scholarly journals Determinants of growth and body size in Austrolebias South-American annual killifish

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Helmstetter ◽  
Tom JM Van Dooren
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
Time Constraint ◽  
Temporary Ponds ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Annual Killifish ◽  
Hatchling Size

AbstractPatterns of size variation in fish are supposed to be generated by growth differences, not by egg or hatchling size variation. However, annual killifish live in temporary ponds with a limited time period available for growth and reproduction. It has therefore been hypothesized that among annual killifish, hatchling size variation should be of large relative importance to generate adaptive adult size variation. Using growth curves of 203 individuals from 18 Austrolebias species raised in a common environment, we demonstrate that hatchling size variation indeed is a main determinant of adult size variation in annual killifish, in agreement with the time constraint hypothesis. Furthermore, we find an increased early growth rate in piscivorous species augmenting their difference in size from small congeneric species. This should be adaptive if size differences determine predation success. Environmental effects of spatial location of the population of origin on hatchling size and growth suggest that the time constraint might be weakened in populations occurring near the Atlantic coast. Our study reveals how extreme environments demand specific life history solutions to achieve adaptive size variation and that there might be scope for local adaptations in growth trajectories.

scholarly journals Connecting pH with body size in the marine gastropod Trophon geversianus in a latitudinal gradient along the south-western Atlantic coast

2016 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariano E. Malvé ◽  
Sandra Gordillo ◽  
Marcelo M. Rivadeneira
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Shell Length ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Shell Weight ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Asymptotic Size ◽  
The Impact

There is growing concern about the impact of contemporaneous ocean acidification on marine ecosystems, but strong evidence for predicting the consequences is still scant. We have used the gastropod Trophon geversianus as a study model for exploring the importance of oceanographic variables (sea surface temperature, chlorophyll a, oxygen, calcite and pH) on large-scale latitudinal variation in mean shell length and relative shell weight. Data were collected from a survey carried out in 34 sites along ~1600 km. Neither shell length nor relative shell weight showed any monotonic latitudinal trend, and the patterns of spatial variability were rather complex. After correcting for spatial autocorrelation, only pH showed a significant correlation with mean shell length and relative shell weight, but contrary to expectations, the association was negative in both cases. We hypothesize that this could mirror the negative effect of acidification on growth rate, which may cause larger asymptotic size. Latitudinal trends of body size variation are not easy to generalize using ecogeographic rules, and may be the result of a complex interaction of environmental drivers and life-history responses.

Discovering new anti-cancer drugs from extremophilic microorganisms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Pérez Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Antitumor Activity ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Extremophilic Microorganisms

Bio Knowledge Lab (hereinafter BKL) is a young company from Cordoba in the biotechnology and bioinformatics sector specialized in the implementation of massive sequencing projects and computer analysis of biological data. Its objective is to support research groups and companies that work in areas related to life sciences, biotechnology, biomedicine or biopharmaceuticals. In addition, in parallel, BKL also develops its own lines of research. Among them, the project “Bioprospecting of extreme environments of the Andalusian Atlantic coast for the isolation of new bioactive compounds with antitumor activity”, a public-private project carried out in collaboration with the Universities of Huelva and Granada, and aimed to search for new compounds from extremophilic microorganisms. This project can be framed within the area of ​​Drug Discovery, a process by which new drug candidates are discovered. This constitutes the initial stage of the entire development of a drug, a process that is long and expensive, mainly due to the low ratio of drug candidates that can finally be brought to market. For this reason, there are many attempts to innovate in the drug discovery process, for example, through new approaches or using new technologies. Here, omics and computational approaches, as well as the use of new sources of resources, could provide the innovation that this process needs to overcome the public health challenges it faces. In this line, these are the approaches proposed by BKL and its collaborators, all of them integrated into a novel bioprospecting project. The project "Bioprospecting of extreme environments of the Andalusian Atlantic coast for the isolation of new bioactive compounds with antitumor activity" aims to study the microbiodiversity of extreme environments and identify microorganisms of interest, carry out isolations of new microbial species, especially microalgae and archaea, and obtain from them functional extracts rich in bioactive components to evaluate their antioxidant and antitumor capacity. In this first stage of the process, the studied locations have been points of interest of Marismas del Odiel, the Riotinto Mines and the phospho-gypsum pools, all of them in the province of Huelva and characterized by hosting extreme environments, either due to their high salinity, due to its high content of heavy metals and / or its radioactivity. In our project, the microbial, eukaryotic and prokaryotic populations of these environments have been characterized. In addition, two haloarchaeas and four microalgae have been isolated and functional extracts have been obtained, and their antioxidant and antitumor potential has been evaluated, the latter in colorectal cancer models.

