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Archer CR, Weldon CW. Editorial: Diet, nutrition and insect responses to environmental change. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 4:1415809. [PMID: 38737402 PMCID: PMC11082436 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2024.1415809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Ruth Archer
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christopher W. Weldon
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
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Balestrieri A, Gigliotti S, Caniglia R, Velli E, Zambuto F, De Giorgi E, Mucci N, Tremolada P, Gazzola A. Nutritional ecology of a prototypical generalist predator, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Sci Rep 2024; 14:7918. [PMID: 38575633 PMCID: PMC10995161 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58711-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Generalist species, which exploit a wide range of food resources, are expected to be able to combine available resources as to attain their specific macronutrient ratio (percentage of caloric intake of protein, lipids and carbohydrates). Among mammalian predators, the red fox Vulpes vulpes is a widespread, opportunistic forager: its diet has been largely studied, outlining wide variation according to geographic and climatic factors. We aimed to check if, throughout the species' European range, diets vary widely in macronutrient composition or foxes can combine complementary foods to gain the same nutrient intake. First, we assessed fox's intake target in the framework of nutritional geometry. Secondly, we aimed to highlight the effects of unbalanced diets on fox density, which was assumed as a proxy for Darwinian fitness, as assessed in five areas of the western Italian Alps. Unexpectedly, the target macronutrient ratio of the fox (52.4% protein-, 38.7% lipid- and 8.9% carbohydrate energy) was consistent with that of hypercarnivores, such as wolves and felids, except for carbohydrate intakes in urban and rural habitats. The inverse relation between density and the deviation of observed macronutrient ratios from the intake target suggests that fox capability of surviving in a wide range of habitats may not be exempt from fitness costs and that nutrient availability should be regarded among the biotic factors affecting animal abundance and distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Balestrieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università di Milano, via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - S Gigliotti
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - R Caniglia
- Area per la Genetica della Conservazione, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), via Ca' Fornacetta 9, Ozzano Emilia, 40064, Bologna, Italy
| | - E Velli
- Area per la Genetica della Conservazione, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), via Ca' Fornacetta 9, Ozzano Emilia, 40064, Bologna, Italy
| | - F Zambuto
- IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio, via C. Belgioioso 173, 20161, Milano, Italy
| | - E De Giorgi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - N Mucci
- Area per la Genetica della Conservazione, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), via Ca' Fornacetta 9, Ozzano Emilia, 40064, Bologna, Italy
| | - P Tremolada
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università di Milano, via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - A Gazzola
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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Bornbusch SL, Power ML, Schulkin J, Drea CM, Maslanka MT, Muletz-Wolz CR. Integrating microbiome science and evolutionary medicine into animal health and conservation. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:458-477. [PMID: 37956701 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Microbiome science has provided groundbreaking insights into human and animal health. Similarly, evolutionary medicine - the incorporation of eco-evolutionary concepts into primarily human medical theory and practice - is increasingly recognised for its novel perspectives on modern diseases. Studies of host-microbe relationships have been expanded beyond humans to include a wide range of animal taxa, adding new facets to our understanding of animal ecology, evolution, behaviour, and health. In this review, we propose that a broader application of evolutionary medicine, combined with microbiome science, can provide valuable and innovative perspectives on animal care and conservation. First, we draw on classic ecological principles, such as alternative stable states, to propose an eco-evolutionary framework for understanding variation in animal microbiomes and their role in animal health and wellbeing. With a focus on mammalian gut microbiomes, we apply this framework to populations of animals under human care, with particular relevance to the many animal species that suffer diseases linked to gut microbial dysfunction (e.g. gut distress and infection, autoimmune disorders, obesity). We discuss diet and microbial landscapes (i.e. the microbes in the animal's external environment), as two factors that are (i) proposed to represent evolutionary mismatches for captive animals, (ii) linked to gut microbiome structure and function, and (iii) potentially best understood from an evolutionary medicine perspective. Keeping within our evolutionary framework, we highlight the potential benefits - and pitfalls - of modern microbial therapies, such as pre- and probiotics, faecal microbiota transplants, and microbial rewilding. We discuss the limited, yet growing, empirical evidence for the use of microbial therapies to modulate animal gut microbiomes beneficially. Interspersed throughout, we propose 12 actionable steps, grounded in evolutionary medicine, that can be applied to practical animal care and management. We encourage that these actionable steps be paired with integration of eco-evolutionary perspectives into our definitions of appropriate animal care standards. The evolutionary perspectives proposed herein may be best appreciated when applied to the broad diversity of species under human care, rather than when solely focused on humans. We urge animal care professionals, veterinarians, nutritionists, scientists, and others to collaborate on these efforts, allowing for simultaneous care of animal patients and the generation of valuable empirical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally L Bornbusch
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
- Department of Nutrition Science, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Michael L Power
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Jay Schulkin
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific St., Box 356460, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 104 Biological Sciences, Campus Box 90383, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Michael T Maslanka
- Department of Nutrition Science, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Carly R Muletz-Wolz
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
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4
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Uiterwaal SF, DeLong JP. Foraging rates from metabarcoding: Predators have reduced functional responses in wild, diverse prey communities. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14394. [PMID: 38511320 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Functional responses describe foraging rates across prey densities and underlie many fundamental ecological processes. Most functional response knowledge comes from simplified lab experiments, but we do not know whether these experiments accurately represent foraging in nature. In addition, the difficulty of conducting multispecies functional response experiments means that it is unclear whether interaction strengths are weakened in the presence of multiple prey types. We developed a novel method to estimate wild predators' foraging rates from metabarcoding data and use this method to present functional responses for wild wolf spiders foraging on 27 prey families. These field functional responses were considerably reduced compared to lab functional responses. We further find that foraging is sometimes increased in the presence of other prey types, contrary to expectations. Our novel method for estimating field foraging rates will allow researchers to determine functional responses for wild predators and address long-standing questions about foraging in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella F Uiterwaal
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Institute for Conservation Medicine, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, East Alton, Illinois, USA
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - John P DeLong
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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5
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Barbee B, Pinter-Wollman N. Nutritional needs and mortality risk combine to shape foraging decisions in ants. Curr Zool 2023; 69:747-755. [PMID: 37876638 PMCID: PMC10591143 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
When foraging, internal needs for particular nutrients might affect food choice, and external constraints, such as predation risk, might impact trade-offs between foraging and risk avoidance. Examining both internal and external constraints simultaneously can provide important insights into how animals make decisions. We examined how internal nutritional needs and external cues of mortality risk jointly impact the foraging behavior of ants. Ant colonies require carbohydrates to support workers energetically and proteins to raise brood. Furthermore, colonies adjust their foraging activity in response to the environment, such as food availability and the presence of predators or heterospecifics. Here we examine the foraging decisions of groups of Argentine ants Linepithema humile, which differ in their nutritional needs in high-risk environments. We starved groups of ants for either proteins or carbohydrates and determined the foraging choices that ants made when cues of heterospecifics were present. We found that ants preferentially forage for carbohydrates in high-risk conditions. Furthermore, starvation for carbohydrates increased the ants' preference for carbohydrates, even when cues of heterospecifics were present at both carbohydrates and protein resources. Starvation for protein also resulted in preferential foraging for carbohydrates, but it increased visitation to a protein food source in high-risk environments compared to when ants were starved for carbohydrates or for both resources. Examining the effect of both nutrition and mortality risk on foraging simultaneously provides insights about state-dependent risk-taking behavior that may have important implications for predicting the invasion of species into novel habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce Barbee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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6
