Male fairy-wrens produce and maintain vibrant breeding colors irrespective of individual quality

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra McQueen ◽  
Kaspar Delhey ◽  
Flavia R Barzan ◽  
Annalise C Naimo ◽  
Anne Peters
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Wild Bird ◽  
Individual Quality ◽  
Plumage Color ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Breeding Plumage ◽  
Malurus Cyaneus ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Conspicuous colors may signal individual quality if high-quality individuals produce more elaborate colors or have a greater capacity to invest in color maintenance. We investigate these hypotheses using repeated within-individual observations and experimentally induced color production in a wild bird, the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus). Male superb fairy-wrens undergo an annual molt from brown, nonbreeding plumage to an ultraviolet-blue and black breeding plumage. Color maintenance is especially relevant for this species because structural, ultraviolet-blue plumage colors are particularly susceptible to fading. Further, only the most sexually attractive males molt to breeding plumage early (before spring) and thereby keep their colors for an extended time before the breeding season. Our results show that (i) sexually attractive, early-molting males do not have higher quality breeding colors and (ii) breeding colors are not impacted by experimentally inducing males to molt early and while in low body condition. We found that (iii) breeding colors do not fade but remain consistent or become more saturated within individuals over time. Despite this, (iv) males do not spend more time preening while in breeding plumage. Instead, males keep their colors in pristine condition by re-molting parts of their breeding plumage throughout the breeding season, suggesting an alternative, potential cost of maintaining ornamental colors. We conclude that variation in structural breeding colors is unlikely to indicate individual quality in superb fairy-wrens.

Inter-individual differences in the foraging behavior of breeding Adélie penguins are driven by individual quality and sex

2020 ◽  
Vol 636 ◽  
pp. 189-205
Author(s):  
A Lescroël ◽  
PO’B Lyver ◽  
D Jongsomjit ◽  
S Veloz ◽  
KM Dugger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Ross Sea ◽  
Individual Quality ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Breeding Experience ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Demographic Traits ◽  
Iteroparous Species ◽  
Adélie Penguins

Inter-individual differences in demographic traits of iteroparous species can arise through learning and maturation, as well as from permanent differences in individual ‘quality’ and sex-specific constraints. As the ability to acquire energy determines the resources an individual can allocate to reproduction and self-maintenance, foraging behavior is a key trait to study to better understand the mechanisms underlying these differences. So far, most seabird studies have focused on the effect of maturation and learning processes on foraging performance, while only a few have included measures of individual quality. Here, we investigated the effects of age, breeding experience, sex, and individual breeding quality on the foraging behavior and location of 83 known-age Adélie penguins at Cape Bird, Ross Sea, Antarctica. Over a 2 yr period, we showed that (1) high-quality birds dived deeper than lower quality ones, apparently catching a higher number of prey per dive and targeting different foraging locations; (2) females performed longer foraging trips and a higher number of dives compared to males; (3) there were no significant age-related differences in foraging behavior; and (4) breeding experience had a weak influence on foraging behavior. We suggest that high-quality individuals have higher physiological ability, enabling them to dive deeper and forage more effectively. Further inquiry should focus on determining the physiological differences among penguins of different quality.

scholarly journals Within and between breeding-season changes in contaminant occurrence and body condition in the Antarctic breeding South polar skua

2021 ◽  
pp. 117434
Author(s):  
Hilde Karin Midthaug ◽  
Daniel J. Hitchcock ◽  
Jan Ove Bustnes ◽  
Anuschka Polder ◽  
Sébastien Descamps ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
South Polar Skua ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
South Polar

scholarly journals Response to Fuson, Clements, and Sarama Commentary on Litkowski, Duncan, Logan, and Purpura (2020)

AERA Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233285842110271
Author(s):  
David J. Purpura ◽  
Ellen C. Litkowski ◽  
Robert J. Duncan ◽  
Jessica A. R. Logan
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Equity Issues ◽  
Quality Instruction ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Over Time