Étude démographique d'une population de salamandres (Ambystoma maculatum) à l'aide de la méthode squeletto-chronologique

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 740-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Flageole ◽  
Raymond Leclair Jr
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
Ambystoma Maculatum ◽  
Temporary Ponds ◽  
Major Peak ◽  
Age At Maturity ◽  
Spotted Salamander ◽  
Back Calculation

Two hundred and twelve (212) adults of the yellow-spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, were caught in the springs of 1989 and 1990 with unbaited minnow traps in two adjacent temporary ponds located in a deciduous forest in Trois-Rivières (Quebec). The sex ratio was approximately 2:1 in favor of males. Snout–vent length (SVL) was significantly higher in females (90.2 ± 6.3 mm) than in males (82.9 ± 5.5 mm). Age was determined in cross sections of phalanges by counting the number of growth lines in the bone. Most of the salamanders were between 2 and 18 years of age, with a major peak distribution at 7 in both sexes and a secondary peak at 15 in males. The oldest animal was 32 years old. The study shows that most females are mature by the age of 7 at SVL > 78 mm, but many males reach maturity between the ages of 2 and 6 at SVL > 63 mm. Back calculation of growth curves reveals that females are already longer than males at 3 years old. Differences in age at maturity, reproductive frequency, and survival explain the observed sex ratio. Sexual dimorphism in body length is due to the rapid growth of females and their delayed maturity, not to a difference in longevity.

Influence of host size variation on the development of a koinobiont aphid parasitoid,Lysiphlebus ambiguusHaliday (Braconidae, Hymenoptera)

2008 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. Xu ◽  
L. Meng ◽  
B. Li ◽  
N. Mills
Keyword(s):  
Development Time ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Aphis Fabae ◽  
Host Size ◽  
Differential Mortality ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Female Progeny ◽  
Aphid Parasitoid ◽  
Secondary Sex Ratio ◽  
Body Sizes

AbstractTo determine whether host body size is the currency used by the aphidiine parasitoid,Lysiphlebus ambiguus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), in assessing host quality, the aphid,Aphis fabaeScopoli (Homoptera: Aphididae), was reared at either high or low temperature to yield hosts of the same instar with different body sizes. Cohorts ofA. fabae raised at 15°C and 30°C and exposed to individual femaleL. ambiguusin no-choice tests were successfully parasitized in all host stages from 1st instar nymphs to adults. However, younger and smaller aphids were more susceptible to parasitism than older and larger nymphs or adults, as measured by the number of mummies produced. For aphid cohorts reared at 15°C, the proportion of female progeny, progeny adult size, and development time all increased linearly with aphid size at the time of attack. In contrast, for aphid cohorts raised at 30°C, the proportion of female progeny and progeny adult size declined with aphid size, while development time remained unaffected. Through manipulation of host rearing temperature, we have shown that at cooler temperatures the koinobiont parasitoid,L. ambiguus, responds to host size in the same way as an idiobiont parasitoid, but that this response is compromised at higher temperatures. Our results suggest that differential mortality during development is likely to influence the observed secondary sex ratio in relation to aphid size for aphid cohorts raised at higher temperatures due to disruption of the activity of the host's primary endosymbiont and that such reduced nutritional quality of aphids cannot be compensated by increased development time.

scholarly journals Preece-Baines Model 1 to Estimate Height and Knee Height Growth in Boys and Girls From Merida, Mexico

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudip Datta Banik ◽  
Sedigheh Mirzaei Salehabadi ◽  
Federico Dickinson
Keyword(s):  
Peak Velocity ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Growth Spurt ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Leg Length ◽  
Final Size ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Knee Height ◽  
Maximum Increment

