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2,291 results for “life history”
Data from: Worth the reward? An experimental assessment of risk-taking behavior along a life history gradient
Life history theory predicts that species with faster life history strategies should be willing to risk their survival more to acquire resources than those with slower life history strategies. Foraging can be a risky behavior and animals generally face a tradeoff between food consumption and predation risk. We predicted that the degree to which animals invest in current vs. future reproduction (i.e., life history strategy) would determine how they approach this tradeoff. We manipulated food abundance in wetlands to assess whether life history theory could explain risk taking among females of five duck species with respect to foraging. We found evidence consistent with our prediction based on life history theory; species with a faster life history strategy were willing to engage in riskier behavior, by feeding more intensively, for a greater food reward. Females from species with faster life history strategies devoted 25 % more time to feeding when in high food density treatment plots vs. control plots. The percentage of time that females from species with slower life history strategies devoted to feeding was not affected by food density. These findings contribute to our understanding of life history theory and represent a possible mechanism to explain differences in life history strategies among species.
Data from: Life-history strategy and behavioral type: risk-tolerance reflects growth rate and energy allocation in ant colonies
Despite the recent interest in animal personality and behavioral syndromes, there is a paucity of explanations for why distinct behavioral traits should evolve to correlate. We investigate whether such correlations across apparently distinct behavioral traits may be explained by variation in life history strategy among individual ant colonies. Life history theory predicts that the way in which individuals allocate energy towards somatic maintenance or reproduction drives several distinct traits in physiology, morphology, and energy use; it also predicts that an individual's willingness to engage in risky behaviors should depend on reproductive strategy. We use Temnothorax ants, which have been shown to exhibit 'personalities' and a syndrome that may reflect risk tolerance at the colony level. We measure colonies' relative investment in growth rate (new workers produced) compared to reproductive effort (males and queens produced). Comparing sterile worker production to reproductive alate production provides a direct measure of how colonies are investing their energy, analogous to investment in growth versus reproduction in a unitary organism. Consistently with this idea, we found that behavioral type of ant colonies was associated with their life history strategy: risk-tolerant colonies grew faster and invested more in reproduction, whereas risk-averse colonies had lower growth rate but invested relatively more in workers. This provides evidence that behavioral syndromes can be a consequence of life-history strategy variation, linking the two fields and supporting the use of an integrative approach.
FIGURES 1–3. Quedius spelaeus spelaeus pupa. 1 in Description of the pupa and observations on the distribution, ecology, and life history of Quedius spelaeus spelaeus Horn (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Nova Scotia, Canada
FIGURES 1–3. Quedius spelaeus spelaeus pupa. 1, lateral view; 2, dorsal view; 3, ventral view.
FIGURE 4 in Description of the pupa and observations on the distribution, ecology, and life history of Quedius spelaeus spelaeus Horn (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Nova Scotia, Canada
FIGURE 4. Distribution of Quedius s. spelaeus in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Data from: Comparative developmental transcriptomics reveals rewiring of a highly conserved gene regulatory network during a major life history switch in the sea urchin genus Heliocidaris
The ecologically significant shift in developmental strategy from planktotrophic (feeding) to lecithotrophic (nonfeeding) development in the sea urchin genus Heliocidaris is one of the most comprehensively studied life history transitions in any animal. Although the evolution of lecithotrophy involved substantial changes to larval development and morphology, it is not known to what extent changes in gene expression underlie the developmental differences between species, nor do we understand how these changes evolved within the context of the well-defined gene regulatory network (GRN) underlying sea urchin development. To address these questions, we used RNA-seq to measure expression dynamics across development in three species: the lecithotroph Heliocidaris erythrogramma, the closely related planktotroph H. tuberculata, and an outgroup planktotroph Lytechinus variegatus. Using well-established statistical methods, we developed a novel framework for identifying, quantifying, and polarizing evolutionary changes in gene expression profiles across the transcriptome and within the GRN. We found that major changes in gene expression profiles were more numerous during the evolution of lecithotrophy than during the persistence of planktotrophy, and that genes with derived expression profiles in the lecithotroph displayed specific characteristics as a group that are consistent with the dramatically altered developmental program in this species. Compared to the transcriptome, changes in gene expression profiles within the GRN were even more pronounced in the lecithotroph. We found evidence for conservation and likely divergence of particular GRN regulatory interactions in the lecithotroph, as well as significant changes in the expression of genes with known roles in larval skeletogenesis. We further use coexpression analysis to identify genes of unknown function that may contribute to both conserved and derived developmental traits between species. Collectively, our results indicate that distinct evolutionary processes operate on gene expression during periods of life history conservation and periods of life history divergence, and that this contrast is even more pronounced within the GRN than across the transcriptome as a whole.
FIGURE 9. 1 in Life history and larval chaetotaxy of Ahmetia achaja (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Lycaeninae, Theclini, Cheritrina)
FIGURE 9. 1st instar A. achaja diagram, lateral view of body. See text for explanation of labels.
FIGURE 7. Cranial diagram, 1 in Life history and larval chaetotaxy of Ahmetia achaja (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Lycaeninae, Theclini, Cheritrina)
FIGURE 7. Cranial diagram, 1st instar A. achaja, frontal view. See text for explanation of labels.
