Dietary niche separation of rodents and shrews in an African savanna

Biotropica ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ngawo Namukonde ◽  
Chuma Simukonda ◽  
Jörg U. Ganzhorn
Keyword(s):  
Niche Separation ◽  
African Savanna ◽  
Dietary Niche

scholarly journals Evidence for Dietary Niche Separation Based on Infraorbital Foramen Size Variation among Subfossil Lemurs

2010 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 330-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena N. Muchlinski ◽  
Laurie R. Godfrey ◽  
Kathleen M. Muldoon ◽  
Lydia Tongasoa
Keyword(s):  
Size Variation ◽  
Niche Separation ◽  
Infraorbital Foramen ◽  
Dietary Niche

Review of Data on Diets of Beaked Whales: Evidence of Niche Separation and Geographic Segregation

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 651-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.D. MacLeod ◽  
M.B. Santos ◽  
G.J. Pierce
Keyword(s):  
Prey Species ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Niche Separation ◽  
Beaked Whale ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dietary Niche ◽  
Beaked Whales ◽  
Fish Remains

This study reviewed published data on dietary preferences of beaked whales (Ziphiidae) from stomach contents analysis. Detailed data were only available for three of the six beaked whale genera (Hyperoodon, Mesoplodon and Ziphius). Stomach samples of these three beaked whale genera primarily contained cephalopod and fish remains, although some also contained crustaceans. Mesoplodon spp. were found to contain the most fish, with some species containing nothing but fish remains, while the southern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon planifrons) and Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) rarely, if ever, contained fish. Of cephalopods identified, Histioteuthid, Gonatid, Cranchiid and Onychoteuthid species usually contributed most to prey numbers and biomass for all beaked whale genera. There was a wide range of species and families of cephalopods recorded from stomach contents, with no obvious preference for bioluminescent prey species, vertical migrating prey species or prey species with specific body compositions. Whales of the genus Mesoplodon generally contained smaller prey, such as cephalopods under 500 g in weight, compared with other beaked whales. Hyperoodon and Ziphius frequently contained much larger cephalopods with many important prey species having a mean weight of over 1000 g. This suggests that Mesoplodon occupies a separate dietary niche from Hyperoodon and Ziphius, which may be an example of niche segregation. In contrast, Hyperoodon and Ziphius appear to occupy very similar dietary niches but have geographically segregated distributions, with Hyperoodon occupying cold-temperate to polar waters and Ziphius occupying warm-temperate to tropical waters.

scholarly journals The Influence of Seasonal Availability of Young Leaves on Dietary Niche Separation in Two Ecologically Similar Folivorous Lemurs

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Marco Campera ◽  
Michela Balestri ◽  
Fiona Besnard ◽  
Megan Phelps ◽  
Faniry Rakotoarimanana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Availability ◽  
Niche Separation ◽  
Feeding Time ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Lowland Rain Forest ◽  
Phenological Data ◽  
Dietary Shift ◽  
Young Leaves ◽  
Dietary Niche ◽  
The Rich

Traditional socio-ecological models consider that folivorous primates experience limited feeding competition due to the low quality, high abundance, and even distribution of leaves. Evidence from several folivorous species that experience similar constraints to frugivores does not support this hypothesis. The sympatric lemur genera <i>Avahi</i> (Indriidae) and <i>Lepilemur</i> (Lepilemuridae) are good models to understand how food availability constrains folivores since they are both nocturnal, folivorous, and have a comparable body mass. Here we investigate how two nocturnal folivorous primates, <i>Avahi meridionalis</i> and <i>Lepilemur fleuretae</i>, living in the lowland rain forest of Tsitongambarika, South-East Madagascar, partition their dietary niche and are influenced by seasonality of young leaves. To account for food availability, we collected annual phenological data on 769 trees from 200 species. We also collected behavioural data on 5 individuals per lemur species from August 2015 to July 2016 via continuous focal sampling. We found the phenological profile to be seasonal with peaks of leaf flushing, flowering, and fruiting occurring in the austral summer. The two species showed limited dietary overlap (37% rich period, 6% lean period), and <i>A. meridionalis</i> showed higher feeding time and longer daily distances travelled during the rich period. <i>Lepilemur fleuretae</i> showed a dietary shift during the lean period, relying more on mature leaves (73.3% during the lean period, 13.5% during the rich period) but maintaining similar activity levels between seasons. The time spent feeding on food items by <i>A. meridionalis</i> was positively correlated with the nitrogen content and negatively correlated with polyphenols during the rich period. We highlighted a clear effect of the seasonality of young leaves on the diet, nutritional content, activity patterns, and daily distances travelled by two folivorous species, which can be linked to nutrient balancing and time-minimising versus energy-maximising strategies.

