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Cocciardi JM, Hoffman AM, Alvarado-Serrano DF, Anderson J, Blumstein M, Boehm EL, Bolin LG, Borokini IT, Bradburd GS, Branch HA, Brudvig LA, Chen Y, Collins SL, Des Marais DL, Gamba D, Hanan NP, Howard MM, Jaros J, Juenger TE, Kooyers NJ, Kottler EJ, Lau JA, Menon M, Moeller DA, Mozdzer TJ, Sheth SN, Smith M, Toll K, Ungerer MC, Vahsen ML, Wadgymar SM, Waananen A, Whitney KD, Avolio ML. The value of long-term ecological research for evolutionary insights. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1584-1592. [PMID: 39095611 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02464-y] [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: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Scientists must have an integrative understanding of ecology and evolution across spatial and temporal scales to predict how species will respond to global change. Although comprehensively investigating these processes in nature is challenging, the infrastructure and data from long-term ecological research networks can support cross-disciplinary investigations. We propose using these networks to advance our understanding of fundamental evolutionary processes and responses to global change. For ecologists, we outline how long-term ecological experiments can be expanded for evolutionary inquiry, and for evolutionary biologists, we illustrate how observed long-term ecological patterns may motivate new evolutionary questions. We advocate for collaborative, multi-site investigations and discuss barriers to conducting evolutionary work at network sites. Ultimately, these networks offer valuable information and opportunities to improve predictions of species' responses to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Cocciardi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA.
| | - Ava M Hoffman
- Department of Biostatistics, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Jill Anderson
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Meghan Blumstein
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emma L Boehm
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Lana G Bolin
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | | | - Gideon S Bradburd
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Haley A Branch
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lars A Brudvig
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Yanni Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - David L Des Marais
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Diana Gamba
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Niall P Hanan
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Jornada Basin LTER Program, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Mia M Howard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Joseph Jaros
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas E Juenger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Nicholas J Kooyers
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA
| | - Ezra J Kottler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Jennifer A Lau
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Mitra Menon
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David A Moeller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Seema N Sheth
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Melinda Smith
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Katherine Toll
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Mark C Ungerer
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Megan L Vahsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | | | - Amy Waananen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kenneth D Whitney
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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2
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Giraudeau M, Vincze O, Dupont SM, Sepp T, Baines C, Lemaitre JF, Lemberger K, Gentès S, Boddy A, Dujon AM, Bramwell G, Harris V, Ujvari B, Alix-Panabières C, Lair S, Sayag D, Conde DA, Colchero F, Harrison TM, Pavard S, Padilla-Morales B, Chevallier D, Hamede R, Roche B, Malkocs T, Aktipis AC, Maley C, DeGregori J, Le Loc'h G, Thomas F. Approaches and methods to study wildlife cancer. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 39189422 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
The last few years have seen a surge of interest from field ecologists and evolutionary biologists to study neoplasia and cancer in wildlife. This contributes to the One Health Approach, which investigates health issues at the intersection of people, wild and domestic animals, together with their changing environments. Nonetheless, the emerging field of wildlife cancer is currently constrained by methodological limitations in detecting cancer using non-invasive sampling. In addition, the suspected differential susceptibility and resistance of species to cancer often make the choice of a unique model species difficult for field biologists. Here, we provide an overview of the importance of pursuing the study of cancer in non-model organisms and we review the currently available methods to detect, measure and quantify cancer in the wild, as well as the methodological limitations to be overcome to develop novel approaches inspired by diagnostic techniques used in human medicine. The methodology we propose here will help understand and hopefully fight this major disease by generating general knowledge about cancer, variation in its rates, tumour-suppressor mechanisms across species as well as its link to life history and physiological characters. Moreover, this is expected to provide key information about cancer in wildlife, which is a top priority due to the accelerated anthropogenic change in the past decades that might favour cancer progression in wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Giraudeau
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
- ImmunoConcEpT, CNRS UMR 5164, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- HUN-REN-DE Conservation Biology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Sophie M Dupont
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
- Laboratoire de Biologie des ORganismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), FRE 2030, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Tuul Sepp
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ciara Baines
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Francois Lemaitre
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, CNRS, UMR5558, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Sophie Gentès
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Amy Boddy
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Antoine M Dujon
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
- CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224-CNRS5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Georgina Bramwell
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Valerie Harris
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Beata Ujvari
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
- Centre de Recherches Ecologiques et Evolutives sur le Cancer, Montpellier, France
| | - Catherine Alix-Panabières
- Laboratory of Rare Human Circulating Cells (LCCRH), University Medical Centre of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Stephane Lair
- Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative/Centre québécois sur la santé des animaux sauvages, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - David Sayag
- ONCOnseil-Unité d'expertise en oncologie vétérinaire, Toulouse, France
| | - Dalia A Conde
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
| | - Fernando Colchero
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
| | - Tara M Harrison
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Samuel Pavard
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS 7206, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin Padilla-Morales
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Damien Chevallier
- Laboratoire de Biologie des ORganismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), FRE 2030, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Rodrigo Hamede
- Centre de Recherches Ecologiques et Evolutives sur le Cancer, Montpellier, France
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Benjamin Roche
- CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224-CNRS5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Centre de Recherche en Écologie et Évolution de la Santé (CREES), Montpellier, France
- Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Tamas Malkocs
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, IUEM, Plouzane, France
| | - Athena C Aktipis
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Carlo Maley