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Pérez-Pezoa K, Cárdenas CA, González-Aravena M, Gallardo P, Rivero A, Arriagada V, Demianenko K, Zabroda P, Santa Cruz F. Trophodynamics of the Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) in the Antarctic Peninsula: Ontogenetic changes in diet composition and prey fatty acid profiles. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287376. [PMID: 37796854 PMCID: PMC10553334 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) is the largest notothenioid species in the Southern Ocean, playing a keystone role in the trophic web as a food source for marine mammals and a top predator in deep-sea ecosystems. Most ecological knowledge on this species relies on samples from areas where direct fishing is allowed, whereas in areas closed to fishing, such as the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), there are still key ecological gaps to ensure effective conservation, especially regarding our understanding of its trophic relationships within the ecosystem. Here, we present the first comprehensive study of the feeding behavior of Antarctic toothfish caught in the northern tip of the AP, during two consecutive fishing seasons (2019/20 and 2020/21). Stomach content was analyzed according to size-classes, sex and season. Macroscopic morphological analysis was used to identify prey, whereas DNA analysis was used in highly digested prey items. Fatty acid analysis was conducted to determine the prey's nutritional composition. The diet mainly consisted of Macrouridae, Cephalopoda, Anotopteridae, and Channichthyidae. Other prey items found were crustaceans and penguin remains; however, these were rare in terms of their presence in stomach samples. Sex had no effect on diet, whereas size-class and fishing season influenced prey composition. From 27 fatty acid profiles identified, we observed two different prey groups of fishes (integrated by families Anotopteridae, Macrouridae and Channichthyidae) and cephalopods. Our results revealed a narrow range of prey items typical of a generalist predator, which probably consumes the most abundant prey. Understanding the diet and trophic relationships of Antarctic toothfish is critical for a better comprehension of its role in the benthic-demersal ecosystem of the AP, key for ecosystemic fisheries management, and relevant for understanding and predicting the effect of climate change on this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Pérez-Pezoa
- Departamento de Ecología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - César A. Cárdenas
- Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno, Plaza Muñoz Gamero, Punta Arenas, Chile
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Pablo Gallardo
- Departamento de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Acuícolas, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Alí Rivero
- Departamento de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Acuícolas, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Vicente Arriagada
- Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | | | - Pavlo Zabroda
- Institute of Fisheries and Marine Ecology (IFME), Berdyansk, Ukraine
| | - Francisco Santa Cruz
- Departamento Científico, Instituto Antártico Chileno, Plaza Muñoz Gamero, Punta Arenas, Chile
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7
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Udell M, Delgado M, Ekenstedt K, Shoveller AK, Croney C. CATastrophic myths part 2: Common misconceptions about the environmental, nutritional, and genetic management of domestic cats and their welfare implications. Vet J 2023; 300-302:106029. [PMID: 37683762 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2023.106029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Despite the cat's popularity as a companion species, many owners and practitioners lack high quality information about important aspects of their behavior and management. Myths, anecdotes, and narratives of cats as 'low maintenance, self-sufficient' animals are pervasive, and the degree to which these may underlie complacency about fully meeting cats' needs is unknown. Several studies suggest that cat welfare and the human-cat bond may benefit from improved education about how to optimize the domestic cat's management and husbandry needs in homes and elsewhere. This paper is the second of a two-part series addressing common myths about cats. The purpose of this paper is to review and debunk common misconceptions about optimal cat care, feeding behavior, genetics, and training. Replacing these misconceptions with scientifically generated information could have a significant impact on the behavioral management of cats, positively influencing their physical health, mental stimulation, and well-being, and reducing stress for both cats and the people caring for them. Areas where further research is required to address ambiguities, and to better meet cats' needs in homes and other environments, are also identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Udell
- Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, 2921 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | | | - Kari Ekenstedt
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Anna Kate Shoveller
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Candace Croney
- Center for Animal Welfare Science, Purdue University, 625 Harrison St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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8
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Dwyer GK, Stoffels RJ, Silvester E, Rees GN. Two wild carnivores selectively forage for prey but not amino acids. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3254. [PMID: 36828827 PMCID: PMC9958011 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28231-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In nutritional ecology the intake target is the diet that maximises consumer fitness. A key hypothesis of nutritional ecology is that natural selection has acted upon the behavioural and physiological traits of consumers to result in them Selectively Consuming prey to match the Intake Target (SCIT). SCIT has been documented in some herbivores and omnivores, which experience strong heterogeneity in the nutritional quality of available foods. Although carnivores experience a prey community with a much more homogeneous nutrient composition, SCIT by carnivores has nevertheless been deemed highly likely by some researchers. Here we test for SCIT for micronutrients (amino acids) in two freshwater carnivores: the river blackfish and the two-spined blackfish. Although both blackfishes exhibited non-random consumption of prey from the environment, this resulted in non-random consumption of amino acids in only one species, the river blackfish. Non-random consumption of amino acids by river blackfish was not SCIT, but instead an artefact of habitat-specific foraging. We present hypotheses to explain why wild populations of freshwater carnivores may not exhibit SCIT for amino acids. Our work highlights the need for careful, critical tests of the hypotheses and assumptions of nutritional ecology and its application to wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia K Dwyer
- Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia.
| | - Rick J Stoffels
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Riccarton, PO Box 8602, Christchurch, 8440, New Zealand
| | - Ewen Silvester
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Wodonga, VIC, 3690, Australia
| | - Gavin N Rees
- CSIRO Land and Water, and Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 789, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia
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Grainger R, Raoult V, Peddemors VM, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Gaston TF, Raubenheimer D. Integrating isotopic and nutritional niches reveals multiple dimensions of individual diet specialisation in a marine apex predator. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:514-534. [PMID: 36421071 PMCID: PMC10107186 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Dietary specialisations are important determinants of ecological structure, particularly in species with high per-capita trophic influence like marine apex predators. These species are, however, among the most challenging in which to establish spatiotemporally integrated diets. We introduce a novel integration of stable isotopes with a multidimensional nutritional niche framework that addresses the challenges of establishing spatiotemporally integrated nutritional niches in wild populations, and apply the framework to explore individual diet specialisation in a marine apex predator, the white shark Carcharodon carcharias. Sequential tooth files were sampled from juvenile white sharks to establish individual isotopic (δ-space; δ13 C, δ15 N, δ34 S) niche specialisation. Bayesian mixing models were then used to reveal individual-level prey (p-space) specialisation, and further combined with nutritional geometry models to quantify the nutritional (N-space) dimensions of individual specialisation, and their relationships to prey use. Isotopic and mixing model analyses indicated juvenile white sharks as individual specialists within a broader, generalist, population niche. Individual sharks differed in their consumption of several important mesopredator species, which suggested among-individual variance in trophic roles in either pelagic or benthic food webs. However, variation in nutrient intakes was small and not consistently correlated with differences in prey use, suggesting white sharks as nutritional specialists and that individuals could use functionally and nutritionally different prey as complementary means to achieve a common nutritional goal. We identify how degrees of individual specialisation can differ between niche spaces (δ-, p- or N-space), the physiological and ecological implications of this, and argue that integrating nutrition can provide stronger, mechanistic links between diet specialisation and its intrinsic (fitness/performance) and extrinsic (ecological) outcomes. Our time-integrated framework is adaptable for examining the nutritional consequences and drivers of food use variation at the individual, population or species level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Grainger
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vincent Raoult
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Victor M Peddemors
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gabriel E Machovsky-Capuska
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Nutri Lens, East Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Troy F Gaston
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Suzuki Y, Ikemoto M, Yokoi T. The ontogenetic dietary shift from non-dangerous to dangerous prey in predator-eating predators under capture risk. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9609. [PMID: 36514549 PMCID: PMC9731918 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Evaluating the patterns and generality of ontogenetic dietary shifts (ODSs) contributes to understanding prey-predator interactions and food web dynamics. Numerous studies have focused on predators that target distinctively lower trophic-level organisms. However, the ODS of predators that routinely prey on organisms at similar trophic levels (i.e., predator-eating predators) have been neglected in ODS research. The ODS patterns of predator eaters may not fit into conventional frameworks owing to constraints of potential capture risk (e.g., deadly counterattack from prey) and body size. We aimed to reveal the ODS patterns of predator eaters and determine whether the patterns were affected by body size and capture risk. Assuming that capture risk is a significant factor in ODS patterns, we expected: (1) juvenile araneophagic spiders to forage on non-dangerous prey (insects) and capture larger non-dangerous prey more frequently than dangerous prey (spiders); and (2) as they grow, their prey types will shift from non-dangerous to dangerous prey because larger predators will be able to capture dangerous prey as the optimal food. As a result of field observations, we revealed that the major ODS pattern in these spiders changed from a mixed (both insect and spider) to a spider-dominant diet. The model selection approach showed that this diet shift was partly due to predator size, and the relative importance of predator size was higher than the life stage per se and almost equal to species identity. In these spiders, the body size of spider prey tended to be smaller than that of insects when the predators were small, suggesting that capture risk may be a critical factor in determining the ODS patterns of these predators. Therefore, our study adds to the evidence that the capture risk is crucial in comprehensively understanding the mechanisms determining ODS patterns in natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Suzuki