In response to Fuson et al.’s commentary on Litkowski et al. (2020), we clarify and expand on three areas: (1) the need for prekindergarten standards, (2) the value in developmental survey work, and (3) the importance of understanding curriculum translation and uptake. Specifically, we note that standards need to be appropriate for grade-level and it is time for more aligned prekindergarten standards. Developmental survey work is critical for ensuring that standards and expectations are accurate and adjusted to meet current needs and can be used address equity issues in instruction. Furthermore, we agree that intervention and curriculum work are needed, but there should be explicit emphasis on enhancing uptake and use of high-quality instruction. Ultimately, we need a system of assessment and instruction that is continually updated and improved, that integrates and modifies new evidence over time to ensure that we are striving for—and attaining—the best results for young children.

scholarly journals The fossil record of whip spiders: the past of Amblypygi

PalZ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolin Haug ◽  
Joachim T. Haug
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
3D Imaging ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dorsal Shield ◽  
Stereo Images ◽  
Geological Time ◽  
High Quality ◽  
The Past ◽  
Over Time

AbstractWhip spiders (Amblypygi), as their name suggests, resemble spiders (Araneae) in some aspects, but differ from them by their heart-shaped (prosomal) dorsal shield, their prominent grasping pedipalps, and their subsequent elongate pair of feeler appendages. The oldest possible occurrences of whip spiders, represented by cuticle fragments, date back to the Devonian (c. 385 mya), but (almost) complete fossils are known from the Carboniferous (c. 300 mya) onwards. The fossils include specimens preserved on slabs or in nodules (Carboniferous, Cretaceous) as well as specimens preserved in amber (Cretaceous, Eocene, Miocene). We review here all fossil whip spider specimens, figure most of them as interpretative drawings or with high-quality photographs including 3D imaging (stereo images) to make the three-dimensional relief of the specimens visible. Furthermore, we amend the list by two new specimens (resulting in 37 in total). The fossil specimens as well as modern whip spiders were measured to analyse possible changes in morphology over time. In general, the shield appears to have become relatively broader and the pedipalps and walking appendages have become more elongate over geological time. The morphological details are discussed in an evolutionary framework and in comparison with results from earlier studies.

scholarly journals Dynamic Signaling with Dropout Risk

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesc Dilmé ◽  
Fei Li
Keyword(s):  
Time Varying ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Indivisible Good ◽  
Initial Belief ◽  
Costly Delay ◽  
Over Time

We study the role of dropout risk in dynamic signaling. A seller privately knows the quality of an indivisible good and decides when to trade. In each period, he may draw a dropout shock that forces him to trade immediately. To avoid costly delay, the seller with a low-quality good voluntarily pools with early dropouts, implying that the expected quality of the good increases over time. We characterize the time-varying equilibrium trading dynamics. It is demonstrated that the maximum equilibrium delay of trade is decreasing in the initial belief that the good is of high quality. (JEL C73, D82, D83)

scholarly journals The genomic variation landscape of globally-circulating clades of SARS-CoV-2 defines a genetic barcoding scheme

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingtian Guan ◽  
Mukhtar Sadykov ◽  
Raushan Nugmanova ◽  
Michael J. Carr ◽  
Stefan T. Arold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Proteins ◽  
Genomic Variation ◽  
Genome Replication ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Dynamic Changes ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Complete Genomes ◽  
Major Mutation ◽  
Genetic Barcoding ◽  
Over Time

ABSTRACTWe describe fifteen major mutation events from 2,058 high-quality SARS-CoV-2 genomes deposited up to March 31st, 2020. These events define five major clades (G, I, S, D and V) of globally-circulating viral populations, representing 85.7% of all sequenced cases, which we can identify using a 10 nucleotide genetic classifier or barcode. We applied this barcode to 4,000 additional genomes deposited between March 31st and April 15th and classified successfully 95.6% of the clades demonstrating the utility of this approach. An analysis of amino acid variation in SARS-CoV-2 ORFs provided evidence of substitution events in the viral proteins involved in both host-entry and genome replication. The systematic monitoring of dynamic changes in the SARS-CoV-2 genomes of circulating virus populations over time can guide therapeutic and prophylactic strategies to manage and contain the virus and, also, with available efficacious antivirals and vaccines, aid in the monitoring of circulating genetic diversity as we proceed towards elimination of the agent. The barcode will add the necessary genetic resolution to facilitate tracking and monitoring of infection clusters to distinguish imported and indigenous cases and thereby aid public health measures seeking to interrupt transmission chains without the requirement for real-time complete genomes sequencing.