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - James DeGregori
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224-CNRS5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Centre de Recherche en Écologie et Évolution de la Santé (CREES), Montpellier, France
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3
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Corley M, Garcia de la Chica A, van der Heide G, Rotundo M, Caccone A, Fernandez-Duque E. Inbreeding avoidance, competition and natal dispersal in a pair-living, genetically monogamous mammal, Azara's owl monkey ( Aotus azarae). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240379. [PMID: 39113772 PMCID: PMC11305132 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Natal dispersal is an important life-history stage influencing individual fitness, social dynamics of groups and population structure. Understanding factors influencing dispersal is essential for evaluating explanations for the evolution and maintenance of social organization, including parental care and mating systems. The social and mating systems of Azara's owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) are infrequent among mammals; these primates are pair-living, serially and genetically monogamous and both sexes directly care for offspring. To evaluate the role that competition and inbreeding avoidance play in shaping dispersal patterns, we used 25 years of demographic and genetic data to examine how variation in timing of natal dispersal is related to social (adult replacements, step-parents, births and group size) and ecological factors (seasonal abundance of resources) in a wild population of A. azarae in Formosa, Argentina. We found that all males and females dispersed from their natal groups, but subadults delayed dispersal when a step-parent of the opposite sex joined the group, indicating that they may perceive these step-parents as potential mates. Dispersal was more probable when resource conditions were better, regardless of age. Overall, agonistic conflict over food and potential mates with adults in the natal group, as well as inbreeding avoidance, contribute to regulating dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Corley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
| | - Alba Garcia de la Chica
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución-Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina
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4
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Kim AS, Kreiner JM, Hernández F, Bock DG, Hodgins KA, Rieseberg LH. Temporal collections to study invasion biology. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6729-6742. [PMID: 37873879 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17176] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Biological invasions represent an extraordinary opportunity to study evolution. This is because accidental or deliberate species introductions have taken place for centuries across large geographical scales, frequently prompting rapid evolutionary transitions in invasive populations. Until recently, however, the utility of invasions as evolutionary experiments has been hampered by limited information on the makeup of populations that were part of earlier invasion stages. Now, developments in ancient and historical DNA technologies, as well as the quickening pace of digitization for millions of specimens that are housed in herbaria and museums globally, promise to help overcome this obstacle. In this review, we first introduce the types of temporal data that can be used to study invasions, highlighting the timescale captured by each approach and their respective limitations. We then discuss how ancient and historical specimens as well as data available from prior invasion studies can be used to answer questions on mechanisms of (mal)adaptation, rates of evolution, or community-level changes during invasions. By bridging the gap between contemporary and historical invasive populations, temporal data can help us connect pattern to process in invasion science. These data will become increasingly important if invasions are to achieve their full potential as experiments of evolution in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy S Kim
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Julia M Kreiner
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Fernando Hernández
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dan G Bock
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kathryn A Hodgins
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Loren H Rieseberg
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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5
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Dantzer B, Mabry KE, Bernhardt JR, Cox RM, Francis CD, Ghalambor CK, Hoke KL, Jha S, Ketterson E, Levis NA, McCain KM, Patricelli GL, Paull SH, Pinter-Wollman N, Safran RJ, Schwartz TS, Throop HL, Zaman L, Martin LB. Understanding Organisms Using Ecological Observatory Networks. Integr Org Biol 2023; 5:obad036. [PMID: 37867910 PMCID: PMC10586040 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obad036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities are rapidly changing ecosystems around the world. These changes have widespread implications for the preservation of biodiversity, agricultural productivity, prevalence of zoonotic diseases, and sociopolitical conflict. To understand and improve the predictive capacity for these and other biological phenomena, some scientists are now relying on observatory networks, which are often composed of systems of sensors, teams of field researchers, and databases of abiotic and biotic measurements across multiple temporal and spatial scales. One well-known example is NEON, the US-based National Ecological Observatory Network. Although NEON and similar networks have informed studies of population, community, and ecosystem ecology for years, they have been minimally used by organismal biologists. NEON provides organismal biologists, in particular those interested in NEON's focal taxa, with an unprecedented opportunity to study phenomena such as range expansions, disease epidemics, invasive species colonization, macrophysiology, and other biological processes that fundamentally involve organismal variation. Here, we use NEON as an exemplar of the promise of observatory networks for understanding the causes and consequences of morphological, behavioral, molecular, and physiological variation among individual organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,USA
| | - K E Mabry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,USA
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003,USA
| | - J R Bernhardt
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003,USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - R M Cox
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22940,USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407,USA
| | - C D Francis
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407,USA
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N‐7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - C K Ghalambor
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N‐7491 Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - K L Hoke
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - S Jha
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712,USA
| | - E Ketterson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405,USA
| | - N A Levis
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405,USA
| | - K M McCain
- Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612,USA
| | - G L Patricelli
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616,USA
| | - S H Paull
- Battelle, National Ecological Observatory Network, 1685 38th Street, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - N Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - R J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309,USA
| | - T S Schwartz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - H L Throop
- School of Earth and Space Exploration and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - L Zaman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,USA
- Center for the Study of Complex Systems, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - L B Martin
- Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center and Center for Genomics, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612,USA