- Laboratory of Conservation Ecology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of TsukubaIbarakiJapan,The United Graduate School of Agricultural SciencesKagoshima UniversityKagoshimaJapan
| | - Mito Ikemoto
- Laboratory of Conservation Ecology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of TsukubaIbarakiJapan,Biodiversity DivisionNational Institute for Environmental StudiesTsukubaJapan
| | - Tomoyuki Yokoi
- Laboratory of Conservation Ecology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of TsukubaIbarakiJapan
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11
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Bar A, Marom C, Zorin N, Gilad T, Subach A, Foitzik S, Scharf I. Desert Ants Learn to Avoid Pitfall Traps While Foraging. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11060897. [PMID: 35741418 PMCID: PMC9219994 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Animals living in nests leave their nests to search for food and often use constant routes. We tested how workers of ant colonies cope with pitfall traps placed on their way to food. Such pits can represent those dug by the ant-hunting pit-building antlions. The pitfall traps delayed the arrival at the food and increased the workers’ tracks, but the ants improved in searching after accumulating experience. Furthermore, workers learned to avoid falling into the pits with experience. Removing or adding pits led to a fast change in the worker behavior and they ignored the past conditions, except for tracks that were longer than expected, after pitfall traps were removed. The ants fell much more frequently into pits closer to the arena entry, suggesting that such positions are especially profitable for sit-and-wait predators, ambushing such ants. Abstract Central-place foragers, such as social insects or nesting birds, repeatedly use the same routes from and to their nests when foraging for food. Such species forage more efficiently after accumulating experience. We examined, here, a relatively neglected aspect of such an improvement with experience—the avoidance of pitfall traps. Similar pits are built by antlions, which co-occur with the ants, but they also resemble other natural obstacles. We used the desert ant Cataglyphis niger, common in sandy habitats, and allowed it to forage for three successive runs for a food reward. Ant workers discovered food more slowly and in smaller numbers when pits were in their path. Pit presence also led to longer tracks by ants and slower movement. However, with experience, the ants fell into such pits less often and reached the food more quickly. To understand how past conditions affect current behavior, we investigated whether removing or adding pits led to a different result to that with a constant number of pits. Workers adjusted their behavior immediately when conditions changed. The only carryover effect was the longer tracks crossed by workers after pit removal, possibly resulting from the mismatch between the past and current conditions. Finally, the workers were more likely to fall into pits that were closer to the nest than those that were further away. This is a good example of the advantage that ambush predators can derive from ambushing their prey in specific locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Bar
- School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (A.B.); (C.M.); (N.Z.); (T.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Chen Marom
- School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (A.B.); (C.M.); (N.Z.); (T.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Nikol Zorin
- School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (A.B.); (C.M.); (N.Z.); (T.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Tomer Gilad
- School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (A.B.); (C.M.); (N.Z.); (T.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Aziz Subach
- School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (A.B.); (C.M.); (N.Z.); (T.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Inon Scharf
- School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (A.B.); (C.M.); (N.Z.); (T.G.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +972-(0)3-6408006
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12
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Bellec L, Seimandi‐Corda G, Menacer K, Trabalon M, Ollivier J, Lunel C, Faure S, Cortesero A, Hervé M. Factors driving the within‐plant patterns of resource exploitation in a herbivore. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bellec
- IGEPP‐UMR 1349, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes 1, 35000 Rennes France
- Innolea, 6 Chemin de Panedautes, 31700 Mondonville France
| | - Gaëtan Seimandi‐Corda
- IGEPP‐UMR 1349, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes 1, 35000 Rennes France
- Biointeractions and Crop protections, Rothamsted Research Harpenden
| | - Kathleen Menacer
- IGEPP‐UMR 1349, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes 1, 35000 Rennes France
| | - Marie Trabalon
- EthoS‐UMR 6552, CNRS, Univ Rennes 1, 35000 Rennes France
| | - Jérôme Ollivier
- IGEPP‐UMR 1349, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes 1, 35000 Rennes France
- ISCR, CNRS, 35000 Rennes France
| | - Christophe Lunel
- IGEPP‐UMR 1349, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes 1, 35000 Rennes France
| | | | | | - Maxime Hervé
- IGEPP‐UMR 1349, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Rennes 1, 35000 Rennes France
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13
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Food and Feeding Biology of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Lake Langeno, Ethiopia. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14020974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the natural feeding behavior of Nile tilapia in Lake Langeno, Ethiopia, with emphasis on potential spatial, size and seasonal effects on ingested food items. This study of the food and feeding biology of O. niloticus in Lake Langeno, Ethiopia, was conducted from March 2016to February 2017. Fish samples were collected monthly from six different sampling sites using different mesh sizes of gillnets. A total of 610 fish specimens with full stomachs were considered for the assessment of feeding biology. In total, seven food items, namely phytoplankton, zooplankton, insects, detritus, macrophytes, fish parts and nematodes, were identified from the fish stomach contents. Phytoplankton was the most commonly consumed food prey, followed by detritus, zooplankton and macrophytes. The other food items were occasionally and randomly consumed. Phytoplankton and detritus were the dominant food prey in the dry season, with zooplankton and macrophytes the main prey during the wet months. The contribution of phytoplankton, zooplankton and insects were slightly highest in small-sized groups (<10 cm), whereas detritus, macrophytes and fish parts were highest in larger-size groups (>20 cm) (p < 0.05). The present results point to a concurrence of the relative importance of dietary items at the individual level, species level and among the study sites. Phytoplankton was the primary consumed food item, which indicates the specialist feeding strategy of Nile tilapia in the lake. Generally, food items of plant origin, typically associated with less protein content than animal origin food items, dominated the stomach contents of Nile tilapia. The dietary pattern of Nile tilapia in Lake Langeno shifts with size and season, aspects that might warrant further study in view of aquaculture applications as well as climate change.
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14
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Nielsen SMB, Bilde T, Toft S. Macronutrient niches and field limitation in a woodland assemblage of harvestmen. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:593-603. [PMID: 34894154 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Description of animals' trophic niches helps us understand interactions between species in biological communities that are not easily observed. Analyses of macronutrient niches, that is, the range of macronutrient (protein:lipid:carbohydrate) ratios selected by generalist feeders, may be a useful alternative approach to inter-species comparisons of diets, especially within taxonomic assemblages of predators where species with similar nutritional requirements are likely to accept similar types of prey. Here we analysed the macronutritional niches of a woodland assemblage of seven harvestman species, all supposed to be predators with omnivorous tendencies. Five species (Mitopus morio, Leiobunum gracile, Oligolophus tridens, O. hanseni and Paroligolophus agrestis) were native and two species (Opilio canestrinii and Dicranopalpus ramosus) were recent invaders into the community. We compare the fundamental (FMN) and realized (RMN) macronutritional niche positions of the species using a 'double-test procedure', which provides information on whether the species were food limited in their natural habitat, and whether they were limited by specific macronutrients. All seven species were food limited and six species were non-protein limited in the field; of these, four species were carbohydrate limited, and in one species females were lipid limited and males were carbohydrate limited. These findings add to the notion that predators are mainly non-protein limited in the field. The FMN positions of the assemblage fell within 46%-50% protein, 29%-38% lipid and 16%-22% carbohydrate. The amount of carbohydrate in the self-selected diet combined with carbohydrate limitation confirms that the species are zoophytophagous. Two morphological clusters of species (large long-legged vs. small short-legged species) differed not only in microhabitat (upper vs. lower forest strata) but also in macronutrient selection, where large long-legged species selected higher proportion of carbohydrate than small short-legged species. Thus, morphologically similar species occupy the same habitat stratum and have similar macronutritional niches. We discuss the hypothesis that the invasive O. canestrinii might have an impact on native species as it allegedly had in urban environments previously. Two basic assumptions about interspecific resource competition were fulfilled, that is, high overlap of nutritional requirements and limitation by food and macronutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Trine Bilde
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Søren Toft
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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15
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Erazmus KR, Luiselli L, Burke RL. Salad with Clams: Prey Choice of an Intentionally Carnivorous Turtle. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2021. [DOI: 10.1656/045.028.0412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca Luiselli
- Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation, and Cooperation, via G. Tomasi di Lampedusa 33, I-00144 Rome, Italy
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16
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Granata M, Mosini A, Piana M, Zambuto F, Capelli E, Balestrieri A. Nutritional ecology of martens (