Background: Height and body segments in children have differential pubertal growth characteristics. Lower leg length is a sensitive indicator of child’s nutritional status. Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate differential timing and tempo of height and knee height (KH) growth in 9- to 17-year-old boys (n = 475) and girls (n = 500) from Merida, Mexico. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the Preece-Baines growth curves—model 1 (PB 1) was fitted to the anthropometric data for height and KH. Results: Based on the PB 1 model, KH had earlier age at maximum increment than height in boys (height = 12.37 years, KH = 11.54 years) and girls (height = 11.01 years, KH = 10.93 years). Peak velocity of these 2 dimensions was different in both sexes (boys: height = 7.11 cm/yr, KH = 2.25 cm/yr; girls: height = 5.14 cm/yr, KH = 1.45 cm/yr). Differences ( P <.001) by sex were also observed for the estimated size at peak velocity and final size of height and KH. Conclusions: When compared to height, KH was shown to have earlier adolescent growth spurt and a smaller difference between final size and the size at maximum (peak) velocity indicating an earlier age for achieving adult size. Overall, the studied boys and girls had short estimated final size, an earlier age at maximum increment, and a lower peak velocity in height than urban Guatemalan peers, the only regional reference available.

scholarly journals Effects of the presence of annual killifish on the assemblage structure of resting stages of aquatic invertebrates in temporary ponds

Limnetica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Daiane Vendramin ◽  
Marina Ramos Provensi ◽  
Cristina Stenert ◽  
Mateus Marques Pires ◽  
Elvio Sergio Figueredo Medeiros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Invertebrates ◽  
Assemblage Structure ◽  
Temporary Ponds ◽  
Resting Stages ◽  
Annual Killifish

Size matters: systematic and ecological implications of allometry in the responses of chironomid midge morphological ratios to experimental temperature manipulations

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 553-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendan G McKie ◽  
Peter S Cranston
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Phylogenetic Reconstruction ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Adaptive Significance ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Allometric Relationships ◽  
Terrestrial Environment ◽  
Environmental Regimes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ecological Implications

Separated populations of wide-ranging ectothermic species may be subjected to differing ambient environmental regimes, with consequences for adult size and related allometric characteristics. We investigated effects of environmentally induced size variation in freshwater Australian Chironomidae (Diptera) on several morphometric ratios used to account for such variation in taxonomic classification. Echinocladius martini Cranston, 2000 (Orthocladiinae) and Australopelopia prionoptera Cranston, 2000 (Tanypodinae) larvae were sampled from tropical and temperate populations separated by approximately 1800 km, and reared to adult at temperatures representing the continent-wide range encountered by these species. Additionally, adults were sampled regularly from a field population to assess seasonal variation. Body size was related inversely to rearing temperature for both species. Nonlinear (allometric) relationships were observed consistently between body size and ratios pertaining to the antennae (AR, the ratio of the terminal to subapical flagellomeres) and legs (BV, the ratio of proximal segments to distal tarsomeres), demonstrating that these ratios inadequately factor out within-species, size-related divergence. Responses of other ratios varied erratically with sex, species, and population. We advocate cautious use of these ratios in taxonomy and phylogenetic reconstruction. We discuss possible adaptive significance of allometry in the male antennae related to the "tuning" of sound-sensitive structures to the expected terrestrial environment encountered at emergence.

Growth in Tropical Cephalopods: An Analysis Based on Statolith Microstructure

1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
George D. Jackson ◽  
J. Howard Choat
Keyword(s):  
Life Span ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Short Life ◽  
Short Life Span ◽  
Daily Increments ◽  
Size At Age

Validated size-at-age data are presented for two tropical squid species (Loliolus noctiluca and Loligo chinensis) and a sepioid (Idiosepius pygmaeus). Estimates of age were obtained from daily increments in the statolith. All species reached adult size in less than 200 d. For each species, growth in mantle length was linear over the sizes sampled. In L. chinensis, growth was fastest during December–January (summer), with males showing faster growth rates than females. For I. pygmaeus, females generally had a higher growth rate than males. The slowest growth rates for both sexes occurred in the August–September (winter) period. The size-at-age data indicated rapid linear or exponential growth and a short life span of less than 1 yr. In contrast, growth curves generated from analysis of length frequency data (ELEFAN software package) suggested an asymptotic growth curve and ages in excess of 3 yr, and such analyses therefore appear inappropriate. The results of this study and a review of the literature revealed that rapid growth and short life span is the norm for pelagic cephalopods, with tropical species growing considerably faster than their temperate counterparts.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document