scholarly journals Nothing as it seems: behavioural plasticity appears correlated with morphology and colour, but is not in a Neotropical tadpole

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1948) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phoebe L. Reuben ◽  
Justin C. Touchon
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Adaptive Significance ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Environmental Stressors ◽  
Behavioural Plasticity ◽  
Level Variation ◽  
Family Level ◽  
Dendropsophus Ebraccatus ◽  
Plastic Responses

In response to environmental stressors, organisms often demonstrate flexible responses in morphology, life history or behaviour. However, it is currently unclear if such plastic responses are coordinated or operate independently of one another. In vertebrates, this may partly result from studies examining population- or species-level mean responses, as opposed to finer grained analyses of individuals or families. We measured predator-specific morphological and coloration plasticity in 42 families of tadpoles of the treefrog Dendropsophus ebraccatus and behavioural plasticity from 18 of these families, allowing us to examine the correlation between three predator-induced plastic responses. For all three plastic responses, tadpoles showed strong opposing responses to each of two predators, providing the appearance of covariation in plasticity. However, the examination of individual families revealed a strong correlation between morphological and coloration plasticity, but no correlations between either morphology or colour and behavioural plasticity. Thus, our analysis shows that some aspects of the plastic phenotype develop together while others function independently. This highlights the importance of examining individual- and family-level variation for understanding the adaptive significance of developmental plasticity, which is crucial for a holistic appreciation of phenotypic plasticity and its importance in ecology and evolution.

Hormones and Behavior

2019 ◽  
pp. 11-26
Author(s):  
Maren N. Vitousek ◽  
Laura A. Schoenle
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
And Behavior

Hormones mediate the expression of life history traits—phenotypic traits that contribute to lifetime fitness (i.e., reproductive timing, growth rate, number and size of offspring). The endocrine system shapes phenotype by organizing tissues during developmental periods and by activating changes in behavior, physiology, and morphology in response to varying physical and social environments. Because hormones can simultaneously regulate many traits (hormonal pleiotropy), they are important mediators of life history trade-offs among growth, reproduction, and survival. This chapter reviews the role of hormones in shaping life histories with an emphasis on developmental plasticity and reversible flexibility in endocrine and life history traits. It also discusses the advantages of studying hormone–behavior interactions from an evolutionary perspective. Recent research in evolutionary endocrinology has provided insight into the heritability of endocrine traits, how selection on hormone systems may influence the evolution of life histories, and the role of hormonal pleiotropy in driving or constraining evolution.

scholarly journals Heterokairy: a significant form of developmental plasticity?

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 20160509 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. Rundle ◽  
J. I. Spicer
Keyword(s):  
Research Agenda ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Adaptive Significance ◽  
Research Interest ◽  
Adaptive Plasticity ◽  
Comparative Embryology ◽  
A Current

There is a current surge of research interest in the potential role of developmental plasticity in adaptation and evolution. Here we make a case that some of this research effort should explore the adaptive significance of heterokairy, a specific type of plasticity that describes environmentally driven, altered timing of development within a species. This emphasis seems warranted given the pervasive occurrence of heterochrony, altered developmental timing between species, in evolution. We briefly review studies investigating heterochrony within an adaptive context across animal taxa, including examples that explore links between heterokairy and heterochrony. We then outline how sequence heterokairy could be included within the research agenda for developmental plasticity. We suggest that the study of heterokairy may be particularly pertinent in (i) determining the importance of non-adaptive plasticity, and (ii) embedding concepts from comparative embryology such as developmental modularity and disassociation within a developmental plasticity framework.

Extended family: a caddisfly new to Saskatchewan, Canada with notes on the life history ofNeophylax splendens(Trichoptera: Thremmatidae)

2014 ◽  
Vol 147 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittney M. Hoemsen ◽  
Iain D. Phillips ◽  
Dale W. Parker ◽  
Aaron J. Bell ◽  
Jordyn A. Bergsveinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Life History ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽  
Biological Surveys ◽  
Pupal Diapause

AbstractStreams draining the Cypress Hills support unique and understudied macroinvertebrate communities in Saskatchewan, Canada. Here, we report the discovery of a species of caddisfly new to the Cypress Hills and Saskatchewan,Neophylax splendensDenning (Trichoptera: Thremmatidae). Larvae were collected early in May 2012, and are found to enter pre-pupal diapause in mid-June until mid-September. Larvae were identified asN. splendensby morphological characters and verified with genetic analysis. Its occurrence strengthens the biogeographical link between the montane regions in British Columbia, Canada and Utah, United States of America with the southwest corner of Saskatchewan. This study highlights the importance of seasonal sampling, resolute species level identifications in biological surveys and the use of genetic analyses to obtain this level of identification.

scholarly journals Species level variation in coccolithophores

2004 ◽  
pp. 327-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Geisen ◽  
Jeremy R. Young ◽  
Ian Probert ◽  
Alberto G. Sáez ◽  
Karl-Heinz Baumann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Level ◽  
Level Variation

scholarly journals Dynamic modulation of sociality and aggression: an examination of plasticity within endocrine and neuroendocrine systems

2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1727) ◽  
pp. 20160243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aubrey M. Kelly ◽  
Maren N. Vitousek
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Behavioural Plasticity ◽  
Functional Capabilities ◽  
Rapid Responses ◽  
Neuroendocrine Mechanisms ◽  
Behavioural Phenotypes ◽  
Neuroendocrine Systems