Martes foina
and
Martes martes
) in the western Italian Alps. Ecol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Granata
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology University of Turin Turin Italy
| | - Andrea Mosini
- Valgrande Società Cooperativa‐Studi Verbania Possaccio Italy
| | - Manuel Piana
- Valgrande Società Cooperativa‐Studi Verbania Possaccio Italy
| | - Francesco Zambuto
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Enrica Capelli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Alessandro Balestrieri
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
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17
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Alrubaye HS, Kohl KD. Abundance and Compositions of B-Vitamin-Producing Microbes in the Mammalian Gut Vary Based on Feeding Strategies. mSystems 2021; 6:e0031321. [PMID: 34463576 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00313-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammals maintain close associations with gut microbes that provide numerous nutritional benefits, including vitamin synthesis. While most mammals obtain sufficient vitamins from their diets, deficiencies in various B vitamins (biotin, cobalamin, riboflavin, thiamine, etc.) are reported in captive animals. Biomedical and agricultural research has shown that gut microbes are capable of synthesizing B vitamins and assisting with host vitamin homeostasis. However, we have a poor understanding of distribution and abundance of B-vitamin synthesis across mammalian hosts. Here, we leveraged a publicly available metagenomic data set from 39 mammalian species and used MG-RAST to compare the abundance and composition of B-vitamin-synthesizing microbes across mammalian feeding strategies. We predicted that herbivores would have the highest abundance of genes associated with vitamin synthesis, as plant material is often low in B vitamins. However, this hypothesis was not supported. Instead, we found that relative abundances of genes associated with cobalamin and thiamine synthesis were significantly enriched in carnivorous mammals. The taxonomic community structure of microbes predicted to be involved in B-vitamin synthesis also varied significantly based on host feeding strategy. For example, the genus Acinetobacter primarily contributed to predicted biotin synthesis in carnivores but was not predicted to contribute to biotin synthesis in herbivores or omnivores. Given that B vitamins cannot be stored within the body, we hypothesize that microbial synthesis of B vitamins could be important for wild carnivores that regularly experience periods of fasting. Overall, these results shed light on the distribution and abundance of microbial B-vitamin synthesis across mammalian groups, with potential implications for captive animals. IMPORTANCE Microbial communities offer numerous physiological services to their hosts, but we still have a poor understanding of how these functions are structured across mammalian species. Specifically, our understanding of processes of vitamin synthesis across animals is severely limited. Here, we compared the abundance of genes associated with the synthesis of B vitamins and the taxonomic composition of the microbes containing these genes. We found that herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores harbor distinct communities of microbes that putatively conduct vitamin synthesis. Additionally, carnivores exhibited the highest abundance of genes associated with synthesis of specific B vitamins, cobalamin and thiamine. These data uncover the potential importance of microbes in the vitamin homeostasis of various mammals, especially carnivorous mammals. These findings have implications for understanding the microbial interactions that contribute to the nutritional requirements of animals held in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisham S Alrubaye
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburghgrid.21925.3d, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kevin D Kohl
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburghgrid.21925.3d, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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18
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Feeding Ecology of Wild Brown-Nosed Coatis and Garbage Exploration: A Study in Two Ecological Parks. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11082412. [PMID: 34438869 PMCID: PMC8388731 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Coatis are mammals that frequently exploit human food sources, such as dumps in ecological parks. This behavior can lead to changes in food ecology and health problems. To verify the change in the diet of wild coatis, 56 fecal samples were analyzed in two ecological parks visited by tourists, Parque Municipal das Mangabeiras (PMM) and Parque Nacional do Caparaó (PNC). Multivariate statistics were applied to evaluate the interactions among four variables (volume, composition, place, and sex of coatis). A significant interaction between parks and sexes with regard to volume and food category was not found. A decreasing gradient in volume was found in PNC males, followed by the PNC females, PMM males, and PMM females. No differences were found in categories of food between males and females from PNC and PMM, except for invertebrates, as females from PNC consumed more invertebrates than individuals from PMM. The coatis of both parks primarily consume invertebrates and vegetables, but garbage residues were found in feces. Human food and garbage fragments change feeding ecology. Garbage residues cause risks to the health of coatis. These findings suggest a problem to be addressed in efforts to preserve wild coatis in both parks. Abstract Wild animals that feed on garbage waste are a problem in ecological parks as it can substantially alter their food ecology. Wild coatis that occupy human recreation areas in parks are often observed feeding on garbage, but the ecological consequences are scarcely known. Forty-four fecal samples from females and 12 from males of wild coatis living in two ecological parks (Parque Municipal das Mangabeiras (PMM) and Parque Nacional do Caparaó (PNC)) were analyzed. Multivariate statistics were applied to evaluate the interaction between four variables (fecal volume, composition, place and sex of coatis). A significant interaction between the parks and sexes with regard to volume and food category was not found. Ungrouped analysis allowed for the identification of a decreasing gradient in volume from PNC males, followed by PNC females, PMM males, and PMM females. We did not find differences between categories of food between males and females from PNC and PMM, except for invertebrates. Females from PNC consumed more invertebrates than males and females of PMM, but we did not find differences from PNC males. The coatis of both parks primarily consume invertebrates and vegetables, but garbage residues were found in their feces. Garbage fragments, such as paper, glass, metal, plastic and rope, cause a risk to the health, compromising the conservation efforts of wild coatis. Actions are needed to prevent the access of coatis to dumps in both parks.
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19
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Rode KD, Robbins CT, Stricker CA, Taras BD, Tollefson TN. Energetic and health effects of protein overconsumption constrain dietary adaptation in an apex predator. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15309. [PMID: 34321600 PMCID: PMC8319126 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94917-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of predator feeding ecology commonly focus on energy intake. However, captive predators have been documented to selectively feed to optimize macronutrient intake. As many apex predators experience environmental changes that affect prey availability, limitations on selective feeding can affect energetics and health. We estimated the protein:fat ratio of diets consumed by wild polar bears using a novel isotope-based approach, measured protein:fat ratios selected by zoo polar bears offered dietary choice and examined potential energetic and health consequences of overconsuming protein. Dietary protein levels selected by wild and zoo polar bears were low and similar to selection observed in omnivorous brown bears, which reduced energy intake requirements by 70% compared with lean meat diets. Higher-protein diets fed to zoo polar bears during normal care were concurrent with high rates of mortality from kidney disease and liver cancer. Our results suggest that polar bears have low protein requirements and that limitations on selective consumption of marine mammal blubber consequent to climate change could meaningfully increase their energetic costs. Although bear protein requirements appear lower than those of other carnivores, the energetic and health consequences of protein overconsumption identified in this study have the potential to affect a wide range of taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karyn D Rode
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA.
| | - Charles T Robbins
- School of the Environment and School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Craig A Stricker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Brian D Taras
- Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, AK, 99701, USA
| | - Troy N Tollefson
- Mazuri Exotic Animal Nutrition, Land O'Lakes, Inc., St. Louis, MO, 63166, USA
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20
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Mastrantonio V, Crasta G, Urbanelli S, Porretta D. Cannibalism and Necrophagy Promote a Resource Loop and Benefit Larval Development in Insects of Temporary Waters. INSECTS 2021; 12:657. [PMID: 34357317 PMCID: PMC8303820 DOI: 10.3390/insects12070657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Temporary aquatic habitats are contingent on the allochthonous inputs of plant and animal detritus, whose quality and availability can significantly affect the species developing in these habitats. Although animal detritus (i.e., invertebrate carcasses) is a high-quality food, it is an unpredictable and variable resource. On the contrary, conspecific individuals (dead or alive) are a nutritionally high-quality food source that is always available. In this context, conspecifics consumption, by cannibalism or necrophagy, can be a good strategy to overcome nutrient limitation and allow individual maintenance and development. Here, we tested this hypothesis by using the tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus. By carrying out laboratory and semi-field experiments, we first estimated the relative rate of cannibalism and necrophagy, under different larval densities. Then, we analyzed the effects of cannibalism and necrophagy on larval survival and adult yield. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found that cannibalism and necrophagy occurred under all experimental conditions, and that conspecific consumption had positive effects on individual development, as it significantly increased the rate of adult emergence and larval survival. Interestingly, about 50% of the initial cohort was consumed by conspecifics, suggesting that cannibalism and necrophagy can drive an important resources loop in temporary aquatic habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Mastrantonio
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy; (V.M.); (S.U.)
| | - Graziano Crasta
- Department of Mathematics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy;
| | - Sandra Urbanelli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy; (V.M.); (S.U.)
| | - Daniele Porretta
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy; (V.M.); (S.U.)