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Zipple MN, Vogt CC, Sheehan MJ. Re-wilding model organisms: Opportunities to test causal mechanisms in social determinants of health and aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105238. [PMID: 37225063 PMCID: PMC10527394 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Social experiences are strongly associated with individuals' health, aging, and survival in many mammalian taxa, including humans. Despite their role as models of many other physiological and developmental bases of health and aging, biomedical model organisms (particularly lab mice) remain an underutilized tool in resolving outstanding questions regarding social determinants of health and aging, including causality, context-dependence, reversibility, and effective interventions. This status is largely due to the constraints of standard laboratory conditions on animals' social lives. Even when kept in social housing, lab animals rarely experience social and physical environments that approach the richness, variability, and complexity they have evolved to navigate and benefit from. Here we argue that studying biomedical model organisms outside under complex, semi-natural social environments ("re-wilding") allows researchers to capture the methodological benefits of both field studies of wild animals and laboratory studies of model organisms. We review recent efforts to re-wild mice and highlight discoveries that have only been made possible by researchers studying mice under complex, manipulable social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew N Zipple
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Caleb C Vogt
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Michael J Sheehan
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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7
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Tung J, Lange EC, Alberts SC, Archie EA. Social and early life determinants of survival from cradle to grave: A case study in wild baboons. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105282. [PMID: 37321362 PMCID: PMC10529797 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Field studies of natural mammal populations present powerful opportunities to investigate the determinants of health and aging using fine-grained observations of known individuals across the life course. Here, we synthesize five decades of findings from one such study: the wild baboons of the Amboseli ecosystem in Kenya. First, we discuss the profound associations between early life adversity, adult social conditions, and key aging outcomes in this population, especially survival. Second, we review potential mediators of the relationship between early life adversity and survival in our population. Notably, our tests of two leading candidate mediators-social isolation and glucocorticoid levels-fail to identify a single, strong mediator of early life effects on adult survival. Instead, early adversity, social isolation, and glucocorticoids are independently linked to adult lifespans, suggesting considerable scope for mitigating the negative consequences of early life adversity. Third, we review our work on the evolutionary rationale for early life effects on mortality, which currently argues against clear predictive adaptive responses. Finally, we end by highlighting major themes emerging from the study of sociality, development, and aging in the Amboseli baboons, as well as important open questions for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Tung
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC, USA; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada; Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Elizabeth C Lange
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY, USA
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC, USA; Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
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8
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Bronikowski AM, Hedrick AR, Kutz GA, Holden KG, Reinke B, Iverson JB. Sex-specific innate immunity and ageing in long-lived fresh water turtles (Kinosternon flavescens: Kinosternidae). Immun Ageing 2023; 20:11. [PMID: 36894996 PMCID: PMC9997018 DOI: 10.1186/s12979-023-00335-x] [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: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The progressive deregulation of the immune system with age, termed immunosenescence, has been well studied in mammalian systems, but studies of immune function in long-lived, wild, non-mammalian populations are scarce. In this study we leverage a 38-year mark-recapture study to quantify the relationships among age, sex, survival, reproductive output and the innate immune system in a long-lived reptile, yellow mud turtles (Kinosternon flavescens; Testudines; Kinosternidae). METHODS We estimated rates of survival and age-specific mortality by sex based on mark-recapture data for 1530 adult females and 860 adult males over 38 years of captures. We analyzed bactericidal competence (BC), and two immune responses to foreign red blood cells - natural antibody-mediated haemagglutination (NAbs), and complement-mediated haemolysis ability (Lys) - in 200 adults (102 females; 98 males) that ranged from 7 to 58 years of age captured in May 2018 during their emergence from brumation, and for which reproductive output and long-term mark-recapture data were available. RESULTS We found that females are smaller and live longer than males in this population, but the rate of accelerating mortality across adulthood is the same for both sexes. In contrast, males exhibited higher innate immunity than females for all three immune variables we measured. All immune responses also varied inversely with age, indicating immunosenescence. For females that reproduced in the preceding reproductive season, egg mass (and therefore total clutch mass) increased with age,. In addition to immunosenescence of bactericidal competence, females that produced smaller clutches also had lower bactericidal competence. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to the general vertebrate pattern of lower immune responses in males than females (possibly reflecting the suppressive effects of androgens), we found higher levels of all three immune variables in males. In addition, contrary to previous work that found no evidence of immunosenescence in painted turtles or red-eared slider turtles, we found a decrease in bactericidal competence, lysis ability, and natural antibodies with age in yellow mud turtles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M. Bronikowski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, 3700 E. Gull Lake Rd., Hickory Corners, MI 49060 USA
| | - Ashley R. Hedrick
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
| | - Greta A. Kutz
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
| | - Kaitlyn G. Holden
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
| | - Beth Reinke
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL 60625 USA
| | - John B. Iverson
- Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN 47374 USA
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9
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Spatial heterogeneity ensures long-term stability in vegetation and Fritillaria meleagris flowering in Uppsala Kungsäng, a semi-natural meadow. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282116. [PMID: 36888605 PMCID: PMC10045606 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Semi-natural grasslands are becoming increasingly rare, and their vegetation may be affected by environmental changes and altered management. At Kungsängen Nature Reserve, a wet to mesic semi-natural meadow near Uppsala, Sweden, we analysed long-term changes in the vegetation using data from 1940, 1982, 1995 and 2016. We also analysed the spatial and temporal dynamics in the Fritillaria meleagris population based on countings of flowering individuals in 1938, 1981-1988 and 2016-2021. Between 1940 and 1982 the wet part of the meadow became wetter, which led to an increased cover of Carex acuta and pushed the main area of flowering of F. meleagris up towards the mesic part. Annual variation in the flowering propensity of F. meleagris (in May) was affected by temperature and precipitation in the phenological phases of growth and bud initiation (June in the previous year), shoot development (September in the previous year) and initiation of flowering (March-April). However, the response to weather was in opposite directions in the wet and mesic parts of the meadow, and the flowering population showed large year-to-year variation but no long-term trend. Variation in management (poorly documented) led to changes in different parts of the meadow, but the overall composition of the vegetation, species richness and diversity changed little after 1982. Species richness and species composition of the meadow vegetation, and the long-term stability of the F. meleagris population are maintained by the variation in wetness, highlighting the importance of spatial heterogeneity as an insurance against biodiversity loss in semi-natural grasslands and nature reserves generally.
