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Beale DJ, Nguyen TV, Bose U, Shah R, Nelis JLD, Stockwell S, Broadbent JA, Nilsson S, Rane R, Court L, Lettoof DC, Pandey G, Walsh TK, Shaw S, Llinas J, Limpus D, Limpus C, Braun C, Baddiley B, Vardy S. Metabolic disruptions and impaired reproductive fitness in wild-caught freshwater turtles (Emydura macquarii macquarii) exposed to elevated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171743. [PMID: 38494020 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose a threat to organisms and ecosystems due to their persistent nature. Ecotoxicology endpoints used in regulatory guidelines may not reflect multiple, low-level but persistent stressors. This study examines the biological effects of PFAS on Eastern short-necked turtles in Queensland, Australia. In this study, blood samples were collected and analysed for PFAS, hormone levels, and functional omics endpoints. High levels of PFAS were found in turtles at the impacted site, with PFOS being the dominant constituent. The PFAS profiles of males and females differed, with males having higher PFAS concentrations. Hormone concentrations differed between impacted and reference sites in male turtles, with elevated testosterone and corticosterone indicative of stress. Further, energy utilisation, nucleotide synthesis, nitrogen metabolism, and amino acid synthesis were altered in both male and female turtles from PFAS-impacted sites. Both sexes show similar metabolic responses to environmental stressors from the PFAS-contaminated site, which may adversely affect their reproductive fitness. Purine metabolism, caffeine metabolism, and ferroptosis pathway changes in turtles can cause gout, cell death, and overall health problems. Further, the study showed that prolonged exposure to elevated PFAS levels in the wild could compromise turtle reproductive fitness by disrupting reproductive steroids and metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Beale
- Environment, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia.
| | - Thao V Nguyen
- Environment, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia
| | - Utpal Bose
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia
| | - Rohan Shah
- Environment, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia; School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, STEM College, RMIT University, Bundoora West, Vic 3083, Australia; Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn Vic 3122, Australia
| | - Joost Laurus Dinant Nelis
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia
| | - Sally Stockwell
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia
| | - James A Broadbent
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia
| | - Sandra Nilsson
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Qld 4102, Australia
| | - Rahul Rane
- Health and Biosecurity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Parkville, Vic 3052, Australia
| | - Leon Court
- Environment, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories, Acton, ACT 2602, Australia
| | - Damian C Lettoof
- Environment, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat, WA 6014, Australia
| | - Gunjan Pandey
- Environment, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories, Acton, ACT 2602, Australia
| | - Thomas K Walsh
- Environment, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories, Acton, ACT 2602, Australia
| | - Stephanie Shaw
- Wildlife and Threatened Species Operations, Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government, Moggill, Qld 4070, Australia
| | - Josh Llinas
- The Unusual Pet Vets Jindalee, Veterinarian, Jindalee, Qld 4074, Australia
| | - Duncan Limpus
- Aquatic Threatened Species, Wildlife and Threatened Species Operations, Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia
| | - Colin Limpus
- Aquatic Threatened Species, Wildlife and Threatened Species Operations, Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia
| | - Christoph Braun
- Water Quality and Investigations, Science and Technology Division, Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia
| | - Brenda Baddiley
- Water Quality and Investigations, Science and Technology Division, Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia
| | - Suzanne Vardy
- Water Quality and Investigations, Science and Technology Division, Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government, Dutton Park, Qld 4102, Australia
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Jennifer T, Emily F, Neuman-Lee LA. Assessment of glucocorticoids, sex steroids, and innate immunity in wild red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 339:114288. [PMID: 37060930 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
When access to resources is limited, organisms must shift energy investment among physiological processes to survive, reproduce, and respond to unpredictable events. The shifting of these limited resources among processes may result in physiological tradeoffs, often mediated by glucocorticoids. We assessed relationships among the physiological processes of immunity, reproduction, and the stress response in wild adult red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans). Red-eared sliders exhibit a multi-clutching reproductive strategy that requires high energetic investment in reproduction at the beginning of the nesting season in females. Males mate in spring and undergo spermatogenesis and mating in late summer/early fall. We expected to observe tradeoffs when investment toward reproductive processes was particularly demanding. To test this, we subjected 123 individuals to a standardized acute stressor and collected blood to measure innate immunocompetence and circulating steroid hormone concentrations. Tradeoffs between female reproduction and immunocompetence occurred early in the nesting season. This high reproductive investment was evident by heightened circulating progesterone and reduced baseline innate immunity. Corticosterone (CORT) was also high during this period, indicating a role in facilitating allocation of energy. Tradeoffs were not as evident in males, though males upregulated innate immune function, baseline CORT, and testosterone prior to fall spermatogenesis and mating. Throughout the entire sampling period, both males and females increased CORT and immunocompetence following the acute standardized stressor. Taken together, we concluded that reproduction requires shifts in energy allocation in during the highest reproductive period for females but all individuals in this population remain able to respond to the standardized stressor even during increased reproductive investment. These findings reinforce the continuing evidence that physiological relationships are context-dependent and resource demands are dynamic across the reproductive season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Jennifer
- Arkansas State University, PO Box 599, State University, Arkansas, 72467, USA.
