Life-history traits in green toad (Bufo viridis) populations: indicators of habitat quality

Five life-history traits (age and size at maturity, longevity, potential reproductive life span, age-dependent growth rate) were investigated in four Bufo viridis Laurenti, 1768 (= Pseudepidalea viridis (Laurenti, 1768)) populations that inhabited localities at similar altitude (60–100 m above sea level) and latitude (50°N–51°N, Germany), but that differed in habitat quality (i.e., human land use within a radius of 1 km around the breeding site). The age of 374 males and of 127 females collected during the breeding period was estimated using skeletochronology on phalange bones. We tested the hypothesis that sex and habitat quality account for detectable amounts of local variation in life-history traits. Significant sexual size dimorphism was present in all populations. Gender-specific variation in size was mainly accounted for by age, but also to a minor extent by habitat quality. In males, age at maturity varied between 1 and 3 years and was the only life-history trait that was significantly related to the intensity of human land use. In contrast, land-use indices covaried significantly with female longevity (6–15 years) and potential reproductive life span (5–12 years). Our pilot study suggests that, in B. viridis, life-history traits derived from the local age structure may be useful as indicators of habitat quality.

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Demographic life history traits in a population of a critically endangered species, Darevskia dryada (Darevsky & Tuniyev, 1997)

Animal Biology ◽

10.1163/15707563-17000092 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 68 (1) ◽

pp. 27-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Abdullah Altunışık ◽

Halit Eksilmez

Keyword(s):

Endangered Species ◽

Life Span ◽

Age Structure ◽

Sexual Maturity ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Critically Endangered ◽

Critically Endangered Species ◽

Reproductive Life ◽

Reproductive Life Span ◽

Males And Females

AbstractKnowing the age structure of endangered species is important in order to contribute to future conservation studies for such species. In this context, we investigated age structure, age at sexual maturity, potential reproductive lifespan and longevity in a population of the Charnali lizard,Darevskia dryada, an endangered species from Turkey. The results show that the Charnali lizard has a longer life span than other lizards of the genusDarevskiathat live in the same region. We estimated that these lizards attain their sexual maturity at the age of one or two years and the potential reproductive life span for males and females is six and five years, respectively. As in many other lizards, the Charnali lizard exhibited a low-level male-biased sexual dimorphism in terms of increased size. We believe that this study, in which prior information related to the Charnali lizard is shared, will contribute to future conservation activities for this critically endangered species.

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Variation in reproductive life-history traits of birds in fragmented habitats: a review and meta-analysis

Bird Conservation International ◽

10.1017/s0959270911000475 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 462-467 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

RENZO R. VARGAS ◽

FRANCISCO E. FONTÚRBEL ◽

ELISA BONACORSO ◽

JAVIER A. SIMONETTI

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Habitat Fragmentation ◽

Brood Size ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Life History Trait ◽

Significant Heterogeneity ◽

Fragmented Habitats ◽

Reproductive Life ◽

Precocial Birds ◽

Reproductive Life History

SummaryThe effects of habitat fragmentation on the distribution and abundance of birds is a well-researched topic but there is little information published in terms of how habitat fragmentation affects reproductive life history traits. We reviewed the available literature on this subject and found that only 8% of the 1,433 studies dealing with birds in fragmented habitat studied life history traits and only 1.3% provided appropriate data to perform statistics. We found no effect of fragmentation on clutch and brood size patterns. Those patterns did not change when corrected by phylogeny. However, there is a significant heterogeneity among species responses, thus data on large-bodied, ground-nesting, and precocial birds suggest an increasing response in brood size in fragmented habitats. Finally, our review shows that despite birds being the most studied vertebrate group, crucial information such as the effects of habitat fragmentation on life history traits is still scarce and insufficient, especially on species of conservation concern. Indeed, only one out of 15 species reviewed here was threatened. Studies on reproductive, behavioural and life history trait variation are urgently needed in order to advance conservation actions.