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10
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Reinke BA, Cayuela H, Janzen FJ, Lemaître JF, Gaillard JM, Lawing AM, Iverson JB, Christiansen DG, Martínez-Solano I, Sánchez-Montes G, Gutiérrez-Rodríguez J, Rose FL, Nelson N, Keall S, Crivelli AJ, Nazirides T, Grimm-Seyfarth A, Henle K, Mori E, Guiller G, Homan R, Olivier A, Muths E, Hossack BR, Bonnet X, Pilliod DS, Lettink M, Whitaker T, Schmidt BR, Gardner MG, Cheylan M, Poitevin F, Golubović A, Tomović L, Arsovski D, Griffiths RA, Arntzen JW, Baron JP, Le Galliard JF, Tully T, Luiselli L, Capula M, Rugiero L, McCaffery R, Eby LA, Briggs-Gonzalez V, Mazzotti F, Pearson D, Lambert BA, Green DM, Jreidini N, Angelini C, Pyke G, Thirion JM, Joly P, Léna JP, Tucker AD, Limpus C, Priol P, Besnard A, Bernard P, Stanford K, King R, Garwood J, Bosch J, Souza FL, Bertoluci J, Famelli S, Grossenbacher K, Lenzi O, Matthews K, Boitaud S, Olson DH, Jessop TS, Gillespie GR, Clobert J, Richard M, Valenzuela-Sánchez A, Fellers GM, Kleeman PM, Halstead BJ, Grant EHC, Byrne PG, Frétey T, Le Garff B, Levionnois P, Maerz JC, Pichenot J, Olgun K, Üzüm N, Avcı A, Miaud C, Elmberg J, Brown GP, Shine R, Bendik NF, O'Donnell L, Davis CL, Lannoo MJ, Stiles RM, Cox RM, Reedy AM, Warner DA, Bonnaire E, Grayson K, Ramos-Targarona R, Baskale E, Muñoz D, Measey J, de Villiers FA, Selman W, Ronget V, Bronikowski AM, Miller DAW. Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity. Science 2022; 376:1459-1466. [PMID: 35737773 DOI: 10.1126/science.abm0151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Comparative studies of mortality in the wild are necessary to understand the evolution of aging; yet, ectothermic tetrapods are underrepresented in this comparative landscape, despite their suitability for testing evolutionary hypotheses. We present a study of aging rates and longevity across wild tetrapod ectotherms, using data from 107 populations (77 species) of nonavian reptiles and amphibians. We test hypotheses of how thermoregulatory mode, environmental temperature, protective phenotypes, and pace of life history contribute to demographic aging. Controlling for phylogeny and body size, ectotherms display a higher diversity of aging rates compared with endotherms and include phylogenetically widespread evidence of negligible aging. Protective phenotypes and life-history strategies further explain macroevolutionary patterns of aging. Analyzing ectothermic tetrapods in a comparative context enhances our understanding of the evolution of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth A Reinke
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Hugo Cayuela
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fredric J Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, USA
| | | | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Université Lyon 1, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Villeurbanne, France
| | - A Michelle Lawing
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - John B Iverson
- Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN, USA
| | - Ditte G Christiansen
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Iñigo Martínez-Solano
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gregorio Sánchez-Montes
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Gutiérrez-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Francis L Rose
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Nicola Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Susan Keall
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Alain J Crivelli
- Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, Tour du Valat, Arles, France
| | | | - Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth
- Department Conservation Biology and Social-Ecological Systems, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Klaus Henle
- Department Conservation Biology and Social-Ecological Systems, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Emiliano Mori
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Rebecca Homan
- Biology Department, Denison University, Granville, OH, USA
| | - Anthony Olivier
- Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, Tour du Valat, Arles, France
| | - Erin Muths
- US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Blake R Hossack
- US Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Xavier Bonnet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS UMR 7372 - Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - David S Pilliod
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID, USA
| | | | | | - Benedikt R Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Info Fauna Karch, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Michael G Gardner
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Marc Cheylan
- PSL Research University, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry, Montpellier, France
| | - Françoise Poitevin
- PSL Research University, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry, Montpellier, France
| | - Ana Golubović
- Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ljiljana Tomović
- Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Richard A Griffiths
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | | | - Jean-Pierre Baron
- Ecole normale supérieure, PSL University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UMS 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Jean-François Le Galliard
- Ecole normale supérieure, PSL University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UMS 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INRA, UPEC, IRD, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, iEES-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Tully
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INRA, UPEC, IRD, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, iEES-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Luca Luiselli
- Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Animal and Applied Biology, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
- Department of Zoology, University of Lomé, Lomé, Togo
| | | | - Lorenzo Rugiero
- Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation, Rome, Italy
| | - Rebecca McCaffery
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Port Angeles, WA, USA
| | - Lisa A Eby
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Frank Mazzotti
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - David Pearson
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Wanneroo, WA, Australia
| | - Brad A Lambert
- Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - David M Green
- Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | - Graham Pyke
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CN, Kunming, PR China
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Pierre Joly
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jean-Paul Léna
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Anton D Tucker
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Parks and Wildlife Service-Marine Science Program, Kensington, WA, Australia
| | - Col Limpus
- Threatened Species Operations, Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Aurélien Besnard
- CNRS, EPHE, UM, SupAgro, IRD, INRA, UMR 5175 CEFE, PSL Research University, Montpelier, France
| | - Pauline Bernard
- Conservatoire d'espaces naturels d'Occitanie, Montpellier, France
| | - Kristin Stanford
- Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory, The Ohio State University, Put-In-Bay, OH, USA
| | - Richard King
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Justin Garwood
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Arcata, CA, USA
| | - Jaime Bosch
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- IMIB-Biodiversity Research Unit, University of Oviedo-Principality of Asturias, Mieres, Spain