| | - Field Emily
- Arkansas State University, PO Box 599, State University, Arkansas, 72467, USA; Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, 2148 Riverside Drive Jackson, MS 39202
| | - Lorin A Neuman-Lee
- Arkansas State University, PO Box 599, State University, Arkansas, 72467, USA
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Refsnider JM, Garcia JA, Holliker B, Hulbert AC, Nunez A, Streby HM. Effects of harmful algal blooms on stress levels and immune functioning in wetland-associated songbirds and reptiles. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 788:147790. [PMID: 34034177 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs), caused primarily by nutrient input from agricultural runoff, are a threat to freshwater systems worldwide, and are further predicted to increase in size, frequency, and intensity due to climate change. HABs occur annually in the Western Basin of Lake Erie (Ohio, USA), and these blooms become toxic when dominated by cyanobacteria that produce the liver toxin microcystin. Although we are making substantial inroads toward understanding how microcystin affects human health, less is known about effects of microcystin on wildlife exposed to HABs. Wetland-associated songbirds (barn swallows, Hirundo rustica, and red-winged blackbirds, Agelaius phoeniceus) and reptiles (Northern watersnakes, Nerodia sipedon, and painted turtles, Chrysemys picta) were sampled from wetlands exposed to chronically high microcystin levels due to a prolonged HAB event, and from unexposed, control wetlands. Physiological stress levels and several measures of immune functioning were compared between the HAB-exposed and control populations. Physiological stress levels, measured as heterophil:lymphocyte ratios, were higher in barn swallows, red-winged blackbirds, and Northern watersnakes exposed to a chronic HAB compared to unexposed, control individuals, but painted turtles did not differ in physiological stress levels between HAB-exposed and control individuals. Neither barn swallows nor red-winged blackbirds differed in immune functioning between populations, but HAB-exposed watersnakes had higher bactericidal capacity than control snakes, and HAB-exposed painted turtles had lower bactericidal capacity than control turtles. These results suggest that even when HABs do not cause direct mortality of exposed wildlife, they can potentially act as a physiological stressor across several taxa, and furthermore may compromise immune functioning in some species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanine M Refsnider
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Wolfe Hall Room 1235, 3050 West Towerview Blvd., Toledo, OH 43606-3390, USA.
