The Relationship between Allozyme Variation and Life-History Traits of the Spotted Chorus Frog, Pseudacris clarkii

Copeia ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 (4) ◽  
pp. 1032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Hagaman Whitehurst ◽  
Benjamin A. Pierce
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. e1009714
Author(s):  
Alexander E. Downie ◽  
Andreas Mayer ◽  
C. Jessica E. Metcalf ◽  
Andrea L. Graham

Hosts diverge widely in how, and how well, they defend themselves against infection and immunopathology. Why are hosts so heterogeneous? Both epidemiology and life history are commonly hypothesized to influence host immune strategy, but the relationship between immune strategy and each factor has commonly been investigated in isolation. Here, we show that interactions between life history and epidemiology are crucial for determining optimal immune specificity and sensitivity. We propose a demographically-structured population dynamics model, in which we explore sensitivity and specificity of immune responses when epidemiological risks vary with age. We find that variation in life history traits associated with both reproduction and longevity alters optimal immune strategies–but the magnitude and sometimes even direction of these effects depends on how epidemiological risks vary across life. An especially compelling example that explains previously-puzzling empirical observations is that depending on whether infection risk declines or rises at reproductive maturity, later reproductive maturity can select for either greater or lower immune specificity, potentially illustrating why studies of lifespan and immune variation across taxa have been inconclusive. Thus, the sign of selection on the life history-immune specificity relationship can be reversed in different epidemiological contexts. Drawing on published life history data from a variety of chordate taxa, we generate testable predictions for this facet of the optimal immune strategy. Our results shed light on the causes of the heterogeneity found in immune defenses both within and among species and the ultimate variability of the relationship between life history and immune specificity.


2011 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 749-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander D.M. Wilson ◽  
Thomas R. Binder ◽  
Keegan P. McGrath ◽  
Steven J. Cooke ◽  
Jean-Guy J. Godin

Size-selective harvesting associated with commercial and recreational fishing practices has been shown to alter life history traits through a phenomenon known as fishing-induced evolution. This phenomenon may be a result of selection pathways targeting life-history traits directly or indirectly through correlations with behavioral traits. Here, we report on the relationship between individual differences in behavior and capture technique (beach seining versus angling) in wild-caught juvenile bluegill sunfish ( Lepomis macrochirus ). Both fish caught by using a seine net (seined) and fish caught by using a lure (angled) were individually tested under standardized laboratory conditions for their boldness, water-column use, and general activity. Observed inter-individual differences in boldness were strongly correlated with method of capture in the wild. Fish caught by angling were more timid and had fewer ectoparasites than fish caught using a seine net. However, this relationship did not carry over to an experiment in a large outdoor pool with seine-caught, individually tagged wild fish, where bolder individuals were more likely to be angled in open water away from refuges than more timid individuals, based on their previously assessed boldness scores. Our study is both novel and important, as it describes the relationship between capture technique and boldness in a natural population and underscores the potential risk of sampling biases associated with method of animal capture for behavioral, population, and conservation biologists.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Liang Liu ◽  
Dao-Yuan Zhang ◽  
Shi-Min Duan ◽  
Xi-Yong Wang ◽  
Ming-Fang Song

Diaspore characteristics of 22 families, including 102 genera and 150 species (55 represented by seeds and 95 by fruits) from the Gurbantunggut Desert were analyzed for diaspore biological characteristics (mass, shape, color, and appendage type). The diaspore mass and shape were significantly different in phylogeny group (APG) and dispersal syndromes; vegetative periods significantly affected diaspore mass, but not diaspore shape; and ecotypes did not significantly affect diaspore mass and shape, but xerophyte species had larger diaspore mass than mesophyte species. Unique stepwise ANOVA results showed that variance in diaspore mass and shape among these 150 species was largely dependent upon phylogeny and dispersal syndromes. Therefore, it was suggested that phylogeny may constrain diaspore mass, and as dispersal syndromes may be related to phylogeny, they also constrained diaspore mass and shape. Diaspores of 85 species (56.67%) had appendages, including 26 with wings/bracts, 18 with pappus/hair, 14 with hooks/spines, 10 with awns, and 17 with other types of appendages. Different traits (mass, shape, color, appendage, and dispersal syndromes) of diaspore decided plants forming different adapted strategies in the desert. In summary, the diaspore characteristics were closely related with phylogeny, vegetative periods, dispersal syndromes, and ecotype, and these characteristics allowed the plants to adapt to extreme desert environments.


