scholarly journals Population position along the fast-slow life-history continuum predicts intraspecific variation in actuarial senescence

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Cayuela ◽  
Jean-François Lemaître ◽  
Eric Bonnaire ◽  
Julian Pichenot ◽  
Benedikt R. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
Bombina Variegata ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Capture Recapture

AbstractPatterns of actuarial senescence can be highly variable among species. Previous comparative analyses revealed that both age at the onset of senescence and rates of senescence are linked to the species’ position along the fast-slow life-history continuum. As there are few long-term datasets of wild populations with known-age individuals, intraspecific (i.e. between-population) variation in senescence is understudied and limited to comparisons of wild and captive populations of the same species, mostly birds and mammals. In this paper, we examined how population position along the fast-slow life history continuum affects senescence patterns in an amphibian, Bombina variegata. We used capture-recapture data collected in four populations with contrasted life history strategies. Senescence trajectories were drawn using Bayesian capture-recapture models. We show that in “slow” populations the onset of senescence was earlier and individuals aged at a faster rate than individuals in “fast” populations. Our study provides one of the few empirical examples of between-population variation in senescence patterns in the wild and confirms that the fast-slow life history gradient is associated with both macroevolutionary and microevolutionary patterns of senescence.

scholarly journals Phenotypic plasticity of labile traits in the wild

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 485-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon E. Brommer
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Statistical Approach ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Quantitative Genetic ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Quantitative Genetic Parameters

Abstract Individual-based studies allow quantification of phenotypic plasticity in behavioural, life-history and other labile traits. The study of phenotypic plasticity in the wild can shed new light on the ultimate objectives (1) whether plasticity itself can evolve or is constrained by its genetic architecture, and (2) whether plasticity is associated to other traits, including fitness (selection). I describe the main statistical approach for how repeated records of individuals and a description of the environment (E) allow quantification of variation in plasticity across individuals (IxE) and genotypes (GxE) in wild populations. Based on a literature review of life-history and behavioural studies on plasticity in the wild, I discuss the present state of the two objectives listed above. Few studies have quantified GxE of labile traits in wild populations, and it is likely that power to detect statistically significant GxE is lacking. Apart from the issue of whether it is heritable, plasticity tends to correlate with average trait expression (not fully supported by the few genetic estimates available) and may thus be evolutionary constrained in this way. Individual-specific estimates of plasticity tend to be related to other traits of the individual (including fitness), but these analyses may be anti-conservative because they predominantly concern stats-on-stats. Despite the increased interest in plasticity in wild populations, the putative lack of power to detect GxE in such populations hinders achieving general insights. I discuss possible steps to invigorate the field by moving away from simply testing for presence of GxE to analyses that ‘scale up’ to population level processes and by the development of new behavioural theory to identify quantitative genetic parameters which can be estimated.

A preliminary study of regeneration in wild populations of threatened endemic Hawaiian palms (Pritchardia; Arecaceae)

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melany H. Chapin ◽  
Mike Maunder ◽  
Katherine E. Horak
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Ecological Change ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Human Colonization ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Term Management

Island floras have been subject to catastrophic changes since human colonization; the Hawaiian Islands exemplify this pattern of species decline and ecological change. Archaeological and historic findings support the former existence of coastal, lowland and interior Pritchardia dominated forests. Wild Pritchardia populations are highly fragmented and exhibit poor or absent regeneration in the wild. This study records seed predation, goat grazing, pig damage, and human harvesting on six wild populations of three species and outlines requirements for the long-term management of wild populations. Only one population of the six studied was found to contain seedlings. Recommended conservation management strategies are outlined.

scholarly journals Correction: Long-term fish assemblages of the Ohio River: Altered trophic and life history strategies with hydrologic alterations and land use modifications

PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. e0218915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Pyron ◽  
Meryl C. Mims ◽  
Mario M. Minder ◽  
Robert C. Shields ◽  
Nicole Chodkowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Life History ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Ohio River ◽  
Hydrologic Alterations

Error rates and variation between observers are reduced with the use of photographic matching software for capture-recapture studies