| | - Jessica A Garcia
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Wolfe Hall Room 1235, 3050 West Towerview Blvd., Toledo, OH 43606-3390, USA
| | - Brittany Holliker
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Wolfe Hall Room 1235, 3050 West Towerview Blvd., Toledo, OH 43606-3390, USA
| | - Austin C Hulbert
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Wolfe Hall Room 1235, 3050 West Towerview Blvd., Toledo, OH 43606-3390, USA
| | - Ashley Nunez
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Wolfe Hall Room 1235, 3050 West Towerview Blvd., Toledo, OH 43606-3390, USA; Department of Biology, Ursinus College, 601 East Main St., Collegeville, PA 19426-1000, USA
| | - Henry M Streby
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Wolfe Hall Room 1235, 3050 West Towerview Blvd., Toledo, OH 43606-3390, USA
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Rasmussen SL, Kalliokoski O, Dabelsteen T, Abelson K. An exploratory investigation of glucocorticoids, personality and survival rates in wild and rehabilitated hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in Denmark. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:96. [PMID: 34022803 PMCID: PMC8141197 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01816-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The European population of hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) is declining. It is therefore essential to optimise conservation initiatives such as the rehabilitation of sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs. Wild animals placed in captivity may be prone to chronic stress, potentially causing negative health effects. Therefore, the effects of these rehabilitation efforts should consequently be evaluated. Furthermore, hand-raising orphaned hedgehogs is a laborious and costly task, and it is therefore relevant to document whether they have equal post release survival rates compared to their wild conspecifics. The objectives of this research were therefore to conduct an exploratory study of glucocorticoid levels in hedgehogs from different backgrounds and compare the post release survival of translocated, rehabilitated and wild, juvenile hedgehogs as well as the possible effect on survival of differences in shy or bold behaviour (personality) exhibited by individuals. RESULTS We measured glucocorticoid levels in 43 wild-caught (n = 18) and rehabilitated (n = 25) hedgehogs and compared the post release survival and spatial behaviour of 18 translocated juvenile hedgehogs (eight hand-raised and ten wild) until hibernation. The possible effect on survival of differences in shy or bold behaviour (personality) exhibited by 17 juvenile individuals (seven hand-raised and ten wild) was also examined. Rehabilitated individuals and females had higher levels of faecal corticosterone metabolites compared to wild individuals and males, respectively. Rehabilitated individuals showed higher levels of saliva corticosterone than wild. The personality tests labelled 13 individuals as shy and 11 as bold. Post release survival was 57% for rehabilitated and 50% for wild individuals. Neither background nor personality affected post release survival. Home range measures were 3.54 and 4.85 ha. Mean dispersal length from the release sites was 217 ± 100 m. CONCLUSION The higher levels of corticosterone observed in rehabilitated compared to wild hedgehogs calls for consideration of the duration of admission to wildlife rehabilitation centres to reduce stress levels in the patients. Hand-raised juveniles appear to have the same prospects as wild, and personality does not seem to affect post release survival in hedgehogs, indicating that hand-raising of orphaned juvenile hedgehogs is a relevant contribution to the conservation of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Lund Rasmussen
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, OX13 5QL, UK. .,Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej, 7H, 9220, Aaborg, Denmark. .,Department of Biology, Section for Ecology and Evolution, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Building 12, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
| | - Otto Kalliokoski
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Torben Dabelsteen
- Department of Biology, Section for Ecology and Evolution, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Building 12, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Klas Abelson
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
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Delaney DM, Janzen FJ. Risk-sensitive maternal investment: an evaluation of parent–offspring conflict over nest site choice in the wild. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Injaian AS, Francis CD, Ouyang JQ, Dominoni DM, Donald JW, Fuxjager MJ, Goymann W, Hau M, Husak JF, Johnson MA, Kircher BK, Knapp R, Martin LB, Miller ET, Schoenle LA, Williams TD, Vitousek MN. Baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels across birds and reptiles do not reflect urbanization levels. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coz110. [PMID: 31993201 PMCID: PMC6978728 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Rates of human-induced environmental change continue increasing with human population size, potentially altering animal physiology and negatively affecting wildlife. Researchers often use glucocorticoid concentrations (hormones that can be associated with stressors) to gauge the impact of anthropogenic factors (e.g. urbanization, noise and light pollution). Yet, no general relationships between human-induced environmental change and glucocorticoids have emerged. Given the number of recent studies reporting baseline and stress-induced corticosterone (the primary glucocorticoid in birds and reptiles) concentrations worldwide, it is now possible to conduct large-scale comparative analyses to test for general associations between disturbance and baseline and stress-induced corticosterone across species. Additionally, we can control for factors that may influence context, such as life history stage, environmental conditions and urban adaptability of a species. Here, we take a phylogenetically informed approach and use data from HormoneBase to test if baseline and stress-induced corticosterone are valid indicators of exposure to human footprint index, human population density, anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night in birds and reptiles. Our results show a negative relationship between anthropogenic noise and baseline corticosterone for birds characterized as urban avoiders. While our results potentially indicate that urban avoiders are more sensitive to noise than other species, overall our study suggests that the relationship between human-induced environmental change and corticosterone varies across species and contexts; we found no general relationship between human impacts and baseline and stress-induced corticosterone in birds, nor baseline corticosterone in reptiles. Therefore, it should not be assumed that high or low levels of exposure to human-induced environmental change are associated with high or low corticosterone levels, respectively, or that closely related species, or even individuals, will respond similarly. Moving forward, measuring alternative physiological traits alongside reproductive success, health and survival may provide context to better understand the potential negative effects of human-induced environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison S Injaian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853, USA
- Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca NY 14850, USA
| | - Clinton D Francis
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Jenny Q Ouyang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Davide M Dominoni
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jeremy W Donald
- Coates Library, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence RI 02912, USA
| | | | - Michaela Hau
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen 82319, Germany
- University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jerry F Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Michele A Johnson
- Department of Biology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
| | - Bonnie K Kircher
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Rosemary Knapp
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Department of Global Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | | | - Laura A Schoenle
- Office of Undergraduate Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853, USA
| | - Tony D Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca NY 14850, USA
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French SS, Webb AC, Hudson SB, Virgin EE. Town and Country Reptiles: A Review of Reptilian Responses to Urbanization. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 58:948-966. [PMID: 29873730 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of the world population is now inhabiting urban areas, and with staggering population growth, urbanization is also increasing. While the work studying the effects of changing landscapes and specific urban pressures on wildlife is beginning to amass, the majority of this work focuses on avian or mammalian species. However, the effects of urbanization likely vary substantially across taxonomic groups due to differences in habitat requirements and life history. The current article aims first to broaden the review of urban effects across reptilian species; second, to summarize the responses of reptilian fauna to specific urban features; and third, to assess the directionality of individual and population level responses to urbanization in reptile species. Based on our findings, urban research in reptilian taxa is lacking in the following areas: (1) investigating interactive or additive urban factors, (2) measuring multiple morphological, behavioral, and physiological endpoints within an animal, (3) linking individual to population-level responses, and (4) testing genetic/genomic differences across an urban environment as evidence for selective pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susannah S French
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Alison C Webb
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Spencer B Hudson
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Emily E Virgin
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
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Adams CIM, Knapp M, Gemmell NJ, Jeunen GJ, Bunce M, Lamare MD, Taylor HR. Beyond Biodiversity: Can Environmental DNA (eDNA) Cut It as a Population Genetics Tool? Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:E192. [PMID: 30832286 PMCID: PMC6470983 DOI: 10.3390/genes10030192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Population genetic data underpin many studies of behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary processes in wild populations and contribute to effective conservation management. However, collecting genetic samples can be challenging when working with endangered, invasive, or cryptic species. Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers a way to sample genetic material non-invasively without requiring visual observation. While eDNA has been trialed extensively as a biodiversity and biosecurity monitoring tool with a strong taxonomic focus, it has yet to be fully explored as a means for obtaining population genetic information. Here, we review current research that employs eDNA approaches for the study of populations. We outline challenges facing eDNA-based population genetic methodologies, and suggest avenues of research for future developments. We advocate that with further optimizations, this emergent field holds great potential as part of the population genetics toolkit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare I M Adams
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, 270 Great King Street, Dunedin, Otago 9016, New Zealand.
| | - Michael Knapp
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, 270 Great King Street, Dunedin, Otago 9016, New Zealand.
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, 270 Great King Street, Dunedin, Otago 9016, New Zealand.
| | - Gert-Jan Jeunen
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, 270 Great King Street, Dunedin, Otago 9016, New Zealand.
| | - Michael Bunce
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia.
| | - Miles D Lamare
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, 310 Castle Street, Dunedin, Otago 9016, New Zealand.
| | - Helen R Taylor
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, 270 Great King Street, Dunedin, Otago 9016, New Zealand.