Ecological adaptation drives wood frog population divergence in life history traits
<p class="MsoCommentText">Phenotypic variation among populations is thought to be generated from spatial heterogeneity in environments that exert selection pressures that overcome the effects of gene flow and genetic drift. Here, we tested for evidence of isolation by distance or by ecology (i.e., ecological adaptation) to generate variation in early life history traits and phenotypic plasticity among 13 wood frog populations spanning 1200 km and 7° latitude. We conducted a common garden experiment and related trait variation to an ecological gradient derived from an ecological niche model (ENM) validated to account for population density variation. Shorter larval periods, smaller body weight and relative leg lengths were exhibited by populations with colder mean annual temperatures, greater precipitation, and less seasonality in precipitation, and higher population density (high suitability ENM values). After accounting for neutral genetic variation, the <i>Q<sub>ST</sub>–F<sub>ST </sub></i>analysis supported ecological selection as the key process generating population divergence. Further, the relationship between ecology and traits was dependent upon larval density. Specifically, high suitability/high-density populations in the northern part of the range were better at coping with greater conspecific competition, evidenced by greater post-metamorphic survival and no difference in body weight when reared under stressful conditions of high larval density. Our results support that both climate and competition selection pressures drive clinal variation in larval and metamorphic traits in this species. Range-wide studies like this one are essential for accurate predictions of population's responses to ongoing ecological change.</p>
Figure 8 in Life History of Western Ghats endemic and threatened Anuran - Matheran leaping frog, (Indirana leithii) with notes on its feeding preferences
Figure 8. Grey-coloured eggs showing white yolk plug, i.e. Stage 11.
Figure 5 in Life History of Western Ghats endemic and threatened Anuran - Matheran leaping frog, (Indirana leithii) with notes on its feeding preferences
Figure 5. Inguinal amplexus in Indirana leithii with multiple males around.
Figure 4 in Life History of Western Ghats endemic and threatened Anuran - Matheran leaping frog, (Indirana leithii) with notes on its feeding preferences
Figure 4. External morphology of oral apparatus of Indirana leithii tadpole.
Figure 9 in Life History of Western Ghats endemic and threatened Anuran - Matheran leaping frog, (Indirana leithii) with notes on its feeding preferences
Figure 9. Hatchlings of Indirana leithii i.e. Stage 25 (live).
Figure 3 in Life History of Western Ghats endemic and threatened Anuran - Matheran leaping frog, (Indirana leithii) with notes on its feeding preferences
Figure 3. Femoral glands in (a) Indirana leithii and (b) Indirana chiravasi.
Figure 6 in The life history and host-searching behaviour of the aquatic parasitoid wasp Apsilops japonicus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a parasitoid of the aquatic moth Neoshoenobia testacealis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
Figure 6. An Apsilops japonica female probing the leaf petiole underwater in a glass aquarium.
Figure 1 in The life history and host-searching behaviour of the aquatic parasitoid wasp Apsilops japonicus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a parasitoid of the aquatic moth Neoshoenobia testacealis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
Figure 1. An Apsilops japonicus female on a floating leaf of yellow water lily in the study pond.
Figure 7 in Life history and host utilization pattern of a strepsipteran parasite (Insecta: Strepsiptera) on the Blissine bugs (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) living under dwarf bamboo leaf sheaths
Figure 7. Seasonal changes in frequency distribution of the strepsipteran parasites per host.
Figure 2 in Life history and host utilization pattern of a strepsipteran parasite (Insecta: Strepsiptera) on the Blissine bugs (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) living under dwarf bamboo leaf sheaths
Figure 2. Seasonal changes in the proportions of Macropes obnubilus adults and nymphs.
Figure 3 in Life history and host utilization pattern of a strepsipteran parasite (Insecta: Strepsiptera) on the Blissine bugs (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) living under dwarf bamboo leaf sheaths
Figure 3. Seasonal changes in the rate of Blissoxenos esakii parasitism.
Unidirectional response to bidirectional selection on body size. I. Phenotypic, life history and endocrine response
Anthropogenic perturbations such as harvesting often select against a large body size and are predicted to induce rapid evolution towards smaller body sizes and earlier maturation. However, body-size evolvability and, hence, adaptability to anthropogenic perturbations remain seldom evaluated in wild populations. Here, we use a laboratory experiment over 6 generations to measure the ability of wild-caught medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) to evolve in response to bidirectional size-dependent selection mimicking opposite harvest regimes. Specifically, we imposed selection against a small body size (Large line), against a large body size (Small line) or random selection (Control line), and measured correlated responses across multiple phenotypic, life-history and endocrine traits. As expected, the Large line evolved faster somatic growth and delayed maturation, but also evolved smaller body sizes at hatch, with no change in average levels of pituitary gene expressions of luteinizing, follicle-stimulating or growth (GH) hormones. In contrast, the Small medaka line was unable to evolve smaller body sizes or earlier maturation, but evolved smaller body sizes at hatch and showed marginally-significant signs of increased reproductive investment, including larger egg sizes and elevated pituitary GH production. Natural selection on medaka body size was too weak to significantly hinder the effect of artificial selection, indicating that the asymmetric body-size response to size-dependent selection reflected an asymmetry in body-size evolvability. Our results show that trait evolvability may be contingent upon the direction of selection, and that a detailed knowledge of trait evolutionary potential is needed to forecast population response to anthropogenic change.
Figure 2 in Life history dynamics and biogeography of a nudibranch with contrasting developmental modes: A hypothesis for the evolution of larval types
Figure 2. Seasonal abundance of Dendronotus spp. (in number of slugs per m2) and their thecate hydroid prey (in percentage cover). (a) The shallow subtidal site at York, Maine collected every calendar month. (b) The subtidal site at Eastport, Maine and (c) the intertidal site at West Quoddy Head in Lubec, Maine collected every two calendar months. Hydroid abundance data were sampled using point coordinates and averaged for 10 samples per sampling area (¡SD).
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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.