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam S. Cruickshank ◽  
Benedikt R. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Individual Recognition ◽  
Computer Software ◽  
Rejection Rate ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Small Error ◽  
Matching Accuracy ◽  
Bombina Variegata ◽  
Capture Recapture ◽  
False Rejection

Photographic capture-mark-recapture (CMR) permits individual recognition whilst avoiding many of the concerns involved with marking animals. However, the construction of capture histories from photographs is a time-consuming process. Furthermore, matching accuracy is determined based on subjective judgements of the person carrying out the matching, which can lead to errors in the resulting datasets – particularly in long-term projects where multiple observers match images. We asked 63 volunteers to carry out two photographic-matching exercises using a database of known individuals of the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata). From these exercises, we quantified the matching accuracy of volunteers in terms of false-acceptance and false-rejection rates. Not only were error rates greatly reduced with the use of photographic-matching software, but variation in error rates among volunteers was also lowered. Furthermore, the use of matching software led to substantial increases in matching speeds and an 87% reduction in the false-rejection rate. As even small error rates have the potential to bias CMR analyses, these results suggest that computer software could substantially reduce errors in CMR datasets. The time-savings and reduction in variance among observers suggest that such methods could be particularly beneficial in long-term CMR projects where a large number of images may be matched by multiple observers.

scholarly journals Older mothers produce more successful daughters

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 4809-4814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svenja B. Kroeger ◽  
Daniel T. Blumstein ◽  
Kenneth B. Armitage ◽  
Jane M. Reid ◽  
Julien G. A. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Lifetime Reproductive Success ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Substantial Variation ◽  
Older Mothers ◽  
Lower Elevation ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Term Data

Annual reproductive success and senescence patterns vary substantially among individuals in the wild. However, it is still seldom considered that senescence may not only affect an individual but also affect age-specific reproductive success in its offspring, generating transgenerational reproductive senescence. We used long-term data from wild yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) living in two different elevational environments to quantify age-specific reproductive success of daughters born to mothers differing in age. Contrary to prediction, daughters born to older mothers had greater annual reproductive success on average than daughters born to younger mothers, and this translated into greater lifetime reproductive success. However, in the favorable lower elevation environment, daughters born to older mothers also had greater age-specific decreases in annual reproductive success. In the harsher higher elevation environment on the other hand, daughters born to older mothers tended to die before reaching ages at which such senescent decreases could be observed. Our study highlights the importance of incorporating environment-specific transgenerational parent age effects on adult offspring age-specific life-history traits to fully understand the substantial variation observed in senescence patterns in wild populations.

scholarly journals Long-term fish assemblages of the Ohio River: Altered trophic and life history strategies with hydrologic alterations and land use modifications

PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. e0211848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Pyron ◽  
Meryl C. Mims ◽  
Mario M. Minder ◽  
Robert C. Shields ◽  
Nicole Chodkowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Life History ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Ohio River ◽  
Hydrologic Alterations

scholarly journals Demographic and genetic factors in the recovery or demise ofex situpopulations following a severe bottleneck in fifteen species of Hawaiian tree snails

PeerJ ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e1406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa R. Price ◽  
David Sischo ◽  
Mark-Anthony Pascua ◽  
Michael G. Hadfield
Keyword(s):  
Life History Traits ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Term Data

Wild populations of endangered Hawaiian tree snails have declined precipitously over the last century due to introduced predators and other human impacts. Life history traits, such as very low fecundity (<5 offspring per year across taxa) and maturity at approximately four years of age have made recovery difficult. Conservation efforts such asin situpredator-free enclosures may increase survival to maturity by protecting offspring from predation, but no long-term data existed prior to this study demonstrating the demographic and genetic parameters necessary to maintain populations within those enclosures. We evaluated over 20 years of evidence for the dynamics of survival and extinction in captiveex situpopulations of Hawaiian tree snails established from wild-collected individuals. From 1991 to 2006, small numbers of snails (<15) from fifteen species were collected from the wild to initiate captive-reared populations as a hedge against extinction. This small number of founders resulted in a severe bottleneck in each of the captive-reared populations. We identified key demographic parameters that predicted population recovery from this bottleneck. Species with captive populations that produced between two and four offspring per adult per year and had 20–50% of those offspring survive to maturity recovered to numbers above 100 individuals, and maintained viable populations following a decline that occurred between 2009 and 2014. Those populations that had less than two offspring per adult per year and less than 20% survival to maturity did not reach 100 individuals in captivity, and many of these populations died out during the recent decline. We suggest that small reductions in fitness may contribute to extirpation in taxa with inherently low fecundity, by keeping populations below a threshold number essential to long-term recovery. Futureex situpopulations should be founded with no less than 15 adults, and maintained in conditions closely approximating the temperature and humidity of source locations to optimize fitness. Permanent translocations of wild populations for conservation purposes will be more likely to succeed with greater than 100 adults, and should be limited to locations with a similar climate to source locations.

