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Refsnider JM, Torres N, Otten JG. No Evidence of Long-Term Effects on Physiological Stress or Innate Immune Functioning in Northern Map Turtles a Decade After a Freshwater Oil Spill. HERPETOLOGICA 2023. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-22-00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeanine M. Refsnider
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | - Nicholas Torres
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | - Joshua G. Otten
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
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2
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Cordero GA, Birk K, Ruane S, Dinkelacker SA, Janzen FJ. Effects of the egg incubation environment on turtle carapace development. Evol Dev 2023; 25:153-169. [PMID: 36373204 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12425] [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: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Developing organisms are often exposed to fluctuating environments that destabilize tissue-scale processes and induce abnormal phenotypes. This might be common in species that lay eggs in the external environment and with little parental care, such as many reptiles. In turtles, morphological development has provided striking examples of abnormal phenotypic patterns, though the influence of the environment remains unclear. To this end, we compared fluctuating asymmetry, as a proxy for developmental instability, in turtle hatchlings incubated in controlled laboratory and unstable natural conditions. Wild and laboratory hatchlings featured similar proportions of supernumerary scales (scutes) on the dorsal shell (carapace). Such abnormal scutes likely elevated shape asymmetry, which was highest in natural nests. Moreover, we tested the hypothesis that hot and dry environments cause abnormal scute formation by subjecting eggs to a range of hydric and thermal laboratory incubation regimes. Shape asymmetry was similar in hatchlings incubated at five constant temperatures (26-30°C). A hot (30°C) and severely Dry substrate yielded smaller hatchlings but scutes were not overtly affected. Our study suggests that changing nest environments contribute to fluctuating asymmetry in egg-laying reptiles, while clarifying the conditions at which turtle shell development remains buffered from the external environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo A Cordero
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA.,Department of Animal Biology, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Katie Birk
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Sarah Ruane
- Department of Biology, Framingham State University, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stephen A Dinkelacker
- Life Sciences Section, Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Fredric J Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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3
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Bock BC, Espinal-Garcia PA, Silva-Macias JD, Páez VP. Risk of Nest Flooding in a Population of the Magdalena River Turtle (Podocnemis lewyana) Inhabiting the Climatic Equator in Northern Colombia. SOUTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.2994/sajh-d-19-00105.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian C. Bock
- Grupo Herpetológico de Antioquia, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | | | - Juan David Silva-Macias
- Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y Rurales, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Vivian P. Páez
- Grupo Herpetológico de Antioquia, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
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4
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Short-term impacts of a record-shattering flood and dam removal on a river turtle assemblage and population placed within the context of a 50 year study. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2020.103699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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5
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Lamont MM, Johnson D, Catizone DJ. Movements of marine and estuarine turtles during Hurricane Michael. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1577. [PMID: 33452383 PMCID: PMC7810867 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81234-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural disturbances are an important driver of population dynamics. Because it is difficult to observe wildlife during these events, our understanding of the strategies that species use to survive these disturbances is limited. On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall on Florida’s northwest coast. Using satellite and acoustic telemetry, we documented movements of 6 individual turtles: one loggerhead sea turtle, one Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, three green sea turtles and one diamondback terrapin, in a coastal bay located less than 30 km from hurricane landfall. Post-storm survival was confirmed for all but the Kemp’s ridley; the final condition of that individual remains unknown. No obvious movements were observed for the remaining turtles however the loggerhead used a larger home range in the week after the storm. This study highlights the resiliency of turtles in response to extreme weather conditions. However, long-term impacts to these species from habitat changes post-hurricane are unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M Lamont
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA.