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21
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Demi LM, Taylor BW, Reading BJ, Tordoff MG, Dunn RR. Understanding the evolution of nutritive taste in animals: Insights from biological stoichiometry and nutritional geometry. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8441-8455. [PMID: 34257909 PMCID: PMC8258225 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A major conceptual gap in taste biology is the lack of a general framework for understanding the evolution of different taste modalities among animal species. We turn to two complementary nutritional frameworks, biological stoichiometry theory and nutritional geometry, to develop hypotheses for the evolution of different taste modalities in animals. We describe how the attractive tastes of Na-, Ca-, P-, N-, and C-containing compounds are consistent with principles of both frameworks based on their shared focus on nutritional imbalances and consumer homeostasis. Specifically, we suggest that the evolution of multiple nutritive taste modalities can be predicted by identifying individual elements that are typically more concentrated in the tissues of animals than plants. Additionally, we discuss how consumer homeostasis can inform our understanding of why some taste compounds (i.e., Na, Ca, and P salts) can be either attractive or aversive depending on concentration. We also discuss how these complementary frameworks can help to explain the evolutionary history of different taste modalities and improve our understanding of the mechanisms that lead to loss of taste capabilities in some animal lineages. The ideas presented here will stimulate research that bridges the fields of evolutionary biology, sensory biology, and ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee M. Demi
- Department of Applied EcologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Brad W. Taylor
- Department of Applied EcologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | | | | | - Robert R. Dunn
- Department of Applied EcologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
- Center for Evolutionary HologenomicsUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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22
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Austin AJ, Gilbert JDJ. Solitary bee larvae prioritize carbohydrate over protein in parentally provided pollen. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Austin
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Hull Hull UK
- Strategy & Environment Ku‐ring‐gai Council Gordon NSW Australia
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23
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Hou R, Chapman CA, Rothman JM, Zhang H, Huang K, Guo S, Li B, Raubenheimer D. The geometry of resource constraint: An empirical study of the golden snub-nosed monkey. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:751-765. [PMID: 33314075 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Apposite conceptualization and measurement of resource variation is critical for understanding many issues in ecology, including ecological niches, persistence and distribution of populations, the structure of communities and population resilience to perturbations. We apply the nutritional geometry framework to conceptualize and quantify the responses of a temperate-living primate, the golden snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus roxellana to variation in resource quality and quantity and in nutrient requirements associated with seasonal environments. We present a geometric model distinguishing qualitative constraint, quantitative constraint and 'pseudo-constraint' whereby nutrient intakes resemble response to qualitative resource constraint but are in fact driven by variation in nutrient requirements. The model is applied to analyse nutrient intakes recorded in 164 full-day observations of monkeys from two populations, one wild and the other captive, across seasons. Additionally, we recorded the diet of a single animal over 32 consecutive days in the wild. Despite considerable differences in available resources, the captive and wild populations showed marked similarities in nutrient intakes, including indistinguishable amounts and ratios of ingested macronutrients during summer and autumn and strong year-round maintenance of protein compared to seasonally variable fat and carbohydrate intakes. These similarities suggest homeostatically regulated nutritional targets and provide reference points to identify factors driving population differences in macronutrient intake in winter and spring. Our framework enabled us to distinguish examples of quantitative, qualitative and 'pseudo-constraint'. We suggest that this approach can increase the resolution at which resource constraint is conceptualized and measured in ecological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Hou
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.,Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Colin A Chapman
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.,Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.,School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Jessica M Rothman
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - He Zhang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Kang Huang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Songtao Guo
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Baoguo Li
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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24
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Dierenfeld ES, Whitehouse‐Tedd K, Dermauw V, Hanebury LR, Biggins DE. Environmental and prey‐based factors underpinning variability in prairie dogs eaten by black‐footed ferrets. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen S. Dierenfeld
- Department of Wildlife Nutrition New York Zoological Society (now Wildlife Conservation Society) Bronx New York10460USA
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University Southwell NottinghamshireNG25 0QFUK
| | - Katherine Whitehouse‐Tedd
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University Southwell NottinghamshireNG25 0QFUK
| | - Veronique Dermauw
- Department of Biomedical Sciences Institute of Tropical Medicine Nationalestraat 155 Antwerp2000Belgium
| | - Louis R. Hanebury
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Ecology Research Center 1300 Blue Spruce Drive Fort Collins Colorado80524USA
| | - Dean E. Biggins
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Ecology Research Center 1300 Blue Spruce Drive Fort Collins Colorado80524USA
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25
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Ekblad C, Tikkanen H, Sulkava S, Laaksonen T. Diet and breeding habitat preferences of White-tailed Eagles in a northern inland environment. Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02769-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AbstractMany apex predator populations are recolonizing old areas and dispersing to new ones, with potential consequences for their prey species and for livestock. An increasing population of the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) has settled north of the Arctic Circle in northern Finland, mainly at two big water reservoirs but also in areas with mainly terrestrial habitat. We examined nesting habitat preferences and prey use of White-tailed Eagles in this environment, where reindeer husbandry is a traditional livelihood and concerns are rising that the growing White-tailed Eagle population poses a threat to reindeer calves. Lakes, peat bogs, and marshlands were preferred habitats in the nesting territories. Fish constituted 64.3% of the identified prey items, with birds accounting for 28.5% and mammals 7.2%. The nesting territory habitat within a 10 km radius and the latitude influenced the prey composition at both the group and species level. The occurrence of reindeer calves as prey increased with latitude but was not associated with any habitat. Knowledge of the diet and territory preferences can be used to predict future dispersal and local prey use of this species. Nesting White-tailed Eagles do not seem to pose a threat to traditional reindeer herding, but further research is needed regarding non-breeding sub-adults and whether the White-tailed Eagles actually kill reindeer calves or simply exploit their carcasses.
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26
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Diaz Gomez M, Rosen DA, Forster IP, Trites AW. Prey composition impacts lipid and protein digestibility in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus). CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Pinnipeds have specific macronutrient (protein, lipid) requirements to satisfy physiological functions, yet little is known about how diet characteristics affect macronutrient digestibility. We measured relative and absolute lipid and protein digestibility in six female northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus (Linnaeus, 1758)) fed eight experimental diets composed variously of four prey species (Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1847; walleye pollock, Gadus chalcogrammus Pallas, 1814 (formerly Theragra chalcogramma (Pallas, 1814)); capelin, Mallotus villosus (Müller, 1776); magister armhook squid, Berryteuthis magister (Berry, 1913)). We quantified how digestibility was affected by proximate composition of the diet (% lipid or % protein), levels of food mass and macronutrient intake, and tested for any potential benefit of multi-species diets. Overall, digestibility of both protein and lipid were high across diets, although macronutrient retention of lipids (96.0%–98.4%) was significantly higher than protein (95.7%–96.7%) for all but the two highest protein diets. Increased levels of protein intake resulted in increased protein retention, but decreased lipid digestibility. There was no evidence that mixed-species diets provide greater macronutrient digestibility over single-species diets. The results suggest that high to moderate lipid diets are more beneficial to northern fur seals because they lead to increased levels of lipid retention without large decreases in protein digestibility. This raises concerns that dietary factors may be contributing to the population declines of northern fur seals in the Bering Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Diaz Gomez
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, Room 247, 2202 Main Mall, AERL, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - David A.S. Rosen
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, Room 247, 2202 Main Mall, AERL, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Ian P. Forster
- Pacific Science Enterprise Centre (PSEC), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 4160 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC V7V 1N6, Canada
| | - Andrew W. Trites
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, Room 247, 2202 Main Mall, AERL, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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27
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Protein metabolism and physical fitness are physiological determinants of body condition in Southern European carnivores. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15755. [PMID: 32978477 PMCID: PMC7519690 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72761-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological significance of biometric body condition indices (bBCI) is poorly understood. We hypothesized that bBCI are composite metrics of nutritional physiology, physical fitness and health. To test this hypothesis, we first compared the performance of eight bBCI, using 434 Southern European carnivores from six species as a model system; and then identified, by non-destructive methods, the hematology and serum biochemistry correlates of three selected bBCI. Fulton’s K Index, Major Axis Regression Residuals and Scaled Mass Index were the only bBCI insensitive to the effect of sex and age. The most informative physiological parameters in explaining the variation of these bBCI were the albumin (Effect Size (ES) = − 1.66 to − 1.76), urea (ES = 1.61 to 1.85) and total bilirubin (ES = − 1.62 to − 1.79). Hemoglobin and globulins (positive) and cholesterol (negative) were moderately informative (0.9 <|ES|< 1.5). This study shows that most bBCI do not control for the effect of age and sex in Southern European carnivores. Our results support that bBCI are composite measures of physiologic processes, reflecting a positive gradient from protein-poor to protein-rich diets, accompanied by increased physical fitness. Biometric body condition indices allow the integration of ecologically relevant physiological aspects in an easily obtained metric.