scholarly journals Habitat–performance relationships: finding the right metric at a given spatial scale

2010 ◽  
Vol 365 (1550) ◽  
pp. 2255-2265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Michel Gaillard ◽  
Mark Hebblewhite ◽  
Anne Loison ◽  
Mark Fuller ◽  
Roger Powell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The Right ◽  
Conceptual Difficulties ◽  
Long Term Studies

The field of habitat ecology has been muddled by imprecise terminology regarding what constitutes habitat, and how importance is measured through use, selection, avoidance and other bio-statistical terminology. Added to the confusion is the idea that habitat is scale-specific. Despite these conceptual difficulties, ecologists have made advances in understanding ‘how habitats are important to animals’, and data from animal-borne global positioning system (GPS) units have the potential to help this clarification. Here, we propose a new conceptual framework to connect habitats with measures of animal performance itself—towards assessing habitat–performance relationship (HPR). Long-term studies will be needed to estimate consequences of habitat selection for animal performance. GPS data from wildlife can provide new approaches for studying useful correlates of performance that we review. Recent examples include merging traditional resource selection studies with information about resources used at different critical life-history events (e.g. nesting, calving, migration), uncovering habitats that facilitate movement or foraging and, ultimately, comparing resources used through different life-history strategies with those resulting in death. By integrating data from GPS receivers with other animal-borne technologies and combining those data with additional life-history information, we believe understanding the drivers of HPRs will inform animal ecology and improve conservation.

scholarly journals Variation in levels of luteinizing hormone and reproductive photoresponsiveness in a population of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus)

2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (6) ◽  
pp. R1543-R1548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Heideman ◽  
Julian T. Pittman ◽  
Kristin A. Schubert ◽  
Christen M. R. Dubois ◽  
Jennifer Bowles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Life History ◽  
Luteinizing Hormone ◽  
Artificial Selection ◽  
Wild Population ◽  
Peromyscus Leucopus ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Selection Line ◽  
In The Wild

Natural genetic variation in reproduction and life history strategies is a manifestation of variation in underlying regulatory neuronal and endocrine systems. A test of the hypothesis that genetic variation in luteinizing hormone (LH) level could be related to a life history trait, seasonal reproduction, was conducted on artificial selection lines from a wild-source population of white-footed mice ( Peromyscus leucopus ). Variation exists in the degree of suppression of reproduction by winter short-day photoperiods (SD) in wild-source individuals and in the laboratory population. In this population, most individuals from a photoperiod-responsive (R) artificial selection line are strongly suppressed reproductively in SD, while most individuals from a photoperiod-nonresponsive (NR) artificial selection line are only weakly reproductively suppressed in SD. We assayed levels of LH to test for genetic variation between lines that could contribute to variation in reproductive status in SD. Females from both lines were raised in long-day photoperiods (LD) or SD, ovariectomized under isoflurane anesthesia, and given estradiol implants. Levels of LH were significantly higher in the NR line than in the R line, indicating genetic variation for levels of LH. Levels of LH were higher in LD than in SD, indicating that levels of LH were sensitive to photoperiod treatment even with a controlled level of estradiol negative feedback. The results indicate that there is genetic variation in levels of LH that could be functionally important both in the laboratory in SD and in the wild population in winter. Thus genetic variation in levels of LH is a plausible causal factor determining winter reproductive phenotype in the wild population.

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