- Centro de Investigación, Seguimiento y Evaluación, Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, Rascafría, Spain
| | - Franco L Souza
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jaime Bertoluci
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Shirley Famelli
- School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College, University of the Highlands and Islands, Thurso, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Omar Lenzi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kathleen Matthews
- USDA Forest Service (Retired), Pacific Southwest Research Station, Albany, CA, USA
| | - Sylvain Boitaud
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Deanna H Olson
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Tim S Jessop
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Graeme R Gillespie
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Palmerston, NT, Australia
| | - Jean Clobert
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS-UMR532, Saint Girons, France
| | - Murielle Richard
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS-UMR532, Saint Girons, France
| | - Andrés Valenzuela-Sánchez
- Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- ONG Ranita de Darwin, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Gary M Fellers
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes, CA, USA
| | - Patrick M Kleeman
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes, CA, USA
| | - Brian J Halstead
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, CA, USA
| | - Evan H Campbell Grant
- US Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Research Center (formerly Patuxent Wildlife Research Center), S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center, Turners Falls, MA, USA
| | - Phillip G Byrne
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | | | - John C Maerz
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Julian Pichenot
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Centre de Recherche et de Formation en Eco-éthologie, URCA-CERFE, Boult-aux-Bois, France
| | - Kurtuluş Olgun
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey
| | - Nazan Üzüm
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey
| | - Aziz Avcı
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey
| | - Claude Miaud
- PSL Research University, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry, Montpellier, France
| | - Johan Elmberg
- Department of Environmental Science and Bioscience, Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden
| | - Gregory P Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nathan F Bendik
- Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Lisa O'Donnell
- Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, City of Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Robert M Cox
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Aaron M Reedy
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Daniel A Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Eric Bonnaire
- Office National des Forêts, Agence de Meurthe-et-Moselle, Nancy, France
| | - Kristine Grayson
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA
| | | | - Eyup Baskale
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - David Muñoz
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - F Andre de Villiers
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Will Selman
- Department of Biology, Millsaps College, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Victor Ronget
- Unité Eco-anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Anne M Bronikowski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, USA
| | - David A W Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
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11
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Margenau LLS, Cherry MJ, Miller KV, Garrison EP, Chandler RB. Monitoring partially marked populations using camera and telemetry data. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2553. [PMID: 35112750 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2553] [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: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Long-term monitoring is an important component of effective wildlife conservation. However, many methods for estimating density are too costly or difficult to implement over large spatial and temporal extents. Recently developed spatial mark-resight (SMR) models are increasingly being applied as a cost-effective method to estimate density when data include detections of both marked and unmarked individuals. We developed a generalized SMR model that can accommodate long-term camera data and auxiliary telemetry data for improved spatiotemporal inference in monitoring efforts. The model can be applied in two stages, with detection parameters estimated in the first stage using telemetry data and camera detections of instrumented individuals. Density is estimated in the second stage using camera data, with all individuals treated as unmarked. Serial correlation in detection and density parameters is accounted for using time-series models. The two-stage approach reduces computational demands and facilitates the application to large data sets from long-term monitoring initiatives. We applied the model to 3 years (2015-2017) of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) data collected in three study areas of the Big Cypress Basin, Florida, USA. In total, 59 females marked with ear tags and fitted with GPS-telemetry collars were detected along with unmarked females on 180 remote cameras. Most of the temporal variation in density was driven by seasonal fluctuations, but one study area exhibited a slight population decline during the monitoring period. Modern technologies such as camera traps provide novel possibilities for long-term monitoring, but the resulting massive data sets, which are subject to unique sources of observation error, have posed analytical challenges. The two-stage spatial mark-resight framework provides a solution with lower computational demands than joint SMR models, allowing for easier implementation in practice. In addition, after detection parameters have been estimated, the model may be used to estimate density even if no synchronous auxiliary information on marked individuals is available, which is often the case in long-term monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia L S Margenau
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Michael J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA
| | - Karl V Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Elina P Garrison
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Richard B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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12
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Kerth G. Long-term field studies in bat research: importance for basic and applied research questions in animal behavior. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022; 76:75. [PMID: 35669868 PMCID: PMC9135593 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03180-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Animal species differ considerably in longevity. Among mammals, short-lived species such as shrews have a maximum lifespan of about a year, whereas long-lived species such as whales can live for more than two centuries. Because of their slow pace of life, long-lived species are typically of high conservation concern and of special scientific interest. This applies not only to large mammals such as whales, but also to small-sized bats and mole-rats. To understand the typically complex social behavior of long-lived mammals and protect their threatened populations, field studies that cover substantial parts of a species' maximum lifespan are required. However, long-term field studies on mammals are an exception because the collection of individualized data requires considerable resources over long time periods in species where individuals can live for decades. Field studies that span decades do not fit well in the current career and funding regime in science. This is unfortunate, as the existing long-term studies on mammals yielded exciting insights into animal behavior and contributed data important for protecting their populations. Here, I present results of long-term field studies on the behavior, demography, and life history of bats, with a particular focus on my long-term studies on wild Bechstein's bats. I show that long-term studies on individually marked populations are invaluable to understand the social system of bats, investigate the causes and consequences of their extraordinary longevity, and assess their responses to changing environments with the aim to efficiently protect these unique mammals in the face of anthropogenic global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Kerth