| | - Darren Johnson
- Cherokee Nations Systems Solutions, Contracted to U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA, 70506, USA
| | - Daniel J Catizone
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA
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6
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Reinke BA, Miller DA, Janzen FJ. What Have Long-Term Field Studies Taught Us About Population Dynamics? ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2019. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110218-024717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Long-term studies have been crucial to the advancement of population biology, especially our understanding of population dynamics. We argue that this progress arises from three key characteristics of long-term research. First, long-term data are necessary to observe the heterogeneity that drives most population processes. Second, long-term studies often inherently lead to novel insights. Finally, long-term field studies can serve as model systems for population biology, allowing for theory and methods to be tested under well-characterized conditions. We illustrate these ideas in three long-term field systems that have made outsized contributions to our understanding of population ecology, evolution, and conservation biology. We then highlight three emerging areas to which long-term field studies are well positioned to contribute in the future: ecological forecasting, genomics, and macrosystems ecology. Overcoming the obstacles associated with maintaining long-term studies requires continued emphasis on recognizing the benefits of such studies to ensure that long-term research continues to have a substantial impact on elucidating population biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth A. Reinke
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - David A.W. Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Fredric J. Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
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Abstract
Climate change is occurring at an unprecedented rate and has begun to modify the distribution and phenology of organisms worldwide. Chelonians are expected to be particularly vulnerable due to limited dispersal capabilities as well as widespread temperature-dependent sex determination. The number of papers published about the effects of climate change on turtles has increased exponentially over the last decade; here, I review the data from peer-reviewed publications to assess the likely impacts of climate change on individuals, populations, and communities. Based upon these studies future research should focus on: (1) Individual responses to climate change, particularly with respect to thermal biology, phenology, and microhabitat selection; (2) improving species distribution models by incorporating fine-scale environmental variables as well as physiological processes; (3) identifying the consequences of skewed sex ratios; and (4) assessments of community resilience and the development of methods to mitigate climate change impacts. Although detailed management recommendations are not possible at this point, careful consideration should be given regarding how to manage low vagility species as habitats shift poleward. In the worst-case scenario, proactive management may be required in order to ensure that widespread losses do not occur.
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8
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El Hassani MS, El Hassan EM, Slimani T, Bonnet X. Morphological and physiological assessments reveal that freshwater turtle (Mauremys leprosa) can flourish under extremely degraded-polluted conditions. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 220:432-441. [PMID: 30594794 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.12.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater turtles are long-lived sedentary organisms used as biological sentinels to assess anthropogenic perturbations in freshwater-ecosystems; notably because pollutants tend to accumulate in their tissues. Pollution has detrimental effects in sea turtles, but studies in freshwater turtles have provided contrasted results: several species have been impacted by habitat perturbation and pollution while others not. It is important to explore this issue since freshwater turtles are threatened worldwide. We compared two populations of the stripe necked terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) in a relatively pristine area (piedmont of the Atlas mountain) versus an extremely degraded-polluted area (sewers of a large city) in Morocco. All morphological and physiological proxies showed that turtles were able to cope remarkably well with highly degraded-polluted habitat. Population density, body size, and body condition were higher in the sewers, likely due to permanent water and food availability associated with human wastes. Stress markers (e.g. glucocorticoids) provided complex results likely reflecting the capacity of turtles to respond to various stressors. Reproductive parameters (testosterone level, indices of vitellogenesis) were lower in the relatively pristine area. The deceptive overall image provided by these analyses may hide the disastrous human impact on rivers. Indeed, Mauremys leprosa is the only aquatic vertebrate able to survive in the sewers, and thus, might nonetheless be a pertinent indicator of water quality, providing that the complexity of eco-physiological responses is considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Said El Hassani
- Cadi Ayyad University Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Laboratory Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, P.O. Box 2390, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
| | - El Mouden El Hassan
- Cadi Ayyad University Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Laboratory Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, P.O. Box 2390, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
| | - Tahar Slimani
- Cadi Ayyad University Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Laboratory Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, P.O. Box 2390, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
| | - Xavier Bonnet
- Centre d'Etude Biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS, Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France.