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Amdekar MS, Kakkar A, Thaker M. Measures of Health Provide Insights Into the Coping Strategies of Urban Lizards. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
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11
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Polich RL, Bodensteiner BL, Adams CIM, Janzen FJ. Effects of augmented corticosterone in painted turtle eggs on offspring development and behavior. Physiol Behav 2018; 183:1-9. [PMID: 29031544 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Maternal stressors can play an integral role in offspring development and ultimate behaviors in many vertebrates. Increased circulating stress avoidance hormones can be reflected in elevated concentrations in ova, thus providing a potential mechanism for maternal stress to be transmitted to offspring even in taxa without parental care. In this study, we assessed the potential impacts of augmented stress avoidance hormones on offspring development and anti-predator behaviors in a freshwater turtle, Chrysemys picta. We exposed C. picta eggs to biologically relevant amounts of the stress avoidance hormone, corticosterone, as a proxy for maternal stressors. We allowed the eggs to incubate in the field, then measured offspring phenotypes, conducted performance trials, and simulated nest emergence in a field experiment. Exogenous corticosterone reduced survivorship to hatch, but did not affect incubation duration, offspring size, overwinter survival, or size after hibernation. In performance trials, this hormone treatment reduced the frequency of righting, yet enhanced the righting speed of neonates. Regardless, these performance differences did not detectably alter survivorship in the nest emergence experiment. These results lend insight into the potential effects of maternal stress levels on offspring phenotypes, as well as the robustness of offspring fitness to altered levels of maternal stress in freshwater turtles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Polich
- Department of Human Physiology, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, USA.
| | - Brooke L Bodensteiner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic University and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
| | - Clare I M Adams
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
| | - Fredric J Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
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12
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Immune Activity, but Not Physiological Stress, Differs between the Sexes during the Nesting Season in Painted Turtles. J HERPETOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1670/16-175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Currylow AFT, Rafeliarisoa TH, Louis EE, Stanford CB, Randrianjafizanaka ST, Chinn SM, Crocker DE. Characterization of seasonal reproductive and stress steroid hormones in wild Radiated Tortoises, Astrochelys radiata. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 253:70-78. [PMID: 28888695 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/03/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The critically endangered Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) is endemic to the southern coastlines of Madagascar. Once common, wild populations of this tortoise have undergone dramatic declines in recent years. Although there have been studies documenting reproductive activities, reproductive physiological parameters are unknown yet may be crucial in the recovery of the species. Over four research seasons in remote field locations native to A. radiata, we surveyed for, radio-tracked, and sampled wild, free ranging tortoises. We sampled and measured stress and reproductive parameters (corticosterone [CORT], testosterone [T], estradiol-17β [E2], and progesterone [P]) in 311 plasma samples from 203 wild A. radiata, capturing their active period. Generally, hormone concentrations were associated with body condition, temperature, and humidity. There was wide variation in CORT that varied monthly and by group. Juvenile tortoises maintained more than twice the mean basal CORT concentrations than either adult sex, with the most dramatic distinctions in the middle of the wet season. For adult sex hormones, the last months of the dry season and into the wet season when ground humidities are low and just begin to rise prior to temperature declines, male T concentrations gradually increased to a peak before returning to near undetectable values into the dry season. We had limited data for T concentrations in females, but found average T concentrations were much lower than in males and positively correlated with larger female home range sizes. For female hormone cycles, E2 also peaked in the early 1/3 of the wet season along with male T, and was followed by an uptick in P which correlates to the putative ovulatory cycle. Females tracked over four years showed variation in patterns of P, indicating that number and frequency of clutches vary. Our results suggest that 1) there is high species plasticity in response to stress; 2) A. radiata reproductive cycling is somewhat dissociated with courtship timing and is instead triggered by environmental cues; and 3) individual female reproductive output is irregular. This study is oone of the first to document and describe multi-year seasonal stress and reproductive hormones in a free-ranging Malagasy chelonian. These data may be used to identify key high-production habitats for conservation, and aide in captive management and reproduction in assurance colonies for species health and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea F T Currylow
- Integrative and Evolutionary Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Tsilavo H Rafeliarisoa
- Animal Biology Department, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar; Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership; Conservation Genetics Department, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Edward E Louis
- Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership; Conservation Genetics Department, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Craig B Stanford
- Integrative and Evolutionary Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Herpetology Section, Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Sarah M Chinn
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, USA
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, USA
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Cooke SJ, Hultine KR, Rummer JL, Franklin CE. Reflections and progress in conservation physiology. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 5:cow071. [PMID: 28070332 PMCID: PMC5215126 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cow071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON,CanadaK1S 5B6
- Corresponding author:Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, CanadaK1S 5B6. Tel: +1 613 867 6711.
| | - Kevin R. Hultine
- Department of Research, Conservation and Collections, Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA
| | - Jodie L. Rummer
- ARC Centre for Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Craig E. Franklin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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