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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13
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Holden KG, Gangloff EJ, Miller DAW, Hedrick AR, Dinsmore C, Basel A, Kutz G, Bronikowski AM. Over a decade of field physiology reveals life-history specific strategies to drought in garter snakes ( Thamnophis legans). Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212187. [PMID: 35078358 PMCID: PMC8790353 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Changing climates and severe weather events can affect population viability. Individuals need to buffer such negative fitness consequences through physiological plasticity. Whether certain life-history strategies are more conducive to surviving changing climates is unknown, but theory predicts that strategies prioritizing maintenance and survival over current reproduction should be better able to withstand such change. We tested this hypothesis in a meta-population of garter snakes having naturally occurring variation in life-history strategies. We tested whether slow pace-of-life (POL) animals, that prioritize survival over reproduction, are more resilient than fast POL animals as measured by several physiological biomarkers. From 2006 to 2019, which included two multi-year droughts, baseline and stress-induced reactivity of plasma corticosterone and glucose varied annually with directionalities consistent with life-history theory. Slow POL animals exhibited higher baseline corticosterone and lower baseline glucose, relative to fast POL animals. These patterns were also observed in stress-induced measures; thus, reactivity was equivalent between ecotypes. However, in drought years, measures of corticosterone did not differ between different life histories. Immune cell distribution showed annual variation independent of drought or life history. These persistent physiological patterns form a backdrop to several extirpations of fast POL populations, suggesting a limited physiological toolkit to surviving periods of extreme drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn G. Holden
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Eric J. Gangloff
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - David A. W. Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Ashley R. Hedrick
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Carli Dinsmore
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Alison Basel
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Greta Kutz
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Anne M. Bronikowski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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14
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Tourani M. A review of spatial capture-recapture: Ecological insights, limitations, and prospects. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8468. [PMID: 35127014 PMCID: PMC8794757 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8468] [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: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
First described by Efford (2004), spatial capture-recapture (SCR) has become a popular tool in ecology. Like traditional capture-recapture, SCR methods account for imperfect detection when estimating ecological parameters. In addition, SCR methods use the information inherent in the spatial configuration of individual detections, thereby allowing spatially explicit estimation of population parameters, such as abundance, survival, and recruitment. Paired with advances in noninvasive survey methods, SCR has been applied to a wide range of species across different habitats, allowing for population- and landscape-level inferences with direct consequences for conservation and management. I conduct a literature review of SCR studies published since the first description of the method and provide an overview of their scope in terms of the ecological questions answered with this tool, taxonomic groups targeted, geography, spatio-temporal extent of analyses, and data collection methods. In addition, I review approaches for analytical implementation and provide an overview of parameters targeted by SCR studies and conclude with current limitations and future directions in SCR methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdieh Tourani
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
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15
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Howard JS, Maerz JC. Review and Synthesis of Estimated Vital Rates for Terrestrial Salamanders in the Family Plethodontidae. ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1643/h2020079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jillian S. Howard
- Swaim Biological Inc., 4556 Contractors Pl., Livermore, California 94551; . Send reprint requests to this address
| | - John C. Maerz
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E Green St., Athens, Georgia 30602;
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16
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Timsina B, Kindlmann P, Münzbergová Z, Rokaya MB. Six-Year Demographic Study of the Terrestrial Orchid, Crepidium acuminatum: Implications for Conservation. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.676993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on population dynamics are helpful for understanding the factors determining population development and predicting the effects of disturbances, such as harvesting of plant species. In an investigation of the demography of a terrestrial medicinal orchid known as Crepidium acuminatum, the effects of harvesting on its population dynamics were recorded. Data on recruitment, growth and survival were collected in three populations of C. acuminatum over a 6-year period (2012–2017) in central Nepal. A matrix modeling method was used to determine the effect of different harvesting regimes on the population growth and survival of this species. Population growth rates (λ) of unharvested populations were relatively similar and stable in different years of the study. Harvesting significantly reduced λ. The results of this study indicate that the sustainable survival of a population that is subject to harvesting can only occur when it is either selective (only flowering individuals or only small amounts of vegetative individuals) or rotational (once every 3–5 or more years). This study demonstrates the necessity of using a sustainable method when harvesting natural populations. Our results are useful for developing efficient management strategies for this species. As each species has a different biology, similar studies are needed for other rare and/or economically important species in the Himalayan region and in other understudied parts of the world.