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Anderson TR, Raubenheimer D, Hessen DO, Jensen K, Gentleman WC, Mayor DJ. Geometric Stoichiometry: Unifying Concepts of Animal Nutrition to Understand How Protein-Rich Diets Can Be “Too Much of a Good Thing”. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
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29
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Foraging strategy of a carnivorous-insectivorous raptor species based on prey size, capturability and nutritional components. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7583. [PMID: 32372048 PMCID: PMC7200729 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64504-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimal foraging theory has typically paid little attention to species feeding on mobile prey and has emphasised energy intake rather than the nutritional contribution of food. The difficulty of capturing food has rarely been included in foraging models, even when it is a potentially important modulator of time devoted to foraging. From the central place foraging and provisioning perspectives, it is posited that at high levels of prey selectivity, the time spent to capture prey is longer than at low levels of prey selectivity. Furthermore, in the case of carnivorous predators, it is thought that nutritional composition does not influence foraging strategies. To explore these issues, we investigated the influence of abundance, size, difficulty of capture, gross energy and nutritional composition (fat, protein, protein-fat ratio and amino acid contents) of prey species on the foraging behaviour of a predator species, the common kestrel Falco tinnunculus, in a region of high diversity of prey species. Our results show that capturability index and load-size explain the foraging behaviour of kestrels. Preferred prey take longer to be provisioned, both selectivity and capturability might explain this result. It is also shown that specific nutritional components, such as protein and amino acid contents, are likely to explain food preference in this carnivorous-insectivorous species.
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30
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Shik JZ, Dussutour A. Nutritional Dimensions of Invasive Success. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:691-703. [PMID: 32668214 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite mounting calls for predictive ecological approaches rooted in physiological performance currencies, the field of invasive species biology has lagged behind. For instance, successful invaders are often predicted to consume diverse foods, but the nutritional complexity of foods often leaves food-level analyses short of physiological mechanisms. The emerging field of nutritional geometry (NG) provides new theory and empirical tools to predict invasive potential based on fundamental and realized nutritional niches. We review recent advances and synthesize NG predictions about behavioral traits that favor invasive establishment, and evolutionary dynamics that promote invasive spread. We also provide practical advice for applying NG approaches, and discuss the power of nutrition to achieve a more predictive invasion biology that explicitly integrates physiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Z Shik
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama.
| | - Audrey Dussutour
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Unité Propre de Service (UPS), 31062, Toulouse, France.
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31
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Karlson AML, Gorokhova E, Gårdmark A, Pekcan-Hekim Z, Casini M, Albertsson J, Sundelin B, Karlsson O, Bergström L. Linking consumer physiological status to food-web structure and prey food value in the Baltic Sea. AMBIO 2020; 49:391-406. [PMID: 31168701 PMCID: PMC6965491 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01201-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Declining physiological status in marine top consumers has been observed worldwide. We investigate changes in the physiological status and population/community traits of six consumer species/groups in the Baltic Sea (1993-2014), spanning four trophic levels and using metrics currently operational or proposed as indicators of food-web status. We ask whether the physiological status of consumers can be explained by food-web structure and prey food value. This was tested using partial least square regressions with status metrics for gray seal, cod, herring, sprat and the benthic predatory isopod Saduria as response variables, and abundance and food value of their prey, abundance of competitors and predators as predictors. We find evidence that the physiological status of cod, herring and sprat is influenced by competition, predation, and prey availability; herring and sprat status also by prey size. Our study highlights the need for management approaches that account for species interactions across multiple trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes M. L. Karlson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 21 A, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elena Gorokhova
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Gårdmark
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Coastal Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skolgatan 6, 742 42 Öregrund, Sweden
| | - Zeynep Pekcan-Hekim
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Coastal Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skolgatan 6, 742 42 Öregrund, Sweden
| | - Michele Casini
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Turistgatan 5, 453 30 Lysekil, Sweden
| | - Jan Albertsson
- Umeå Marine Science Centre, Umeå University, Norrbyn 557, 905 71 Hörnefors, Sweden
| | - Brita Sundelin
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olle Karlsson
- Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. 50007, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lena Bergström
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Coastal Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skolgatan 6, 742 42 Öregrund, Sweden
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32
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Machovsky-Capuska GE, Raubenheimer D. The Nutritional Ecology of Marine Apex Predators. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2020; 12:361-387. [PMID: 31487471 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-010318-095411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Apex predators play pivotal roles in marine ecosystems, mediated principally through diet and nutrition. Yet, compared with terrestrial animals, the nutritional ecology of marine predators is poorly understood. One reason is that the field has adhered to an approach that evaluates diet principally in terms of energy gain. Studies in terrestrial systems, by contrast, increasingly adopt a multidimensional approach, the nutritional geometry framework, that distinguishes specific nutrients and calories. We provide evidence that a nutritional approach is likewise relevant to marine apex predators, then demonstrate how nutritional geometry can characterize the nutrient and energy content of marine prey. Next, we show how this framework can be used to reconceptualize ecological interactions via the ecological niche concept, and close with a consideration of its application to problems in marine predator research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia;
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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33
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Gazzola A, Balestrieri A. Nutritional ecology provides insights into competitive interactions between closely related
Martes
species. Mamm Rev 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gazzola
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Via Ferrata 927100Pavia Italy
| | - Alessandro Balestrieri
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Via Ferrata 927100Pavia Italy
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34
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Ferreras P, Fernandez-de-Simon J. Correction factors for estimating food consumption by red fox Vulpes vulpes from scats. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Javier Fernandez-de-Simon
- J. Fernandez-de-Simon (http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2756-758X), Inst. de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo no. 12, ES-13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
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35
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Pallandre JP, Cornette R, Placide MA, Pelle E, Lavenne F, Abad V, Ribaud M, Bels VL. Iliac auricular surface morphofunctional study in felidae. ZOOLOGY 2019; 138:125714. [PMID: 31756647 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2019.125714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Felids show remarkable phenotypic similarities and are conservative in behavioral and ecological traits. In contrast, they display a large range in body mass from around 1kg to more than 300kg. Body size and locomotory specializations correlate to skull, limb and vertebral skeleton morphology. With an increase in body mass, felids prey selection switches from small to large, from using a rapid skull or spine lethal bite for small prey, to sustained suffocating bite for large prey. Dietary specialization correlates to skull and front limbs morphology but no correlation was found on the spine or on the hind limb. The morphology of the sacroiliac junction in relation to ecological factors remained to be described. We are presenting a study of the overall shape of the iliac auricular surface with qualitative and quantitative analyses of its morphology. Our results demonstrate that body mass, prey selection, and bite type, crucially influence the auricular surface, where no significant effect of locomotor specialization was found. The outline of the surface is significantly more elevated dorso-caudally and the joint surface shows an irregular W-shape topography in big cats whereas the surface in small cats is smoother with a C-shape topography and less of an elevated ridge. Biomechanically, we suggest that a complex auricular surface increases joint stiffness and provides more support in heavier cats, an advantage for subduing big prey successfully during a sustained bite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Pallandre
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (UMR 7205 MNHN/CNRNS/UPMC/EPHE), 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Raphaël Cornette
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (UMR 7205 MNHN/CNRNS/UPMC/EPHE), 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Ange Placide
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (UMR 7205 MNHN/CNRNS/UPMC/EPHE), 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Eric Pelle
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Direction Générale des collections, 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Franck Lavenne
- Centre d'Etude et de Recherche Multimodale Et Pluridisciplinaire en imagerie du vivant (CNRS, INSB), 16-18 avenue Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Vincent Abad
- R & D, Manufacture des pneumatiques Michelin, 23 place des Carmes Dechaux, 63040, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Mélina Ribaud
- Université Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Institut Camille Jordan, 36 avenue Guy de Collonge, 69134, Ecully, France
| | - Vincent L Bels
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Institut de Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (UMR 7205 MNHN/CNRNS/UPMC/EPHE), 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
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36
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Martínez-Rondán FJ, Ruiz de Ybáñez MR, López-Beceiro AM, Fidalgo LE, Berriatua E, Lahat L, Sacristán I, Oleaga Á, Martínez-Carrasco C. Cardiopulmonary nematode infections in wild canids: Does the key lie on host-prey-parasite evolution? Res Vet Sci 2019; 126:51-58. [PMID: 31437776 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Cardiopulmonary nematodes are among the most pathogenic parasites of domestic and wild canids. The aim of this study was to describe the species diversity, prevalence and infection intensity of these parasites in the Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. 257 foxes and 74 wolves were necropsied between 2008 and 2014. Four nematode species were identified: Angiostrongylus vasorum, Eucoleus aerophilus, Crenosoma vulpis and Filaroides hirthi. This last species was only found in wolves, being the first time that is cited worldwide in this wild canid. The overall parasite prevalence was significantly higher in foxes (70%) than in wolves (28%). Specifically, prevalences in foxes and wolves were, respectively, 43% and 22% for A. vasorum, 33% and 5% for E. aerophilus, and 30% and 9% for C. vulpis. The prevalence of F. hirthi was 16%. The A. vasorum intensity was significantly higher in foxes than in wolves. Differences between host species in the risk of infection would be associated to diverging feeding behavior, and possibly reflects a parasite-host adaptation related to host's hunting strategies and cardiorespiratory requirements. This study revealed an association between infection and environmental factors, and highlighted a wide variation in the spatial distribution of A. vasorum. Our results indicate that cardiopulmonary parasites are widespread in wild canids in northwest Spain, and further agrees with other studies indicating the expansion of A. vasorum in Europe and, therefore, the urgent need to investigate infection in dogs in sympatric areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco José Martínez-Rondán
- Department of Animal Health, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - María Rocío Ruiz de Ybáñez
- Department of Animal Health, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Ana María López-Beceiro
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain.