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Van Dyke JU, Spencer RJ, Thompson MB, Chessman B, Howard K, Georges A. Conservation implications of turtle declines in Australia's Murray River system. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1998. [PMID: 30760813 PMCID: PMC6374471 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39096-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation requires rapid action to be effective, which is often difficult because of funding limitations, political constraints, and limited data. Turtles are among the world’s most endangered vertebrate taxa, with almost half of 356 species threatened with extinction. In Australia’s Murray River, nest predation by invasive foxes (Vulpes vulpes) was predicted to drive turtle declines in the 1980s. We assessed populations of the broad-shelled turtle (Chelodina expansa), eastern long-necked turtle (C. longicollis), and Murray River turtle (Emydura macquarii) in the Murray River and some of its associated waterways. Our results suggest that the predicted decline is occurring. All three species are rare in the lower Murray River region, and were undetected in many locations in South Australia. Moreover, E. macquarii had considerable population aging almost everywhere, possibly due to comprehensive nest destruction by foxes. Chelodina longicollis also had population aging at some sites. Sustained low recruitment has potential to lead to collapses as turtles age, which is particularly worrying because it was predicted over 30 years ago and may have already occurred in South Australia. Our results show that turtle declines were not mitigated since that prediction. If the crash continues, a vertebrate guild responsible for considerable nutrient cycling in the aquatic ecosystem will disappear. Our results highlight a worst-case outcome when species declines are predicted, but insufficiently mitigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- J U Van Dyke
- School of Science and Health, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.,School of Environmental Sciences, Institute for Land, Water, and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury-Wodonga Campus, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia
| | - R-J Spencer
- School of Science and Health, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
| | - M B Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - B Chessman
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - K Howard
- School of Science and Health, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - A Georges
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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10
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Mainwaring MC, Barber I, Deeming DC, Pike DA, Roznik EA, Hartley IR. Climate change and nesting behaviour in vertebrates: a review of the ecological threats and potential for adaptive responses. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1991-2002. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark C. Mainwaring
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster LA1 4YQ U.K
| | - Iain Barber
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology; University of Leicester; Leicester LE1 7RH U.K
| | - Denis C. Deeming
- School of Life Sciences, Joseph Banks Laboratories; University of Lincoln; Lincoln LN6 7DL U.K
| | - David A. Pike
- Department of Biology; Rhodes College; Memphis TN 38112 U.S.A
| | - Elizabeth A. Roznik
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of South Florida; Tampa FL 33620 U.S.A
| | - Ian R. Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster LA1 4YQ U.K
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11
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Mitchell SM, Bodensteiner BL, Strickland JT, Quick JK, Janzen FJ. Habitat alteration and survival rates of the ornate box turtle. J Wildl Manage 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Mitchell
- Iowa State University; Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology; 251 Bessey Hall Ames IA 50011 USA
| | - Brooke L. Bodensteiner
- Iowa State University; Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology; 251 Bessey Hall Ames IA 50011 USA
| | - Jeramie T. Strickland
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service; Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge; Savanna District, 7071 Riverview Road Thomson IL 61285 USA
| | - James K. Quick
- North Carolina A&T State University; Greensboro NC 27411 USA
| | - Fredric J. Janzen
- Iowa State University; Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology; 251 Bessey Hall Ames IA 50011 USA
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12
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Dodd CK, Rolland V, Oli MK. Consequences of individual removal on persistence of a protected population of long-lived turtles. Anim Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. K. Dodd
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation; University of Florida; Gainesville FL USA
| | - V. Rolland
- Department of Biological Sciences; Arkansas State University; Jonesboro AR USA
| | - M. K. Oli
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation; University of Florida; Gainesville FL USA
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13
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Abstract
Lifespan and aging rates vary considerably across taxa; thus, understanding the factors that lead to this variation is a primary goal in biology and has ramifications for understanding constraints and flexibility in human aging. Theory predicts that senescence-declining reproduction and increasing mortality with advancing age-evolves when selection against harmful mutations is weaker at old ages relative to young ages or when selection favors pleiotropic alleles with beneficial effects early in life despite late-life costs. However, in many long-lived ectotherms, selection is expected to remain strong at old ages because reproductive output typically increases with age, which may lead to the evolution of slow or even negligible senescence. We show that, contrary to current thinking, both reproduction and survival decline with adult age in the painted turtle, Chrysemys picta, based on data spanning >20 y from a wild population. Older females, despite relatively high reproductive output, produced eggs with reduced hatching success. Additionally, age-specific mark-recapture analyses revealed increasing mortality with advancing adult age. These findings of reproductive and mortality senescence challenge the contention that chelonians do not age and more generally provide evidence of reduced fitness at old ages in nonmammalian species that exhibit long chronological lifespans.
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14
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Bodensteiner BL, Mitchell TS, Strickland JT, Janzen FJ. Hydric conditions during incubation influence phenotypes of neonatal reptiles in the field. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brooke L. Bodensteiner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011 USA
| | - Timothy S. Mitchell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011 USA
| | - Jeramie T. Strickland
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Thomson Illinois 61285 USA
| | - Fredric J. Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011 USA
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