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17
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Tinoco BA, Latta SC, Astudillo PX, Nieto A, Graham CH. Temporal stability in species richness but reordering in species abundances within avian assemblages of a tropical Andes conservation hot spot. Biotropica 2021; 53:1673-1684. [PMID: 35874905 PMCID: PMC9293307 DOI: 10.1111/btp.13016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven C. Latta
- National Aviary Allegheny Commons West Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
| | | | - Andrea Nieto
- Escuela de Biología Universidad del Azuay Cuenca Ecuador
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18
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Nogueira JG, Sousa R, Benaissa H, De Knijf G, Ferreira S, Ghamizi M, Gonçalves DV, Lansdown R, Numa C, Prié V, Riccardi N, Seddon M, Urbańska M, Valentini A, Vikhrev I, Varandas S, Teixeira A, Lopes‐Lima M. Alarming decline of freshwater trigger species in western Mediterranean key biodiversity areas. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1367-1379. [PMID: 34355419 PMCID: PMC9292581 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Theidentification of key biodiversity areas (KBA) was initiated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2004 to overcome taxonomic biases in the selection of important areas for conservation, including freshwater ecosystems. Since then, several KBAs have been identified mainly based on the presence of trigger species (i.e., species that trigger either the vulnerability and or the irreplaceability criterion and thus identify a site as a KBA). However, to our knowledge, many of these KBAs have not been validated. Therefore, classical surveys of the taxa used to identify freshwater KBAs (fishes, molluscs, odonates, and aquatic plants) were conducted in Douro (Iberian Peninsula) and Sebou (Morocco) River basins in the Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot. Environmental DNA analyses were undertaken in the Moroccan KBAs. There was a mismatch between the supposed and actual presence of trigger species. None of the trigger species were found in 43% and 50% of all KBAs surveyed in the Douro and Sebou basins, respectively. Shortcomings of freshwater KBA identification relate to flawed or lack of distribution data for trigger species. This situation results from a misleading initial identification of KBAs based on poor (or even inaccurate) ecological information or due to increased human disturbance between initial KBA identification and the present. To improve identification of future freshwater KBAs, we suggest selecting trigger species with a more conservative approach; use of local expert knowledge and digital data (to assess habitat quality, species distribution, and potential threats); consideration of the subcatchment when delineating KBAs boundaries; thoughtful consideration of terrestrial special areas for conservation limits; and periodic field validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Garrido Nogueira
- CIBIO/InBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesUniversity of PortoVairãoPortugal
| | - Ronaldo Sousa
- CBMA – Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of BiologyUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
| | - Hassan Benaissa
- Université Cadi Ayyad, Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Marrakech, Laboratoire Eau, Biodiversité et Changement ClimatiqueMarrakechMorocco
| | - Geert De Knijf
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO)BrusselsBelgium
| | - Sónia Ferreira
- CIBIO/InBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesUniversity of PortoVairãoPortugal
| | - Mohamed Ghamizi
- Université Cadi Ayyad, Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Marrakech, Laboratoire Eau, Biodiversité et Changement ClimatiqueMarrakechMorocco
| | - Duarte V. Gonçalves
- CIBIO/InBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesUniversity of PortoVairãoPortugal
- CIIMAR/CIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental ResearchUniversity of PortoMatosinhosPortugal
| | | | | | - Vincent Prié
- CIBIO/InBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesUniversity of PortoVairãoPortugal
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité ISYEB – Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRSSorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des AntillesParisFrance
- SPYGEN, Savoie TechnolacLe Bourget‐du‐LacFrance
| | - Nicoletta Riccardi
- Water Research Institute (IRSA)National Research Council (CNR)VerbaniaItaly
| | | | - Maria Urbańska
- Department of ZoologyPoznan University of Life SciencesPoznańPoland
| | | | - Ilya Vikhrev
- Federal Center for Integrated Arctic ResearchRussian Academy of SciencesArkhangelskRussia
| | - Simone Varandas
- CITAB‐UTAD – Centre for Research and Technology of Agro‐Environment and Biological SciencesUniversity of Trás‐os‐Montes and Alto Douro, Forestry DepartmentVila RealPortugal
| | - Amílcar Teixeira
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO)Instituto Politécnico de BragançaBragançaPortugal
| | - Manuel Lopes‐Lima
- CIBIO/InBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesUniversity of PortoVairãoPortugal
- CIIMAR/CIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental ResearchUniversity of PortoMatosinhosPortugal
- IUCN SSC Molluscs Specialist GroupDevonUK
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19
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Sudo M, Sato Y, Yorozuya H. Time‐course in attractiveness of pheromone lure on the smaller tea tortrix moth: A generalized additive mixed model approach. Ecol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masaaki Sudo
- Tea Pest Management Unit Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, NARO Shimada Japan
| | - Yasushi Sato
- Tea Pest Management Unit Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, NARO Shimada Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yorozuya
- Tea Pest Management Unit Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, NARO Shimada Japan
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20
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Carter AL, Janzen FJ. Predicting the effects of climate change on incubation in reptiles: methodological advances and new directions. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:224/Suppl_1/jeb236018. [PMID: 33627463 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.236018] [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] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The unprecedented advancement of global climate change is affecting thermal conditions across spatial and temporal scales. Reptiles with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) are uniquely vulnerable to even fine-scale variation in incubation conditions and are a model system for investigating the impacts of shifting temperatures on key physiological and life-history traits. The ways in which current and predicted future climatic conditions translate from macro- to ultra-fine scale temperature traces in subterranean nests is insufficiently understood. Reliably predicting the ways in which fine-scale, daily and seasonally fluctuating nest temperatures influence embryonic development and offspring phenotypes is a goal that remains constrained by many of the same logistical challenges that have persisted throughout more than four decades of research on TSD. However, recent advances in microclimate and developmental modeling should allow us to move farther away from relatively coarse metrics with limited predictive capacity and towards a fully mechanistic model of TSD that can predict incubation conditions and phenotypic outcomes for a variety of reptile species across space and time and for any climate scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L Carter
