturbations, especially as fewer than half of the species experienced higher survival at higher elevations.
Data from: Thermal plasticity in postembryonic life history traits of a widely distributed Collembola: Effects of macroclimate and microhabitat on genotypic differences
Life history traits in many ectotherms show complex patterns of variation among conspecific populations sampled along wide latitudinal or climatic gradients. However, few studies have assessed whether these patterns can be explained better by thermal reaction norms of multiple life history traits, covering major aspects of the life cycle. In this study, we compared five populations of a Holarctic, numerically dominant soil microarthropod species, Folsomia quadrioculata, sampled from a wide latitudinal gradient (56–81°N), for growth, development, fecundity, and survival across four temperatures (10, 15, 20, and 25°C) in common garden experiments. We evaluated the extent to which macroclimate could explain differences in thermal adaptation and life history strategies among populations. The common garden experiments revealed large genotypic differences among populations in all the traits, which were little explained by latitude and macroclimate. In addition, the life history strategies (traits combined) hardly revealed any systematic difference related to latitude and macroclimate. The overall performance of the northernmost population from the most stochastic microclimate and the southernmost population, which remains active throughout the year, was least sensitive to the temperature treatments. In contrast, performance of the population from the most predictable microclimate peaked within a narrow temperature range (around 15°C). Our findings revealed limited support for macroclimate-based predictions, and indicated that local soil habitat conditions related to predictability and seasonality might have considerable influence on the evolution of life history strategies of F. quadrioculata. This study highlights the need to combine knowledge on microhabitat characteristics, and demography, with findings from common garden experiments, for identifying the key drivers of life history evolution across large spatial scales, and wide climate gradients. We believe that similar approaches may substantially improve the understanding of adaptation in many terrestrial ectotherms with low dispersal ability.
Data from: Life-history adjustments to intestinal inflammation in a gut nematode
Many parasitic nematodes establish chronic infections. This implies a finely tuned interaction with the host immune response in order to avoid infection clearance. While a number of immune interference mechanisms have been described in nematodes, how parasites adapt to the immune environment provided by their hosts remains largely unexplored. Here, we used the gastrointestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus to investigate the plasticity of life history traits and immunomodulatory mechanisms in response to intestinal inflammation. We adopted an experimental model of induced colitis and exposed worms to intestinal inflammation at two different developmental stages (larvae and adults). We found that H. polygyrus responded to intestinal inflammation by up-regulating the expression of a candidate gene involved in the interference with the host immune response. Worms infecting mice with colitis also had better infectivity (earlier adult emergence in the intestinal lumen and higher survival) compared to worms infecting control hosts, suggesting that H. polygyrus adjusted its life history schedule in response to intestinal inflammation.
Data from: Metabolic rate is canalized in the face of variable life history and nutritional environment
Despite its central importance in organismal physiology, we have poor understanding of how metabolic rate is influenced by two key factors – food nutritional content and an organism's physiological characteristics. We examined how variation in nutrients and physiological aspects of life history affect standard metabolic rate in Gryllus firmus cricket morphs that differ dramatically in flight capability and early-age fecundity. Newly moulted female morphs were fed one of 13 diets that differed in concentrations of protein and carbohydrate. Carbon dioxide production, respiratory exchange ratios (RERs), nutrient intake and mass and lipid levels were measured. CO2 production and RERs increased to a similar degree in both morphs as food macronutrient content increased. In contrast, no difference in whole-organism O2 consumption was observed across the protein–carbohydrate landscape or between morphs. Both morphs similarly increased food intake as nutrient concentration – particularly protein – decreased, but differed in mass and lipid gains, across the diets. Modulation of the substrate used for respiration coupled with compensating aspects of morph-specific metabolism appears to buffer the effects of variable nutrient intake and life history on standard metabolic rate. That is, respiration rate can be highly canalized in the face of dramatic variation in both the external nutritional environment and internal aspects of intermediary metabolism.
Data from: Bioinvasion triggers rapid evolution of life-histories in freshwater snails
Biological invasions offer interesting situations to observe how novel interactions between closely related, formerly allopatric species may trigger phenotypic evolution in situ. Assuming that successful invaders are usually filtered to be competitively dominant, invasive and native species may follow different trajectories. Natives may evolve traits that minimize the negative impact of competition, while trait shifts in invasives should mostly reflect expansion dynamics, through selection for colonization ability and transiently enhanced mutation load at the colonization front. These ideas were tested through a large-scale common-garden experiment measuring life-history traits in two closely related snail species, one invasive and one native, co-occurring in a network of freshwater ponds in Guadeloupe. We looked for evidence of recent evolution by comparing uninvaded or recently invaded with long-invaded sites. The native species adopted a life history favoring rapid population growth (i.e. increased fecundity, earlier reproduction and increased juvenile survival) that may increase its prospects of coexistence with the more competitive invader. We discuss why these effects are more likely to result from genetic change than from maternal effects. The invader exhibited slightly decreased overall performances in recently colonized sites, consistent with a moderate expansion load resulting from local founder effects. Our study highlights a rare example of rapid life-history evolution following invasion.
