Consequences of microhabitat selection for reproductive success in the parasitic copepod Neobrachiella spinicephala (Lernaeopodidae)

Parasitology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 137 (11) ◽  
pp. 1687-1694 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. T. TIMI ◽  
A. L. LANFRANCHI ◽  
R. POULIN
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Attachment Site ◽  
Parasitic Copepod ◽  
The Body ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Microhabitat Selection ◽  
Fitness Effects ◽  
Attachment Sites

SUMMARYNarrow site specificity in parasites is assumed to be associated with fitness benefits, such as higher reproductive success, although this is never quantified. We linked the body mass and combined mass of egg sacs of female copepods, Neobrachiella spinicephala, parasitic on the sandperch, Pinguipes brasilianus, to attachment sites on the host. Adult females attach permanently either on the lips, the margins of the operculum, or the base of pectoral or pelvic fins. In addition to influences of sampling site, season and host body length, our analyses revealed important fitness effects. First, attachment site significantly influenced copepod body mass; independent of other factors, copepods at the base of fins were 32% larger than those on the lips or operculum. Second, the mass of egg sacs was almost always greater if the copepod was attached at the base of fins rather than to the lip or operculum. Thus, a female weighing 6 mg would, on average, produce 40% larger egg sacs if attached to the base of fins. However, copepods were much more likely to attach at the base of fins on small fish, and on either the lip or the operculum on large fish. We propose that constraints varying with fish size account for the shift from optimal to suboptimal attachment sites as a function of increasing host size. By measuring differences in fitness components between attachment sites, our approach allows hypothesis testing regarding microhabitat selection.

scholarly journals A Model for Brain Life History Evolution

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauricio González-Forero ◽  
Timm Faulwasser ◽  
Laurent Lehmann
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Modeling ◽  
Life History ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Brain Evolution ◽  
The Body ◽  
Brain Mass ◽  
History Evolution ◽  
The Brain

AbstractMathematical modeling of brain evolution is scarce, possibly due in part to the difficulty of describing how brain relates to fitness. Yet such modeling is needed to formalize verbal arguments and deepen our understanding of brain evolution. To address this issue, we combine elements of life history and metabolic theories to formulate a metabolically explicit mathematical model for brain life history evolution. We assume that some of the brain’s energetic expense is due to production (learning) and maintenance (memory) of skills (or cognitive abilities, knowledge, information, etc.). We also assume that individuals use skills to extract energy from the environment, and can allocate this energy to grow and maintain the body, including brain and reproductive tissues. Our model can be used to ask what fraction of growth energy should be allocated to the growth of brain and other tissues at each age under various biological settings as a result of natural selection. We apply the model to find uninvadable allocation strategies under a “me-against-nature” setting, namely when overcoming environmentally determined energy-extraction challenges does not involve any interactions with other individuals (possibly except caregivers), and using parameter values for modern humans. The uninvadable strategies yield predictions for brain and body mass throughout ontogeny, as well as for the ages at maturity, adulthood, and brain growth arrest. We find that (1) a me-against-nature setting is enough to generate adult brain and body mass of ancient human scale, (2) large brains are favored by intermediately challenging environments, moderately effective skills, and metabolically expensive memory, and (3) adult skill number is proportional to brain mass when metabolic costs of memory saturate the brain metabolic rate allocated to skills. Overall, our model is a step towards a quantitative theory of brain life history evolution yielding testable quantitative predictions as ecological, demographic, and social factors vary.Author SummaryUnderstanding what promotes the evolution of a given feature is often helped by mathematical modeling. However, mathematical modeling of brain evolution has remained scarce, possibly because of difficulties describing mathematically how the brain relates to reproductive success, which is the currency of evolution. Here we combine elements of two research fields that have previously been successful at detailing how a feature impacts reproductive success (life history theory) and at predicting the individual’s body mass throughout its life without the need to describe in detail the inner workings of the body (metabolic theory). We apply the model to a setting where individuals must extract energy from the environment without interacting with other individuals except caregivers (“me-against-nature”) and parameterize the model with data from humans. In this setting, the model can correctly predict a variety of human features, including large brain sizes. Our model can be used to obtain testable quantitative predictions in terms of brain mass throughout an individual’s life from assumed hypotheses promoting brain evolution, such as harsh environments or plentiful social interactions.