- Michigan State University, Kellogg Biological Station, 3700 E Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA.,Iowa State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Fredric J Janzen
- Michigan State University, Kellogg Biological Station, 3700 E Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA .,Iowa State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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21
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Folt B, Goessling JM, Tucker A, Guyer C, Hermann S, Shelton‐Nix E, McGowan C. Contrasting Patterns of Demography and Population Viability Among Gopher Tortoise Populations in Alabama. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Folt
- Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 3305 School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL 36849 USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Goessling
- Eckerd College, 075 James Center for Molecular and Life Sciences St. Petersburg FL 33711 USA
| | - Anna Tucker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road Laurel MD 20708 USA
| | - Craig Guyer
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History, 331 Funchess Hall Auburn University Auburn AL 36849 USA
| | - Sharon Hermann
- Department of Biological Sciences, 331 Funchess Hall Auburn University Auburn AL 36849 USA
| | - Ericha Shelton‐Nix
- Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources 64 Union Street Montgomery AL 36130 USA
| | - Conor McGowan
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL 36849 USA
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22
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Johnson‐Bice SM, Ferguson JM, Erb JD, Gable TD, Windels SK. Ecological forecasts reveal limitations of common model selection methods: predicting changes in beaver colony densities. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02198. [PMID: 32583507 PMCID: PMC7816246 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, there have been numerous calls to make ecology a more predictive science through direct empirical assessments of ecological models and predictions. While the widespread use of model selection using information criteria has pushed ecology toward placing a higher emphasis on prediction, few attempts have been made to validate the ability of information criteria to correctly identify the most parsimonious model with the greatest predictive accuracy. Here, we used an ecological forecasting framework to test the ability of information criteria to accurately predict the relative contribution of density dependence and density-independent factors (forage availability, harvest, weather, wolf [Canis lupus] density) on inter-annual fluctuations in beaver (Castor canadensis) colony densities. We modeled changes in colony densities using a discrete-time Gompertz model, and assessed the performance of four models using information criteria values: density-independent models with (1) and without (2) environmental covariates; and density-dependent models with (3) and without (4) environmental covariates. We then evaluated the forecasting accuracy of each model by withholding the final one-third of observations from each population and compared observed vs. predicted densities. Information criteria and our forecasting accuracy metrics both provided strong evidence of compensatory density dependence in the annual dynamics of beaver colony densities. However, despite strong within-sample performance by the most complex model (density-dependent with covariates) as determined using information criteria, hindcasts of colony densities revealed that the much simpler density-dependent model without covariates performed nearly as well predicting out-of-sample colony densities. The hindcast results indicated that the complex model over-fit our data, suggesting that parameters identified by information criteria as important predictor variables are only marginally valuable for predicting landscape-scale beaver colony dynamics. Our study demonstrates the importance of evaluating ecological models and predictions with long-term data and revealed how a known limitation of information criteria (over-fitting of complex models) can affect our interpretation of ecological dynamics. While incorporating knowledge of the factors that influence animal population dynamics can improve population forecasts, we suggest that comparing forecast performance metrics can likewise improve our knowledge of the factors driving population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Johnson‐Bice
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Manitoba50 Sifton RoadWinnipegManitobaR3T 2N2Canada
- Natural Resources Research InstituteUniversity of Minnesota Duluth5013 Miller Trunk HighwayDuluthMinnesota55812USA
| | - Jake M. Ferguson
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Hawai`i at Mānoa2538 McCarthy MallHonoluluHawaii96822USA
| | - John D. Erb
- Forest Wildlife Populations and Research GroupMinnesota Department of Natural Resources1201 E. highway 2Grand RapidsMinnesota55744USA
| | - Thomas D. Gable
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation BiologyUniversity of Minnesota Twin Cities2003 Upper Buford CircleSt. PaulMinnesota55108USA
| | - Steve K. Windels
- Natural Resources Research InstituteUniversity of Minnesota Duluth5013 Miller Trunk HighwayDuluthMinnesota55812USA
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation BiologyUniversity of Minnesota Twin Cities2003 Upper Buford CircleSt. PaulMinnesota55108USA
- Voyageurs National Park360 Highway 11 E.International FallsMinnesota56649USA
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23
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Lindenmayer DB, Lane P, Westgate MJ, Scheele BC, Crane M, Florance D, Crane C, Smith D. Long‐term mammal and nocturnal bird trends are influenced by vegetation type, weather and climate in temperate woodlands. AUSTRAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David B. Lindenmayer
- Sustainable Farms Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory2601 Australia
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub National Environmental Science Program Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Peter Lane
- Sustainable Farms Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory2601 Australia
| | - Martin J. Westgate
- Sustainable Farms Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory2601 Australia
| | - Ben C. Scheele
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub National Environmental Science Program Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Mason Crane
- Sustainable Farms Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory2601 Australia
| | - Daniel Florance
- Sustainable Farms Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory2601 Australia
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub National Environmental Science Program Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Clare Crane
- Sustainable Farms Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory2601 Australia
| | - David Smith
- Sustainable Farms Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory2601 Australia
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24
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Silva AFD, Malhado AC, Correia RA, Ladle RJ, Vital MV, Mott T. Taxonomic bias in amphibian research: Are researchers responding to conservation need? J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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