Data from: Species selection favors dispersive life histories in sea slugs, but higher per-offspring investment drives shifts to short-lived larvae
For 40 years, paleontological studies of marine gastropods have suggested that species selection favors lineages with short-lived (lecithotrophic) larvae, which are less dispersive than long-lived (planktotrophic) larvae. Although lecithotrophs appeared to speciate more often and accumulate over time in some groups, lecithotrophy also increased extinction rates, and tests for state-dependent diversification were never performed. Molecular phylogenies of diverse groups instead suggested lecithotrophs accumulate without diversifying due to frequent, unidirectional character change. Although lecithotrophy has repeatedly originated in most phyla, no adult trait has been correlated with shifts in larval type. Thus, both the evolutionary origins of lecithotrophy and its consequences for patterns of species richness remain poorly understood. Here, we test hypothesized links between development mode and evolutionary rates using likelihood-based methods and a phylogeny of 202 species of gastropod molluscs in Sacoglossa, a clade of herbivorous sea slugs. Evolutionary quantitative genetics modeling and stochastic character mapping supported 27 origins of lecithotrophy. Tests for correlated evolution revealed lecithotrophy evolved more often in lineages investing in extra-embryonic yolk, the first adult trait associated with shifts in development mode across a group. However, contrary to predictions from paleontological studies, species selection actually favored planktotrophy; most extant lecithotrophs originated through recent character change, and did not subsequently diversify. Increased offspring provisioning in planktotrophs thus favored shifts to short-lived larvae, which led to short-lived lineages over macroevolutionary time scales. These findings challenge long-standing assumptions about the effects of alternative life histories in the sea. Species selection can explain the long-term persistence of planktotrophy, the ancestral state in most clades, despite frequent transitions to lecithotrophy.
FIGURE 2. L in The scentless plant bug, Liorhyssus hyalinus (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhopalidae): Description of immature stages and notes on its life history
FIGURE 2. L. hyalinus, dorsal view; fourth instar (a), fifth instar (b), scale line: 0.5mm.
FIGURE 3 in Description of the larvae of Corydalus batesii MacLachlan and C. ignotus Contreras-Ramos (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) with notes on life history and behavior
FIGURE 3. Larval dorsal (A) and ventral (B) habitus of Corydalus batesii.
FIGURE 4 in Description of the larvae of Corydalus batesii MacLachlan and C. ignotus Contreras-Ramos (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) with notes on life history and behavior
FIGURE 4. Larval dorsal (A) and ventral (B) habitus of Corydalus ignotus
FIGURE 227 in Description of the immature stages and life history of Euselasia (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) on Miconia (Melastomataceae) in Costa Rica 2466
FIGURE 227. Egg cluster of E. aurantia, lateral view. Note space between eggs and plant surface.
FIGURES 48–50. Pale form E. chrysippe pupa. 48 in Description of the immature stages and life history of Euselasia (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) on Miconia (Melastomataceae) in Costa Rica 2466
FIGURES 48–50. Pale form E. chrysippe pupa. 48) Lateral view; 49) Dorsal view; 50) Frontal view.
Fig. 1 in Life History ofOnthophagus landoltiHarold, 1880 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), with Descriptions of the Preimaginal Stages
Fig. 1. Larval cephalic width of Onthophagus landolti during development.
Figure 8 in Notes on the life history and taxonomy of Cerurina marshalli (Noctuoidea: Notodontidae: Cerurinae)
Figure 8 – Painted images of the cocoon and final instar larva of Cerura argentina reproduced from Schultze (1916).