Simple Size-Structured Models of Recruitment and Harvest in Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.)

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 603-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Scott Forbes ◽  
Randall M. Peterman
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Pacific Salmon ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Size Composition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Optimal Size ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Large Fish ◽  
Fish Harvest

Growing evidence suggests that in Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), components of reproductive success besides fecundity are size dependent. However, managers setting escapement goals usually estimate reproductive potential of a stock in terms of total number of spawners, number of female spawners, or potential egg deposition given a mean size of spawners. Interannual variation in size composition of spawners may thus result in errors in assessing reproductive potential. Here, we develop models of recruitment and harvest and determine optimal size-selective harvesting strategies. These optimal strategies range from the current large-fish harvests (larger-than-average fish are caught, leaving smaller fish to spawn) to small-fish harvests, where the reverse is true. If the body mass (M) of individual spawners increases more rapidly than reproductive success (RS) with respect to increasing length of adult females (e.g., if number of eggs alone best measures RS), then sustainable biomass yield is maximized by the current large-fish harvest. However, if RS/M increases with increasing length of females (e.g., if total biomass of eggs best measures RS), then small-fish harvest maximizes sustainable yield. Evidence suggests that some salmon populations show this latter pattern; thus, large-fish harvests may generate suboptimal yields.

scholarly journals Inbreeding Coefficient and Distance in MHC Genes of Parents as Predictors of Reproductive Success in Domestic Cat

Animals ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 165
Author(s):  
Mariya N. Erofeeva ◽  
Galina S. Alekseeva ◽  
Mariya D. Kim ◽  
Pavel A. Sorokin ◽  
Sergey V. Naidenko
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Inbreeding Coefficient ◽  
The Body ◽  
Solid Food ◽  
Domestic Cat ◽  
Mhc Genes ◽  
Low Diversity ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Degree Of Similarity

Inbreeding and low diversity in MHC genes are considered to have a negative effect on reproductive success in animals. This study presents an analysis of the number and body mass of offspring in domestic cat, depending on the inbreeding coefficient and the degree of similarity in MHC genes of class I and II in parents. Inbred partners had a lower number of live kittens at birth than outbred ones. At the same time, the inbreeding coefficient did not affect the litter size and the number of offspring who survived until the period of transition to solid food. The most significant predictor for the number of surviving offspring was the degree of parental similarity in MHC genes: the parents with the maximum distance in MHC genes had more survived kittens. Moreover, this effect was most pronounced immediately after birth. A significant percentage of kittens from parents with a minimum distance in MHC genes were either stillborn or died on the first day after birth. By the age of transition to solid food, this effect is no longer so pronounced. Furthermore, neither the inbreeding coefficient nor the distance in MHC genes of parents had any effect on the body mass of kittens.

191: Does the Body Mass Index Affect the Outcome Following Reconstruction of Orthotopic Neobladder?

2007 ◽  
Vol 177 (4S) ◽  
pp. 64-64
Author(s):  
Murugesan Manoharan ◽  
Martha A. Reyes ◽  
Alan M. Nieder ◽  
Bruce R. Kava ◽  
MarkS Soloway
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
The Body ◽  
Orthotopic Neobladder

EFFECT OF BODY MASS INDEX ON PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Subramanyam ◽  
Dr. P. Subhash Babu
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Peak Expiratory Flow ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
The Body ◽  
Health Care Centre ◽  
Expiratory Flow ◽  
Group B