1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 1755-1758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Van Vuren ◽  
Kenneth B. Armitage

We evaluated the relationship between growing-season phenology, as indicated by time of snow melt, and intrapopulation variation in reproduction and growth of yellow-bellied marmots. The time of snow melt explained significant proportions of the variation in frequency of reproduction (78%), litter size (79%), and estimated body mass of young of the year (68%), but not growth rate. We suggest that the duration of snow cover, through its effect on the length of the growing season, influences habitat quality; marmots living at localities with prolonged snow cover have a shorter season of access to food. The variation in life-history traits is attributed to phenotypic plasticity and not to local genetic variation.


Copeia ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 1989 (4) ◽  
pp. 1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Bradley Shaffer ◽  
Felix Breden

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura J. A. van Dijk ◽  
Johan Ehrlén ◽  
Ayco J. M. Tack

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey Thomas Callaghan ◽  
William Kirkham Cornwell ◽  
Ailstair G. B. Poore ◽  
Yanina ◽  
Federico Morelli

Aim: Our objective was to quantify urban tolerance for North American birds across the full annual cycle. We tested (1) whether intra-annual variability of urban tolerance differed between migrants and residents and (2) whether intra-annual variability of urban tolerance was phylogenetically conserved. We then assessed how the relationship between ecological and life history traits and urban tolerance differed both across the year and between migrants and residents.Location: North America.Taxon: Birds.Methods: We integrated a large citizen science dataset of observations for 237 bird species, remotely-sensed VIIRS night-time lights data, and trait data on each species. We estimate, for each species and each month of the year, a continuous measure of urban tolerance (i.e. the median of their distribution of observations across an urbanization gradient). We then use phylogenetic linear models to assess the relationship between this measure of urban tolerance and various life history and ecological traits.Results: There was a distinct drop in the overall urban tolerance scores corresponding with the breeding period; this pattern was more pronounced for migrants compared to residents. Migrants also had greater intra-annual variability than resident species. We also found that the strength of the relationships between ecological and life history traits and urban tolerance was highly seasonal for most traits considered, and some divergent patterns were noted between migrants and residents. Main conclusions: The urban tolerance of birds greatly changed throughout the annual cycle, with different patterns for migrants and residents. Compared to residents, migrants showed more intra-annual variability of urban tolerance with a drop in the average urban tolerance score during the breeding season. Together, our results suggest that urban tolerance is a function of both species and season, and they highlight the importance of considering the dynamic nature of birds’ use of urban ecosystems throughout the full annual cycle.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Ethier ◽  
Aurore Fayard ◽  
Peter Soroye ◽  
Daeun Choi ◽  
Marc J. Mazerolle ◽  
...  

AbstractAmphibian biodiversity is declining globally, with over 40% of species being considered threatened to become extinct. Crucial to the success of conservation initiatives are a comprehensive understanding of life history and reproductive ecology of target species. Here we provide an overview of the Pseudacris genus, including breeding behaviour, reproduction, development, survival and longevity. We present an updated distribution map of the 18 species found throughout North America. We also summarize the conservation status at the national and subnational (state, provincial, and territorial) levels, in Canada, USA, and Mexico, to evaluate the relationship between life history traits and extinction risk. Results show a high degree of consistency in the life history traits of Pseudacris species considering their relative diversity and wide distribution in North America. However, data are lacking for several species, particularly in the Fat Frog and West Coast clades, causing some uncertainties and discrepancies in the literature. We also found that the most threatened populations of chorus frog were located in the east coast of the USA, potentially as a result of increased levels of anthropogenic disturbance. We suggest that the similarities in life history traits among chorus frog species provides an opportunity for collaboration and united efforts for the conservation of the genus.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document