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34 results for “dietary ecology”
Data from: The spotted parrotfish genome provides evolutionary insight into the ecological adaptation of a keystone dietary specialist
<p>With over 600 valid species, the wrasses (family Labridae) are among the largest and most successful of the marine teleosts. They feature prominently on coral reefs where they are known not only for their impressive diversity in colouration and form, but also in their functional specialization and ability to occupy a wide variety of trophic guilds. Among the wrasses, the parrotfishes (tribe Scarini) display some one of the most dramatic examples of trophic specialization. Using abrasion-resistant biomineralized teeth, parrotfishes are able to mechanically extract protein-rich micro-photoautotrophs growing in and amongst reef carbonate material, a dietary niche that is inaccessible to most other teleost fishes. This ability to exploit an otherwise untapped trophic resource is thought to have played a role in the diversification and evolutionary success of the parrotfishes. In order to better understand the key evolutionary innovations leading to the success of these dietary specialists, we sequenced and analysed the genome of a representative species, the spotted parrotfish (<em>Cetoscarus ocellatus</em>). We find significant expansion, selection, and duplication within several detoxification gene families and a novel poly-glutamine expansion in the enamel protein ameloblastin, and we consider their evolutionary implications. Our genome provides a useful resource for comparative genomic studies investigating the evolutionary history of this highly specialized teleostean radiation.</p>
Fig. 2 in Dietary ecology of the extinct cave bear: Evidence of omnivory as inferred from dental microwear textures
Fig. 2. Bivariate plot of complexity (Asfc) and anisotropy (epLsar) of extant ursids and Ursus spelaeus.
Fig. 1 in Dietary ecology of the extinct cave bear: Evidence of omnivory as inferred from dental microwear textures
Fig. 1. Meshed axonometrics of digital elevation models showing microwear features. Examples include Ursus americanus (A), black bear (SBMNH 1381, modern specimen from California); Ursus arctos (B), brown bear (LACM 31256, modern specimen from Alaska), and Ursus spelaeus (C), cave bear (AMNH 11100, Pleistocene fossil specimen from Germany).
Data from: The spotted parrotfish genome provides evolutionary insight into the ecological adaptation of a keystone dietary specialist
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Morphological diversity in the sensory system of phyllostomid bats: implications for acoustic and dietary ecology
1. Sensory systems perform fitness-relevant functions, and specialized sensory structures allow organisms to accomplish challenging tasks. However, broad comparative analyses of sensory morphologies and their performance are lacking for diverse mammalian radiations. 2. Neotropical leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) are one of the most ecologically diverse mammal groups; including a wide range of diets and foraging behaviors, and extreme morphological variation in external sensory structures used in echolocation (nose leaf and pinnae). 3. We coupled 3D geometric morphometrics and acoustic field recordings under a phylogenetic framework to investigate the mechanisms underlying the diversification of external sensory morphologies in phyllostomids, and explored the potential implications of sensory morphological diversity to functional outputs and dietary ecology. 4. We found that the nose leaf consists of two evolutionary modules, spear and horseshoe, suggesting that modularity enabled morphological and functional diversification of this structure. 5. We found a significant association between some aspects of nose leaf shape and maximum frequency and bandwidth of echolocation calls, but not between pinnae shape and echolocation call parameters. This may be explained by the use of multiple sensory modes across phyllostomids and plasticity of some echolocation call parameters. 6. Species with different diets significantly differed in nose leaf shape, specifically in spear breadth, presence of a midrib, and cupping and anterior rotation of the horseshoe. This may relate to different levels of prey type specificity within each diet. Pinnae shape significantly differed between species that consume non-mobile, non-evasive prey (broad rounded, cupped pinnae) and mobile, evasive prey (flattened pinnae with a sharp tapering apex). This may reflect the use of different sound cues to detect prey. 7. Our results give insight into the morphological evolution of external sensory structures in bats, and highlight new links between morphological diversity and ecology.
