Reproductive biology of a wood-boring isopod, Sphaeroma terebrans , with extended parental care

1999 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Thiel
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Wood Boring ◽  
Extended Parental Care ◽  
Sphaeroma Terebrans

scholarly journals Aggregations and parental care in the Early Triassic basal cynodontsGalesaurus planicepsandThrinaxodon liorhinus

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e2875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra C. Jasinoski ◽  
Fernando Abdala
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Size Difference ◽  
Early Triassic ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Extensive Survey ◽  
Comprehensive Survey ◽  
Extinct Group ◽  
Mixed Age

Non-mammaliaform cynodonts gave rise to mammals but the reproductive biology of this extinct group is still poorly known. Two exceptional fossils ofGalesaurus planicepsandThrinaxodon liorhinus, consisting of juveniles closely associated with an adult, were briefly described more than 50 years ago as examples of parental care in non-mammaliaform cynodonts. However, these two Early Triassic fossils have largely been excluded from recent discussions of parental care in the fossil record. Here we re-analyse these fossils in the context of an extensive survey of other aggregations found in these two basal cynodont taxa. Our analysis revealed six other unequivocal cases of aggregations inThrinaxodon, with examples of same-age aggregations among immature or adult individuals as well as mixed-age aggregations between subadult and adult individuals. In contrast, only one additional aggregation ofGalesauruswas identified. Taking this comprehensive survey into account, the two previously described cases of parental care inGalesaurusandThrinaxodonare substantiated. The juveniles are the smallest specimens known for each taxon, and the size difference between the adult and the two associated juveniles is the largest found for any of the aggregations. The juveniles ofThrinaxodonare approximately only 37% of the associated adult size; whereas inGalesaurus, the young are at least 60% of the associated adult size. In each case, the two juvenile individuals are similar in size, suggesting they were from the same clutch. Even though parental care was present in bothGalesaurusandThrinaxodon, intraspecific aggregations were much more common inThrinaxodon, suggesting it regularly lived in aggregations consisting of both similar and different aged individuals.

scholarly journals Anamorphic development and extended parental care in a 520 million-year-old stem-group euarthropod from China

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongjing Fu ◽  
Javier Ortega-Hernández ◽  
Allison C Daley ◽  
Xingliang Zhang ◽  
Degan Shu
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Stem Group ◽  
Extended Parental Care ◽  
Anamorphic Development

The Effects of the Wood-boring Isopod Sphaeroma terebrans on the Mangrove Communities of Florida

1976 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew E. Rehm
Keyword(s):  
Intertidal Zone ◽  
Marine Fishes ◽  
The West ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Usual Manner ◽  
Commercially Important ◽  
Wood Boring ◽  
Mangrove Communities ◽  
Feeding Grounds ◽  
Sphaeroma Terebrans

Investigations conducted along the west coast of Florida from Tampa to Cape Sable have shown that mangroves are confined to the upper portion of the intertidal zone by the wood-boring isopod, Sphaeroma terebrans Bate. As a result of this activity, mangroves are unable to become established throughout the intertidal zone and to extend shorelines in their usual manner.The attack on mangroves is most severe from Marco to Cape Sable, and is probably the single most important factor responsible for the erosion that is currently occurring along this section of coastline. Throughout its length, tides, temperature, and salinity, appear to influence the severity of the attack on mangroves by S. terebrans.Mangrove-dominated estuaries from Tampa to Cape Sable serve as nursery areas and feeding grounds for several commercially important marine fishes and Crustacea. The continual loss of mangroves as a result of S. terebrans activity, erosion, and human interference, may well decrease the extent to which these vital estuaries can be used as nurseries by commercially important species.

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