Genetic divergence and diversity reflect a predominant freshwater resident life history in Rainbow Trout from southwestern Alaska
<p>Rainbow Trout <i>Oncorhynchus mykiss</i> in southwestern Alaska occupy coastal watersheds near the northern boundary of the species native range and support a world class wild trout sport fishery. Although low freshwater temperatures and a short growing season in this region may favor anadromy, these populations appear to exhibit a freshwater resident life history strategy. In this study we used genetic data to evaluate two hypotheses regarding the influence of the presumed migratory behavior of these Rainbow Trout on reproductive isolation among and within watersheds. The results were largely consistent with the predictions but there were exceptions. The data supported the hypothesis that the freshwater resident behavior precludes marine-mediated gene flow resulting in large genetic divergence and low admixture among watersheds. The estimate of <i>F<sub>CT</sub></i> (among-watershed differentiation, 0.350) was large and reflected over 96% of the variation among all sampled aggregations (<i>F<sub>ST</sub></i> = 0.363). However, evidence of admixed individuals in two adjacent watersheds and five first generation migrants among five watersheds suggests that the potential for coastal migration with gene flow exists in these populations. The data also supported the hypothesis that aggregations formed within watersheds during the spawning period (May-June) represent reproductively isolated populations. The pairwise estimates of <i>F<sub>ST</sub></i> and the <i>G</i>-test results revealed population structure in four of the six watersheds tested. However, not all aggregation pairs were found genetically distinct and there was notable variation in the pairwise <i>F<sub>ST</sub></i> estimates (0.000 – 0.067). In summary, the data reflected the predicted results for each hypothesis, but also revealed exceptions that, consistent with tagging studies, demonstrate the complexity of migratory behavior in southwestern Alaska Rainbow Trout. We discuss the implications of these results for fishery management and conservation.</p>
Data from: Larval density, sex and allocation hierarchy affect life-history trait covariances in a bean beetle
<p class="CxSpFirst">Life-history theory aims to understand how different environments result in differential investment in fitness-related traits. While trade-offs between traits are expected, many studies show positive or no correlation between pairs of costly traits. One hypothesis that may explain the inconsistency of trade-offs in the literature is that trait investment may occur in a dichotomous hierarchy (the <i>tree model</i>), that allows for differential trait investment weighted by the traits' respective positions within the hierarchy. Previous mathematical models predict different covariances between traits depending on their position on the allocation tree. While hierarchical differential investment is often used to discuss findings in life-history theory, the role of an allocation hierarchy on trait covariances has not been directly tested. In turn, this study aims to identify trait covariances between behavioral and morphological phenotypes on different branches of an allocation tree in the bean beetle, <i>Callosobruchus maculatus</i>. While trade-offs between copulatory behaviors and morphology were found for both males and females, only traits at the base and far from each other in the hierarchy negatively covaried. This study empirically shows that trade-offs may be the result of hierarchical investment.</p>
The socioeconomic status of cities covaries with avian life-history strategies
<p>Cities are the planet's newest ecosystem and thus provide the opportunity to study community formation directly following major permanent environmental change. The human social and built components of environments can vary widely in different cities, yet it is largely unknown how features of cities covary with the traits of colonizing species despite humans being the ultimate cause of environments and disturbances in cities. We constructed a dataset from open-source data comprised of 13,502 breeding season observations of 213 Passerine species observed in 551 Census-defined urban areas across the United States. We found that as a city became more compact with less sprawl it tended to support more migratory species and species with lower body mass, shorter lifespans, and larger clutches. We also found that species had lower body mass in cities with higher median income, and higher body mass in highly populated cities. Our results highlight the complexity of human-dominated urban ecosystems, where human socioeconomic actions and everyday activities intermix leading to structurally heterogeneous environments that support the colonization of some species over others.</p>
Rapid evolution of life history traits in response to warming, predation and competition: a meta-analysis
<p>Although studies quantifying evolutionary change in response to the selective pressures that organisms face in the wild have demonstrated that organisms <i>can</i> evolve rapidly, we lack a systematic assessment of the frequency, magnitude and direction of rapid evolutionary change across taxa. To address this gap, we conducted a meta-analysis of 58 studies that document the effects of warming, predation or competition on the evolution of body size, development rate or fecundity in natural or experimental animal populations. We tested whether there was a consistent effect of any selective agent on any trait, whether the direction of these effects align with theoretical predictions, and whether the three agents select in opposing directions on any trait. Overall, we found weak effects of all three selective agents on trait evolution: none of our nine trait by selective agent combinations had an overall effect that differed from zero, only 31% of studies had a significant within-study effect, and attributes of the included studies generally did not account for between-study variation in results. One notable exception was that predation targeting adults consistently resulted in the evolutoin of smaller prey body size. We discuss potential causes of these generally weak responses and consider how our results inform the ongoing development of eco-evolutionary research.</p>
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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)
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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.
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