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Mapping the adaptive landscape of a major agricultural pathogen reveals evolutionary constraints across heterogeneous environments

The ISME Journal ◽

10.1038/s41396-020-00859-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anik Dutta ◽

Fanny E. Hartmann ◽

Carolina Sardinha Francisco ◽

Bruce A. McDonald ◽

Daniel Croll

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Large Scale ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Genetic Correlations ◽

Stress Factors ◽

Life History Trait ◽

Adaptive Landscape ◽

Heterogeneous Environments ◽

Growth Responses ◽

Trade Offs

AbstractThe adaptive potential of pathogens in novel or heterogeneous environments underpins the risk of disease epidemics. Antagonistic pleiotropy or differential resource allocation among life-history traits can constrain pathogen adaptation. However, we lack understanding of how the genetic architecture of individual traits can generate trade-offs. Here, we report a large-scale study based on 145 global strains of the fungal wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici from four continents. We measured 50 life-history traits, including virulence and reproduction on 12 different wheat hosts and growth responses to several abiotic stressors. To elucidate the genetic basis of adaptation, we used genome-wide association mapping coupled with genetic correlation analyses. We show that most traits are governed by polygenic architectures and are highly heritable suggesting that adaptation proceeds mainly through allele frequency shifts at many loci. We identified negative genetic correlations among traits related to host colonization and survival in stressful environments. Such genetic constraints indicate that pleiotropic effects could limit the pathogen’s ability to cause host damage. In contrast, adaptation to abiotic stress factors was likely facilitated by synergistic pleiotropy. Our study illustrates how comprehensive mapping of life-history trait architectures across diverse environments allows to predict evolutionary trajectories of pathogens confronted with environmental perturbations.

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Natural variation in fecundity is correlated with species-wide levels of divergence in Caenorhabditis elegans

G3 Genes|Genome|Genetics ◽

10.1093/g3journal/jkab168 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gaotian Zhang ◽

Jake D Mostad ◽

Erik C Andersen

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Life History Trait ◽

Selective Sweeps ◽

C Elegans ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Genetic Complexity ◽

Genomic Regions ◽

Global Population

Abstract Life history traits underlie the fitness of organisms and are under strong natural selection. A new mutation that positively impacts a life history trait will likely increase in frequency and become fixed in a population (e.g. a selective sweep). The identification of the beneficial alleles that underlie selective sweeps provides insights into the mechanisms that occurred during the evolution of a species. In the global population of Caenorhabditis elegans, we previously identified selective sweeps that have drastically reduced chromosomal-scale genetic diversity in the species. Here, we measured the fecundity of 121 wild C. elegans strains, including many recently isolated divergent strains from the Hawaiian islands and found that strains with larger swept genomic regions have significantly higher fecundity than strains without evidence of the recent selective sweeps. We used genome-wide association (GWA) mapping to identify three quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying the fecundity variation. Additionally, we mapped previous fecundity data from wild C. elegans strains and C. elegans recombinant inbred advanced intercross lines that were grown in various conditions and detected eight QTL using GWA and linkage mappings. These QTL show the genetic complexity of fecundity across this species. Moreover, the haplotype structure in each GWA QTL region revealed correlations with recent selective sweeps in the C. elegans population. North American and European strains had significantly higher fecundity than most strains from Hawaii, a hypothesized origin of the C. elegans species, suggesting that beneficial alleles that caused increased fecundity could underlie the selective sweeps during the worldwide expansion of C. elegans.

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Reproductive Uncertainty and the Evolution of Iteroparity: Why Don't Flatfish Put All Their Eggs in One Basket?

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f81-130 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 38 (8) ◽

pp. 968-977 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Derek A. Roff

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Life Span ◽

Intrinsic Rate ◽

Intrinsic Rate Of Increase ◽

Rate Of Increase ◽

Age Of Maturity ◽

Reproductive Life ◽

Reproductive Life Span ◽

Engraulis Ringens ◽

Using Data

Murphy's hypothesis that variation in reproductive life span is an adaptive response to variation in the predictability of reproductive success is examined. Murphy's contention that this hypothesis explains the variation in reproductive life span within the clupeids is reexamined incorporating further data on the Peruvian anchovy (Engraulis ringens). A nonsignificant correlation is now obtained between reproductive life span and brood strength variation; thus, the hypothesis is called into question. An alternative explanation is presented that considers the interaction between life history parameters: because it is necessary for the intrinsic rate of increase to exceed zero, variation in one parameter must be associated with variation in at least one other parameter. In the clupeids it is noted that the age of maturity and reproductive life span vary in concert and it is suggested that this provides an explanation of variation in reproductive life span. These two hypotheses are examined using data on the family Pleuronectidae, the flatfish. No correlation exists between reproductive life span and the degree of fluctuation in brood strength but there is a significant correlation between reproductive life span and age of maturity. It is concluded that variation in reproductive life span within the flatfish group is not a response to variation in reproductive success but rather a correlate of variation in age of maturity.Key words: flatfish, Pleuronectidae, iteroparity, natural selection, reproduction, clupeids