| | - Luis Eusebio Fidalgo
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain.
| | - Eduardo Berriatua
- Department of Animal Health, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Liron Lahat
- Department of Animal Health, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Irene Sacristán
- PhD Program in Conservation Medicine, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, República 252, Santiago, Chile
| | - Álvaro Oleaga
- SERPA, Sociedad de Servicios del Principado de Asturias S.A., 33203 Gijón, Asturias, Spain
| | - Carlos Martínez-Carrasco
- Department of Animal Health, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
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37
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Balestrieri A, Remonti L, Saino N, Raubenheimer D. The ‘omnivorous badger dilemma’: towards an integration of nutrition with the dietary niche in wild mammals. Mamm Rev 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Balestrieri
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy University of Milan via Celoria 26 20133 Milan Italy
| | - Luigi Remonti
- Institut Agricole Régional Regione La Rochère 1/A 11100 Aosta Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy University of Milan via Celoria 26 20133 Milan Italy
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, and the Charles Perkins Centre University of Sydney John Hopkins Drive Sydney NSW2006Australia
- New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study Massey University Oaklands Rd AlbanyAuckland0632New Zealand
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38
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Toft S, Cuende E, Olesen AL, Mathiesen A, Meisner Larsen M, Jensen K. Food and specific macronutrient limitation in an assemblage of predatory beetles. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Søren Toft
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
| | - Elsa Cuende
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
| | - Astrid Louise Olesen
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
- Dept of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus Univ Århus Denmark
| | - Anne Mathiesen
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
- Dept of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus Univ Århus Denmark
| | - Maria Meisner Larsen
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
- Dept of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus Univ Århus Denmark
| | - Kim Jensen
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, Aarhus Univ Ny Munkegade 116 DK‐8000 Århus C Denmark
- Dept of Bioscience, Section for Soil Fauna Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Aarhus Univ Silkeborg Denmark
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39
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Panthi S, Aryal A, Coogan SCP. Diet and macronutrient niche of Asiatic black bear ( Ursus thibetanus) in two regions of Nepal during summer and autumn. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:3717-3727. [PMID: 31015961 PMCID: PMC6468138 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Relatively little is known about the nutritional ecology of omnivorous Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) in Nepal. We characterized the diet of black bears in two seasons (June-July, "summer"; and October-November "autumn") and two study areas (Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve [DHR]; and Kailash Sacred Landscape [KSL]). We then conducted nutritional analysis of species consumed by black bears in each study area, in combination with nutritional estimates from the literature, to estimate the proportions of macronutrients (i.e., protein [P], lipid [L], and carbohydrate [C]) in the seasonal bear foods and diets, as well as their macronutrient niche breadth. We found that bamboo (Arundinaria spp.) had the highest relative frequency in both study areas and seasons. Ants and termites were found in DHR diets, but not KSL diets. One anthropogenic crop was found in DHR summer diets (Zea mays) and two were found in KSL summer diets (Z. mays; and Kodo millet [Paspalum scrobiculatum]). Other than insects, no animal prey was found in either diet. The proportions of macronutrients in diets (i.e., realized macronutrient niches) were relatively high in carbohydrate for both study areas and seasons: DHRsummer 24.1P:8.7L:67.2C; KSLsummer 16.7P:8.2L:75.1C; DHRautumn 21.1P:10.5L:68.4C; KSHautumn 19.0P:11.0L:70.0C. Macronutrient niche breadth was 3.1 × greater in the DHR than KSL during summer, and 4.0 × greater in the autumn, primarily due to the higher proportion of lipid in ants and termites relative to plant foods. Within-study area differences in niche breadth were greater during summer than autumn; in the KSH the macronutrient breadth was 1.4 × greater in summer, while in the DHR it was 1.1 × greater in summer. Similarity in dietary macronutrient proportions despite differences in foods consumed and niche breadth are suggestive of foraging to reach a preferred macronutrient balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saroj Panthi
- Department of Forests and Soil ConservationMinistry of Forests and EnvironmentKathmanduNepal
| | - Achyut Aryal
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical SciencesMassey UniversityAucklandNew Zealand
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Sean C. P. Coogan
- Department of Renewable ResourcesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
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40
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Giery ST, Layman CA. Ecological Consequences Of Sexually Selected Traits: An Eco-Evolutionary Perspective. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1086/702341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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41
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Ugine TA, Krasnoff SB, Grebenok RJ, Behmer ST, Losey JE. Prey nutrient content creates omnivores out of predators. Ecol Lett 2018; 22:275-283. [PMID: 30536818 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The proximate forces that create omnivores out of herbivores and predators have long fascinated ecologists, but the causal reasons for a shift to omnivory are poorly understood. Determining what factors influence changes in trophic position are essential as omnivory plays a central role in theoretical and applied ecology. We used sevenspotted lady beetles (Coccinella septempunctata) to test how prey nutrient content affects beetles' propensity to engage in herbivory. We show that beetles consuming an all-prey diet demonstrate normal growth and development, but suffer a complete loss of fitness (spermatogenic failure) that is restored via herbivory and supplementation with phytosterols and cholesterol. Furthermore, we show that lady beetles possess a state-dependent sterol-specific appetite and redressed their sterol deficit by feeding on foliage. These results demonstrate that predators balance their nutrient intake via herbivory when prey quality is low, and reveal a selective force (sterol nutrition) that drives predatory taxa to omnivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd A Ugine
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Stuart B Krasnoff
- Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Robert W. Holley Center, Ithaca, NY, 14853-2901, USA
| | | | - Spencer T Behmer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2475, USA
| | - John E Losey
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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42
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Majdi N, Hette-Tronquart N, Auclair E, Bec A, Chouvelon T, Cognie B, Danger M, Decottignies P, Dessier A, Desvilettes C, Dubois S, Dupuy C, Fritsch C, Gaucherel C, Hedde M, Jabot F, Lefebvre S, Marzloff MP, Pey B, Peyrard N, Powolny T, Sabbadin R, Thébault E, Perga ME. There's no harm in having too much: A comprehensive toolbox of methods in trophic ecology. FOOD WEBS 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2018.e00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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43
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Al Shareefi E, Cotter SC. The nutritional ecology of maturation in a carnivorous insect. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ekhlas Al Shareefi
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, MBC, Belfast, UK
| | - Sheena C Cotter
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK
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Understanding selective predation: Are energy and nutrients important? PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201300. [PMID: 30089131 PMCID: PMC6082548 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
For generalist predators, a mixed diet can be advantageous as it allows individuals to exploit a potentially broad range of profitable food types. Despite this, some generalist predators show preferences for certain types of food and may forage selectively in places or at times when these foods are available. One such species is the lesser hairy-footed dunnart (Sminthopsis youngsoni). Usually considered to be a generalist insectivore, in the Simpson Desert, Australia, this small marsupial predator has been found to selectively consume wolf spiders (Family Lycosidae), for reasons yet unknown. Here, we tested whether lycosids have relatively high energy or nutrient contents compared to other invertebrates, and hence whether these aspects of food quality can explain selective predation of lycosids by S. youngsoni. Energy, lipid and protein composition of representatives of 9 arthropod families that are eaten by S. youngsoni in the Simpson Desert were ascertained using microbomb calorimetry, chloroform-methanol extraction and Dumas combustion, respectively. Although lycosids contained a high proportion of energy and nutrients, they were not found to yield statistically greater amounts of these food components than many other available arthropod prey that are not selected by S. youngsoni. Our results therefore suggest that alternative factors may be more influential in shaping dietary selection in this marsupial predator, such as high rates of encounter between lycosids and S. youngsoni.