scholarly journals 1337. Development, Maintenance, and Application of Opsonophagocytic Assays to Measure Functional Antibody Responses to Support a 20 Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S484-S484
Author(s):  
Ingrid L Scully ◽  
Mark W Cutler ◽  
Seema Gangolli ◽  
Todd Belanger ◽  
David Cooper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Antibody Responses ◽  
Antibody Activity ◽  
Pneumococcal Vaccines ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Assay Performance ◽  
Control Serum ◽  
Serological Data ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Opsonophagocytic assays (OPAs) are an important tool for assessing vaccine-induced functional antibody responses. OPAs are complex assays composed of many biological components (eg serum, complement sources, bacteria, and human phagocytes) which contribute to assay variability and may result in titer drift if not carefully controlled. Rigorous development and validation coupled with routine monitoring of assay performance are required to ensure that high-quality OPA serological data are consistently generated throughout the lifetime of existing and next-generation pneumococcal vaccines. Methods OPA specificity was demonstrated by competing functional antibody activity with pneumococcal polysaccharides. Assay qualification/validation assessed accuracy, precision, and sample linearity. Assay performance over time was assessed through the implementation of quality control serum data tracking systems and longterm serum proficiency panels that are routinely tested during assay performance. Human quality control sera are included on each assay plate to ensure that each plate meets pre-specified acceptance criteria. Proficiency serum panels are comprised of individual human serum samples derived from subjects immunized with pneumococcal vaccines and are used to monitor performance across a range of serological titers and over time. Results The OPAs were shown to be specific and reproducible. Monitoring of assay performance over time demonstrated that the assays are stable. For the 13 serotypes contained in 13vPnC reliable titers have been generated in over a decade of testing which is an essential prerequisite in the evaluation of next-generation pneumococcal conjugate vaccines such as 20vPnC, whose licensure depends on demonstration of non-inferiority to 13vPnC. Conclusion Maintenance and careful monitoring of high-quality assays to measure functional antibody responses, such as OPAs, is critical for the delivery of reliable serological data to support the advancement of pneumococcal vaccine programs. Pneumococcal OPAs must be rigorously maintained to ensure continuity of serological data over time and inform licensure decisions of next-generation vaccines as well as postmarketing and seroepidemiology studies. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

scholarly journals Are Teachers Increasingly Leaving the Profession?

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e1723
Author(s):  
Mari Lande With
Keyword(s):  
Early Retirement ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Early Career ◽  
School Level ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
High Quality ◽  
High Quality Data ◽  
Comprehensive Examination ◽  
Education School ◽  
Over Time

Changes in teachers’ work, often labelled intensification, have raised concerns that teachers are leaving the profession at an increasing rate. The present paper uses high-quality data from Norwegian administrative registers to examine the trends in attrition across three decades. These data allow for a comprehensive examination of changes in attrition, taking teachers’ education, school level, and demographic characteristics into account. Results show that early career attrition has declined over time, whereas the incidence of early retirement increased.

scholarly journals Increased Stopover Duration and Low Body Condition of the Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) at an Autumn Stopover Site

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2208
Author(s):  
Bernice Goffin ◽  
Marcial Felgueiras ◽  
Anouschka R. Hof
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Ficedula Hypoleuca ◽  
Autumn Migration ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Stopover Site ◽  
Stopover Duration ◽  
Stopover Sites ◽  
Over Time

Many long-distance migratory bird species are in decline, of which environmental changes, such as climate change and land-use changes, are thought to be important drivers. The effects of environmental change on the migration of these birds have often been studied during spring migration. Fewer studies have explored the impacts of environmental change on autumn migration, especially at stopover sites. However, stopover sites are important, as the quality of these sites is expected to change over time. We investigated impacts of local environmental conditions on the migration strategy and body condition of the Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) at an autumn migration stopover site using long-term ringing data (1996–2018) and local environmental conditions. We found that although the arrival and departure dates of birds at the stopover site remained unchanged, the body condition (fat score) of the individuals caught decreased, and the stopover duration increased. This suggests that conditions at the stopover site during the autumn migration period have deteriorated over time. This study emphasizes the importance of suitable stopover sites for migratory birds and stresses that changes in environmental conditions during the autumn migration period may be contributing to the current decline in long-distance migratory passerines.

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