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Absence of strong heterosis for life span and other life history traits in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/134.2.465 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 134 (2) ◽

pp. 465-474 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

T E Johnson ◽

E W Hutchinson

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽

Life Span ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Environmental Variation ◽

F1 Hybrids ◽

Wild Type ◽

Wild Strains ◽

And Behavior ◽

Type Strains

Abstract We have examined crosses between wild-type strains of Caenorhabditis elegans for heterosis effects on life span and other life history traits. Hermaphrodites of all wild strains had similar life expectancies but males of two strains had shorter life spans than hermaphrodites while males of two other strains lived longer than hermaphrodites. F1 hermaphrodite progeny showed no heterosis while some heterosis for longer life span was detected in F1 males. F1 hybrids of crosses between two widely studied wild-type strains, N2 (var. Bristol) and Berg BO (var. Bergerac), were examined for rate of development, hermaphrodite fertility, and behavior; there was no heterosis for these life history traits. Both controlled variation of temperature and uncontrolled environmental variation affected the length of life of all genotypes. Significant G x E effects on life span were observed in comparisons of N2 and Berg BO hermaphrodites, or N2 hermaphrodites and males, or N2 and a Ts mutant strain (DH26). Nevertheless, within an experiment, environmental variation was minimal and life spans were quite replicable.

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Loci, genes, and gene networks associated with life history variation in a model ecological organism,Daphnia pulex(complex)

10.1101/436733 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Jacob W. Malcom ◽

Thomas E. Juenger ◽

Mathew A. Leibold

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Life History ◽

Molecular Basis ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Evolutionary Dynamics ◽

Daphnia Pulex ◽

Life History Trait ◽

Life History Variation ◽

Trait Variation

ABSTRACTBackgroundIdentifying the molecular basis of heritable variation provides insight into the underlying mechanisms generating phenotypic variation and the evolutionary history of organismal traits. Life history trait variation is of central importance to ecological and evolutionary dynamics, and contemporary genomic tools permit studies of the basis of this variation in non-genetic model organisms. We used high density genotyping, RNA-Seq gene expression assays, and detailed phenotyping of fourteen ecologically important life history traits in a wild-caught panel of 32Daphnia pulexclones to explore the molecular basis of trait variation in a model ecological species.ResultsWe found extensive phenotypic and a range of heritable genetic variation (~0 < H2< 0.44) in the panel, and accordingly identify 75-261 genes—organized in 3-6 coexpression modules—associated with genetic variation in each trait. The trait-related coexpression modules possess well-supported promoter motifs, and in conjunction with marker variation at trans- loci, suggest a relatively small number of important expression regulators. We further identify a candidate genetic network with SNPs in eight known transcriptional regulators, and dozens of differentially expressed genes, associated with life history variation. The gene-trait associations include numerous un-annotated genes, but also support several a priori hypotheses, including an ecdysone-induced protein and several Gene Ontology pathways.ConclusionThe genetic and gene expression architecture ofDaphnialife history traits is complex, and our results provide numerous candidate loci, genes, and coexpression modules to be tested as the molecular mechanisms that underlieDaphniaeco-evolutionary dynamics.

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Concept of Granthi with reference to uterine fibroid: An Ayurveda review

National Journal of Research in Ayurved Science ◽

10.52482/ayurlog.v9i02.840 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (02) ◽

Author(s):

Jaya Umate ◽

Soudamini Chaudhari

Keyword(s):

Life Span ◽

Uterine Fibroid ◽

Uterine Fibroids ◽

Modern Science ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Significant Morbidity ◽

Reproductive Life ◽

Reproductive Life Span ◽

Gynecological Disease ◽

Reproductive Age Group

Uterine fibroids are the commonest benign tumor of the uterus and also the commonest benign solid tumor in the female. It can cause significant morbidity in women of a reproductive life span. The exact cause of uterine fibroid is unknown. Prevalence of uterine fibroid 5 -20 % of women in the reproductive age group. It can cause significant morbidity in women of a reproductive life span. Not all fibroids cause symptoms. 50% of women are asymptomatic. Fibroids mainly cause symptoms like menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea and cause pressure symptoms on adjacent viscera i. e. bladder, uterus, rectum which affects the everyday activities of women. In Ayurveda all gynecological disease explained under the term yonivyapad. It can be explained as the anatomical and functional abnormalities of the female reproductive system. In Ayurveda granthi can be correlated with the uterine fibroid. In modern science uterine fibroid treats medically, surgically. But it is challenging to establish a satisfactory conservatory medical treatment to date. so in Ayurveda the main purpose is the management of granthi by samprapti vighatan by use of medicine.

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