Morphological diversity in the sensory system of phyllostomid bats: implications for acoustic and dietary ecology
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Coping with feast and famine: Integrated behavioral and metabolically flexible responses of wild orangutans to ecologically driven dietary variation
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Data from: Assessing niche conservatism using a multiproxy approach: dietary ecology of extinct and extant spotted hyenas
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The limits of convergence: the roles of phylogeny and dietary ecology in shaping non-avian amniote skulls
Cranial morphology is remarkably varied in living amniotes, ranging from short-faced mammals to the elongate snouts of crocodylians. This diversity of shapes is thought to correspond with feeding ecology, a relationship repeatedly demonstrated at smaller phylogenetic scales, but one that remains untested across amniote phylogeny. Using a combination of 2D geometric and linear morphometrics, we investigate the links between phylogenetic relationships, diet, and skull shape in an expansive dataset of extant amniotes with teeth: mammals, lepidosaurs, and crocodylians. We find that both phylogeny and diet have statistically significant effects on skull shape, although these effects differ depending on the dataset analyzed. The three major clades largely partition morphospace, each plotting in separate regions with limited overlap. Mammals and squamates extensively diversify within their respective regions. Among all three groups, dietary generalists often occupy clade-specific central regions of morphospace. Some parallel changes in skull shape occur in clades with distinct evolutionary histories but similar diets. However, members of a given clade often present distinct skull shape solutions for a given diet, and the vast majority of species retain the unique aspects of their ancestral skull plan, underscoring the limits of morphological convergence due to ecology in amniotes. These data demonstrate that certain skull shapes may provide functional advantages suited to particular diets, but accounting for both phylogenetic history and ecology can provide a more nuanced approach for inferring the ecology and functional morphology of cryptic or extinct amniotes.
Data from: Do neophobia and dietary wariness explain ecological flexibility? An analysis with two seed-eating birds of contrasting habits
The neophobia threshold hypothesis (NTH) suggests that the acquisition and maintenance of a high behavioral and ecological flexibility in the evolutionary and adaptive history of a species is the consequence of lower levels of neophobia towards new micro-habitats and of dietary wariness of novel foods. To test this idea we assessed the degree of neophobia and dietary wariness in two seed-eating bird species with contrasting degrees of ecological flexibility that inhabit the central Monte desert (Argentina): a grass-seed specialist, the many-colored chaco-finch, and a generalist feeder, the rufous-collared sparrow. We expected that both species would exhibit neophobia and wariness when faced with new foraging opportunities but that the rufous-collared sparrow would be less neophobic and less wary than the specialized many-colored chaco-finch. Experimental indicators of neophobia and dietary wariness included willingness to eat near novel objects and willingness to eat novel seeds, respectively. Both species showed similar levels of reluctance to novelty, although the sparrow could be slightly more reluctant than the finch. Contrary to our predictions, the sparrow was neither less hesitant nor faster or greedier than the finch. This experimental evidence does not support a negative relationship between neophobia/wariness and ecological flexibility in these two seed-eating birds and it coincides with the growing evidence that challenges the NTH. Some of our results provide support for the dangerous niche hypothesis, especially as the rufous-collared sparrow, that feeds on more diverse and potentially dangerous food, showed higher levels of neophobia in some cases. Although the idea of neophobia and wariness being plausible causes of ecological specialization sounds attractive, the current situation calls for further research so that the causes of ecological flexibility in granivorous birds can be better understood.
Data from: Trait-based functional dietary analysis provides a better insight into the foraging ecology of bats
1. The degree of trophic specialization determines the ability of predators to cope with changing foraging conditions, but in predators that prey on hundreds of species it is challenging to assess, especially when prey identity varies among predator individuals and across space and time. 2. Here, we test the hypothesis that a bat species foraging on flying insects like moths will show ample flexibility in trophic niche, and this irrespective of phylogenetic relationships among moths, so as to cope with a high diversity of prey types that vary across seasons. We predict that individual bats will show functional dietary differences consistent with energetic requirements and hunting skills. 3. We used DNA metabarcoding to determine the diet of 126 Mediterranean horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus euryale) from two different sites during three seasons. Simultaneously, we measured moth availability and characterized the traits of 290 moth taxa. Next, we explored the relationship between phylogeny and traits of all consumed and available moth taxa. Finally, we assessed the relationship between individual traits of bats and traits related to prey profitability, for which we used the RLQ and fourth-corner statistical techniques. 4. Seasonality was the main factor explaining the functional dietary variation in adult bats, with moths consumed irrespective of their phylogenetic relationships. While adults consumed moths with a broad range in wing loading, body mass and echolocation detection ability, juveniles consumed slower, smaller and lighter moths, which suggests that young individuals may undergo some fitness gain and/or psychomotor learning process during which they would acquire more effective foraging skills. 5. Our approach revealed a degree of functional flexibility in the trophic niche previously unknown for an insectivorous bat. R. euryale consumed a wide variety of moth taxa differing in profitability throughout seasons and between ontogenetic stages. We showed the validity of trait-based approaches to gain new insights in the trophic specialization of predators consuming hundreds of species of prey.