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Sadler DE, Lemasson AJ, Knights AM. The effects of elevated CO 2 on shell properties and susceptibility to predation in mussels Mytilus edulis. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 139:162-168. [PMID: 29803323 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
For many species, ocean acidification (OA) is having negative physiological consequences on their fitness and resilience to environmental change, but less is known about the ecosystem effects of these changes. Here, we assess how OA conditions predicted for 2100 affects the biological functioning of an important habitat-forming species Mytilus edulis and its susceptibility to predation by a key predator, the gastropod Nucella lapillus. Change in three physiological parameters in Mytilus were assessed: (1) shell thickness and cross-sectional surface area, (2) body volume and (3) feeding rate, as well as susceptibility to predation by N. lapillus. Shell thickness and cross-section area, body volume and feeding rate of Mytilus all reduced under OA conditions indicating compromised fitness. Predation risk increased by ∼26% under OA, suggesting increased susceptibility of mussels to predation and/or altered predator foraging behaviour. Notably, predation of large Mytilus - that were largely free from predation under control conditions - increased by more than 8x under OA, suggesting that body size was no longer a refuge. Our results suggest OA will impact upon ecosystem structure and functioning and the continued provision of ecosystem services associated with Mytilus reefs and the communities associated with them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Sadler
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Anaëlle J Lemasson
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Antony M Knights
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK.
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Ludwig L, Barbour MA, Guevara J, Avilés L, González AL. Caught in the web: Spider web architecture affects prey specialization and spider-prey stoichiometric relationships. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:6449-6462. [PMID: 30038747 PMCID: PMC6053566 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative approaches to predator-prey interactions are central to understanding the structure of food webs and their dynamics. Different predatory strategies may influence the occurrence and strength of trophic interactions likely affecting the rates and magnitudes of energy and nutrient transfer between trophic levels and stoichiometry of predator-prey interactions. Here, we used spider-prey interactions as a model system to investigate whether different spider web architectures-orb, tangle, and sheet-tangle-affect the composition and diet breadth of spiders and whether these, in turn, influence stoichiometric relationships between spiders and their prey. Our results showed that web architecture partially affects the richness and composition of the prey captured by spiders. Tangle-web spiders were specialists, capturing a restricted subset of the prey community (primarily Diptera), whereas orb and sheet-tangle web spiders were generalists, capturing a broader range of prey types. We also observed elemental imbalances between spiders and their prey. In general, spiders had higher requirements for both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) than those provided by their prey even after accounting for prey biomass. Larger P imbalances for tangle-web spiders than for orb and sheet-tangle web spiders suggest that trophic specialization may impose strong elemental constraints for these predators unless they display behavioral or physiological mechanisms to cope with nutrient limitation. Our findings suggest that integrating quantitative analysis of species interactions with elemental stoichiometry can help to better understand the occurrence of stoichiometric imbalances in predator-prey interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorraine Ludwig
- Department of ZoologyBiodiversity Research CentreUniversity of BritishColumbiaBCCanada
| | - Matthew A. Barbour
- Department of ZoologyBiodiversity Research CentreUniversity of BritishColumbiaBCCanada
- Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAMTenaNapoEcuador
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Jennifer Guevara
- Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAMTenaNapoEcuador
- Department of BiologyCenter for Computational and Integrative BiologyRutgers UniversityCamdenNJUSA
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Leticia Avilés
- Department of ZoologyBiodiversity Research CentreUniversity of BritishColumbiaBCCanada
| | - Angélica L. González
- Department of BiologyCenter for Computational and Integrative BiologyRutgers UniversityCamdenNJUSA
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Yuan L, Wilder S, Raubenheimer D, Simpson SJ, Shaw M, McAllan BM. Dietary protein supplementation and its consequences for intake, digestion, and physical activity of a carnivorous marsupial, Sminthopsis crassicaudata. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3636-3647. [PMID: 29686845 PMCID: PMC5901163 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet regulation behavior can mediate the consequences of imbalanced diets for animal well-being, particularly for captive species that have little dietary choice. Dasyurids (carnivorous marsupials) are of conservation concern in Australia, and many species are in captive breeding programmes. However, their nutrient targets and dietary regulation behaviors are poorly understood, a limitation that may decrease the breeding success and well-being of captive animals. We tested how dietary protein content influenced the intake and utilization of nutrients, physical activity, and body mass of fat-tailed dunnarts Sminthopsis crassicaudata. Twelve adult dunnarts from six sibling pairs (one female and one male per pair) were provided ad libitum access to three diets in a repeated measures design: cat food, cat food supplemented with raw lean beef (1:1), and cat food supplemented with cooked lean beef (1:1). Food intake, activity level, and fecal output were measured daily. Dunnarts significantly decreased food intake, increased protein digestion, and physical activity, but body mass was unchanged when on the high-protein diet compared to the normal cat food diet. These observations suggest a capacity of dunnarts to maintain constant body mass using a dynamic balance of feeding, digestion, and activity. We also found a significant effect of family, with differences between families as large as the difference between the diet treatments, suggesting a genetic component to diet selection. The nutrient regulation responses of dunnarts to high-protein diets and the strong family effects provide important messages for the management of populations of small carnivores, including the aspects of dietary manipulation and conservation of genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihong Yuan
- School of Public Health Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou Guangdong Province China.,School of Medical Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia.,Present address: School of Public Health Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou Guangdong Province China
| | - Shawn Wilder
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Charles Perkins Centre University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia.,Department of Integrative Biology Oklahoma State University Stillwater OK USA
| | - David Raubenheimer
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Charles Perkins Centre University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Stephen J Simpson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Charles Perkins Centre University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Michelle Shaw
- Department of Animal Nutrition Taronga Conservation Society Mosman NSW 2088 Australia
| | - Bronwyn M McAllan
- School of Medical Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
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Whitney TD, Sitvarin MI, Roualdes EA, Bonner SJ, Harwood JD. Selectivity underlies the dissociation between seasonal prey availability and prey consumption in a generalist predator. Mol Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Simon J. Bonner
- Department of Entomology University of Kentucky Lexington KY USA
| | - James D. Harwood
- Department of Entomology University of Kentucky Lexington KY USA
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García LF, Viera C, Pekár S. Comparison of the capture efficiency, prey processing, and nutrient extraction in a generalist and a specialist spider predator. Naturwissenschaften 2018; 105:30. [PMID: 29610987 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1555-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Predators are traditionally classified as generalists and specialists based on the presence of adaptations that increase efficiency of prey capture and consumption and selection of particular prey types. Nevertheless, empirical evidence comparing foraging efficiency between generalist and specialist carnivores is scarce. We compared the prey-capture and feeding efficiency in a generalist and a specialist (araneophagous) spider predator. By using two related species, the generalist Harpactea rubicunda (Dysderidae) and the specialist Nops cf. variabilis (Caponiidae), we evaluated their fundamental trophic niche by studying the acceptance of different prey. Then, we compared their predatory behavior, efficiency in capturing prey of varying sizes, feeding efficiency, and nutrient extraction. Nops accepted only spiders as prey, while Harpactea accepted all offered prey, confirming that Nops is stenophagous, while Harpactea is euryphagous. Further, Nops displayed more specialized (stereotyped) capture behavior than Harpactea, suggesting that Nops is a specialist, while Harpactea is a generalist. The specialist immobilized prey faster, overcame much larger prey, and gained more mass (due to feeding on larger prey) than the generalist. Both the specialist and the generalist spider extracted more proteins than lipids, but the extraction of macronutrients in the specialist was achieved mainly by consuming the prosoma of the focal prey. We show that the specialist has more efficient foraging strategy than the generalist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Fernando García
- Grupo Multidisciplinario en Ecología para la Agricultura, Centro Universitario Regional Este, Universidad de la República, Treinta y Tres, Uruguay. .,Sección Entomología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Carmen Viera
- Sección Entomología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Laboratorio de Ecología del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Coogan SCP, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Senior AM, Martin JM, Major RE, Raubenheimer D. Macronutrient selection of free-ranging urban Australian white ibis (Threskiornis moluccus). Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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