Endocrine and neuroendocrine systems are key mediators of behavioural plasticity and allow for the ability to shift social behaviour across dynamic contexts. These systems operate across timescales, modulating both rapid responses to environmental changes and developmental plasticity in behavioural phenotypes. Thus, not only do endocrine systems mediate behavioural plasticity, but also the systems themselves exhibit plasticity in functional capabilities. This flexibility at both the mechanistic and behavioural levels can be crucial for reproduction and survival. Here, we discuss how plasticity in nonapeptide and steroid actions may influence the expression of, and allow rapid shifts between, sociality and aggression—behavioural shifts that can be particularly important for social interactions. Recent findings of overlap in the mechanisms that modulate social and aggressive behaviour suggest the potential for a mechanistic continuum between these behaviours. We briefly discuss the potential for a sociality–aggression continuum and novel techniques that will enable probing of the functional connectivity of social behaviours. From an evolutionary perspective, we suggest that plasticity in endocrine and neuroendocrine mechanisms of behaviour may be important targets of selection, and discuss the conditions under which we would predict selection to have resulted in differences in endocrine plasticity across species that differ in social organization. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Physiological determinants of social behaviour in animals’.

Should I stay or should I go? Complex environments influence the developmental plasticity of flight capacity and flight-related trade-offs

2019 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan R Glass ◽  
Zachary R Stahlschmidt
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Temperature Variability ◽  
Field Cricket ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Flight Capacity

Abstract Complex environments, characterized by co-varying factors (e.g. temperature and food availability) may cause animals to invest resources differentially into fitness-related traits. Thus, experiments manipulating multiple environmental factors concurrently provide valuable insight into the role of the environment in shaping not only important traits (e.g. dispersal capacity or reproduction), but also trait–trait interactions (e.g. trade-offs between traits). We used a multi-factorial design to manipulate variation in temperature (constant 28 °C vs. 28 ± 5 °C daily cycle) and food availability (unlimited vs. intermittent access) throughout development in the sand field cricket (Gryllus firmus). Using a univariate approach, we found that temperature variability and unlimited food availability promoted survival, development, growth, body size and/or reproductive investment. Using principal components as indices of resource allocation strategy, we found that temperature variability and unlimited food reduced investment into flight capacity in females. Thus, we detected a sex-specific trade-off between flight and other life-history traits that was developmentally plastic in response to variation in temperature and food availability. We develop an experimental and statistical framework to reveal shifts in correlative patterns of investment into different life-history traits. This approach can be applied to a range of biological systems to investigate how environmental complexity influences traits and trait trade-offs.

scholarly journals Annual reversible plasticity of feeding structures: cyclical changes of jaw allometry in a sea urchin

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1779) ◽  
pp. 20132284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Ebert ◽  
José Carlos Hernández ◽  
Sabrina Clemente
Keyword(s):  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus ◽  
Environmental Stressors ◽  
Feeding Apparatus ◽  
The North ◽  
Plastic Responses ◽  
Multiple Episodes

A wide variety of organisms show morphologically plastic responses to environmental stressors but in general these changes are not reversible. Though less common, reversible morphological structures are shown by a range of species in response to changes in predators, competitors or food. Theoretical analysis indicates that reversible plasticity increases fitness if organisms are long-lived relative to the frequency of changes in the stressor and morphological changes are rapid. Many sea urchin species show differences in the sizes of jaws (demi-pyramids) of the feeding apparatus, Aristotle's lantern, relative to overall body size, and these differences have been correlated with available food. The question addressed here is whether reversible changes of relative jaw size occur in the field as available food changes with season. Monthly samples of the North American Pacific coast sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus were collected from Gregory Point on the Oregon (USA) coast and showed an annual cycle of relative jaw size together with a linear trend from 2007 to 2009. Strongylocentrotus purpuratus is a long-lived species and under field conditions individuals experience multiple episodes of changes in food resources both seasonally and from year to year. Their rapid and reversible jaw plasticity fits well with theoretical expectations.

Detecting density dependence from spatial patterns in a heterogeneous subtropical forest of central China

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 710-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yili Guo ◽  
Zhijun Lu ◽  
Qinggang Wang ◽  
Junmeng Lu ◽  
Yaozhan Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Density Dependence ◽  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Subtropical Forest ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Central China ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Level Variation

Accumulating evidence suggests that density dependence, whether at early or late life stages, is an important mechanism regulating plant population structure. However, the opposing effects of habitat heterogeneity and species-level variation might have confounded the prevalence of density dependence in natural forests. These compatible ideas were rarely considered simultaneously. In this study, we applied a spatial statistical technique to examine (i) the prevalence of density dependence at late life stages after controlling for habitat heterogeneity and (ii) the relationships between species traits and the strength of density dependence in a newly established, 25 ha subtropical mountain forest plot in central China. Of the 88 (75%) tree species analyzed, 66 were found to exhibit density dependence predominantly at very close distances among neighbors in the species-rich subtropical forest. In addition, the strength of density dependence was associated with species traits. Our findings identified strong density dependence among trees that had greater stature and were rarer. We concluded that density dependence was a prevalent mechanism for regulating the population structure of most tree species and both habitat heterogeneity and species-level variation played crucial roles in shaping the strength of density dependence in natural forests.

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