Obesity has become one of the major health issues in India. WHO defines obesity as “A condition with excessive fat accumulation in the body to the extent that the health and wellbeing are adversely affected”. Obesity results from a complex interaction of genetic, behavioral, environmental and socioeconomic factors causing an imbalance in energy production and expenditure. Peak expiratory flow rate is the maximum rate of airflow that can be generated during forced expiratory manoeuvre starting from total lung capacity. The simplicity of the method is its main advantage. It is measured by using a standard Wright Peak Flow Meter or mini Wright Meter. The aim of the study is to see the effect of body mass index on Peak Expiratory Flow Rate values in young adults. The place of a study was done tertiary health care centre, in India for the period of 6 months. Study was performed on 80 subjects age group 20 -30 years, categorised as normal weight BMI =18.5 -24.99 kg/m2 and overweight BMI =25-29.99 kg/m2. There were 40 normal weight BMI (Group A) and 40 over weight BMI (Group B). BMI affects PEFR. Increase in BMI decreases PEFR. Early identification of risk individuals prior to the onset of disease is imperative in our developing country. Keywords: BMI, PEFR.

Physical fitness of people with moderate and considerable intellectual disabilities

Physiotherapy ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzena Ślężyńska ◽  
Grzegorz Mięsok ◽  
Kamila Mięsok
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Abdominal Muscle ◽  
The Body ◽  
Intellectually Disabled ◽  
Fitness Tests ◽  
Abdominal Muscle Strength

AbstractIntroduction: The aim of the physical activity of the intellectually disabled is the strengthening of health, creating movement habits, promoting active recreation, and maintaining exercise capacity. Skillfully applied physical activity allows to mitigate the effects of pathology and create the compensations to enable the intellectually disabled people to live relatively independently. Physical activity and sport also increase their chances to integrate with their families, peers, and social environment.Materials and methods: The research targeted a group of 134 people with moderate or considerable intellectual disability (65 women and 69 men), aged 20-53 years, who participated in occupational therapy workshops in Jastrzębie Zdrój, Rybnik, and Żory. Physical fitness was assessed using the “Eurofit Special” test and balance tests. Measurements of body height and mass were also taken and then used to calculate the body mass index (BMI).Results: A salient somatic trait was the greater body mass relative to height among the persons with considerable disability, clearly illustrated by the BMI. This explained their greater heaviness in performing physical exercises. An even greater difference between participants with moderate and considerable intellectual disability was visible in physical fitness. Obviously, older persons did not achieve as good results in fitness tests as the younger ones, yet the participants were more differentiated by the level of disability than age. Most symptomatic differences to the disadvantage of the considerably disabled were observed in explosive strength, speed, abdominal muscle strength, and flexibility.Conclusions: Significant differences in fitness between the compared groups make it necessary to take into account the level of intellectual disability in the course of physical education and sport, at work, and in household duties.

Visual body processing’s associations to Body Mass Index and internalization of societal beauty ideals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Cazzato ◽  
Elizabeth Walters ◽  
Cosimo Urgesi
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
The Body ◽  
Configural Processing ◽  
Cultural Ideals ◽  
Beauty Ideals ◽  
Female Bodies ◽  
Processing Mechanisms ◽  
Attention To Detail

We examined whether visual processing mechanisms of the body of conspecifics are different in women and men and whether these rely on westernised socio-cultural ideals and body image concerns. Twenty-four women and 24 men performed a visual discrimination task of upright or inverted images of female or male bodies and faces (Experiment 1) and objects (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, both groups of women and men showed comparable abilities in the discrimination of upright and inverted bodies and faces. However, the genders of the human stimuli yielded different effects on participants’ performance, so that male bodies and female faces appeared to be processed less configurally than female bodies and male faces, respectively. Interestingly, altered configural processing for male bodies was significantly predicted by participants’ Body Mass Index (BMI) and their level of internalization of muscularity. Our findings suggest that configural visual processing of bodies and faces in women and men may be linked to a selective attention to detail needed for discriminating salient physical (perhaps sexual) cues of conspecifics. Importantly, BMI and muscularity internalization of beauty ideals may also play a crucial role in this mechanism.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document