Data from: Ecological explanations to island gigantism: dietary niche divergence, predation and size in an endemic lizard
Although rapid evolution of body size on islands has long been known, the ecological mechanisms behind this island phenomenon remain poorly understood. Diet is an important selective pressure for morphological divergence. Here we investigate if selection for novel diets has contributed to the multiple independent cases of island gigantism in the Skyros wall lizard (Podarcis gaigeae) and if diet, predation, or both factors best explain island gigantism. We combined data on body size, shape, bite force, and realized and available diets to address this. Several lines of evidence suggest that diet has contributed to the island gigantism. The larger islet lizards have relatively wider heads and higher bite performance in relation to mainland lizards than would be expected from size differences alone. The proportions of consumed and available hard prey are higher on islets than mainland localities, and lizard body size is significantly correlated with the proportion of hard prey. Furthermore, the main axis of divergence in head shape is significantly correlated with dietary divergence. Finally, a model with only diet and one including diet and predation regime explain body size divergence equally well. Our results suggest that diet is an important ecological factor behind insular body size divergence, but could be consistent with an additional role for predation.
Data from: Macronutrient signature of dietary generalism in an ecologically diverse primate in the wild
A question of considerable importance is why some animals are able to succeed on a wide range of diets while others are more tightly constrained. Theory predicts that generalists should show a flexible response for macronutrient acquisition in the face of ecologically-driven constraint on the nutritional balance of available foods, which in the modelling framework of nutritional geometry has been quantitatively characterized as an "equal distance" regulatory model. This prediction, which has empirical support from several laboratory studies on insects, has not been tested for any generalist animal in the wild, nor for any vertebrate. We performed the first such test, using 281 dawn-to-dusk focal animal observations over three years (2013-2015) of Rhesus macaques monkeys (Macaca mulatta tcheliensis), a primate that is second only to humans in ecological generalism. Results showed, as predicted, that macronutrient regulation conformed closely to the equal distance pattern, and differed markedly from the other, ecologically more-specialized primate species that have been studied to date. The same was independently true for lactating and non-lactating macaques, but lactating females had substantially higher intake of macronutrients, as well as the non-nutritional food components, indigestible fiber and tannins. This demonstrates that equal distance regulation by non-lactating monkeys was not an artefact of constraint such as restricted food availability or an upper limit to the ingestion of dietary fiber or plant tannins, but a strategic regulatory response to variation in dietary macronutrient balance. We discuss implications of our results for the most generalist primate of all, humans.
The precautionary principle and dietary DNA metabarcoding: commonly used abundance thresholds change ecological interpretation
<p>Dietary DNA metabarcoding enables researchers to identify and characterize trophic interactions with a high degree of taxonomic precision. It is also sensitive to sources of bias and contamination in the field and lab. One of the earliest and most common strategies for dealing with such sensitivities has been to filter resulting sequence data to remove low-abundance sequences before conducting ecological analyses based on the presence or absence of food taxa. Although this step is now often perceived to be both necessary and sufficient for cleaning up datasets, evidence to support this perception is lacking and more attention needs to be paid to the related risk of introducing other undesirable errors. Using computer simulations, we demonstrate that common strategies to remove low-abundance sequences can erroneously eliminate true dietary sequences in ways that impact downstream dietary inferences. Using real data from well-studied wildlife populations in Yellowstone National Park, we further show how these strategies can markedly alter the composition of individual dietary profiles in ways that scale-up to obscure ecological interpretations about dietary generalism, specialism, and niche partitioning. Although the practice of removing low-abundance sequences may continue to be a useful strategy to address a subset of research questions that focus on a subset of relatively abundant food resources, its continued widespread use risks generating misleading perceptions about the structure of trophic networks. Researchers working with dietary DNA metabarcoding data—or similar data such as environmental DNA, microbiomes, or pathobiomes—should be aware of potential drawbacks and consider alternative bioinformatic, experimental, and statistical solutions.</p>
Figure 2 in Dietary ecology of common amphibian species in a seasonal location in northern Sri Lanka
Figure 2. Prey size (mm) preferences of the sampled amphibian species. (Ma: Minervarya agricola, Ec: Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis, Dm: Duttaphrynus melanostictus, Ut: Uperodon taprobanicus, Ur: Uperodon rohani, Eh: Euphlyctis hexadactylus).
Figure 1 in Dietary ecology of common amphibian species in a seasonal location in northern Sri Lanka
Figure 1. Relationship between standardised gape width (GW/SVL) of frogs and their prey length (mm).
The limits of convergence: the roles of phylogeny and dietary ecology in shaping non-avian amniote skulls
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Data from: Trait-based functional dietary analysis provides a better insight into the foraging ecology of bats
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Data from: Ecological explanations to island gigantism: dietary niche divergence, predation and size in an endemic lizard
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The precautionary principle and dietary DNA metabarcoding: commonly used abundance thresholds change ecological interpretation
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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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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.