Niche Separation in a Pair of Homosequential Drosophila Species from the Island of Hawaii

1973 ◽  
Vol 107 (958) ◽  
pp. 766-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Y. Kaneshiro ◽  
H. L. Carson ◽  
F. E. Clayton ◽  
W. B. Heed
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Species ◽  
Niche Separation

scholarly journals Have Niche, Will Travel. New Means of Linking Diet and Ecomorphology Reveals Niche Conservatism in Freshwater Cottoid Fishes

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T J Buser ◽  
D L Finnegan ◽  
A P Summers ◽  
M A Kolmann
Keyword(s):  
Niche Conservatism ◽  
Freshwater Species ◽  
Evolutionary Transitions ◽  
Adaptive Diversification ◽  
Functional Aspects ◽  
Ecological Evolution ◽  
Jaw Apparatus ◽  
Cottoid Fishes ◽  
Freshwater Habitats ◽  
Dietary Niche

Synopsis Evolutionary transitions between habitats have been catalysts for some of the most stunning examples of adaptive diversification, with novel niches and new resources providing ecological opportunity for such radiations. In aquatic animals, transitions from saltwater to freshwater habitats are rare, but occur often enough that in the Neotropics for example, marine-derived fishes contribute noticeably to regional ichthyofaunal diversity. Here, we investigate how morphology has evolved in a group of temperate fishes that contain a marine to freshwater transition: the sculpins (Percomorpha; Cottoidea). We devised a novel method for classifying dietary niche and relating functional aspects of prey to their predators. Coupled with functional measurements of the jaw apparatus in cottoids, we explored whether freshwater sculpins have fundamentally changed their niche after invading freshwater (niche lability) or if they retain a niche similar to their marine cousins (niche conservatism). Freshwater sculpins exhibit both phylogeographical and ecological signals of phylogenetic niche conservatism, meaning that regardless of habitat, sculpins fill similar niche roles in either saltwater or freshwater. Rather than competition guiding niche conservatism in freshwater cottoids, we argue that strong intrinsic constraints on morphological and ecological evolution are at play, contra to other studies of diversification in marine-derived freshwater fishes. However, several intertidal and subtidal sculpins as well as several pelagic freshwater species from Lake Baikal show remarkable departures from the typical sculpin bauplan. Our method of prey categorization provides an explicit, quantitative means of classifying dietary niche for macroevolutionary studies, rather than relying on somewhat arbitrary means used in previous literature.

scholarly journals Marine ammonia-oxidising archaea and bacteria occupy distinct iron and copper niches

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxana T. Shafiee ◽  
Poppy J. Diver ◽  
Joseph T. Snow ◽  
Qiong Zhang ◽  
Rosalind E. M. Rickaby
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Genomics ◽  
Trace Metals ◽  
Trace Metal ◽  
Ammonia Oxidation ◽  
Testable Hypothesis ◽  
Niche Separation ◽  
Toxicity Threshold ◽  
Geologic Time ◽  
Additional Explanation ◽  
Ammonia Oxidising Archaea

AbstractAmmonia oxidation by archaea and bacteria (AOA and AOB), is the first step of nitrification in the oceans. As AOA have an ammonium affinity 200-fold higher than AOB isolates, the chemical niche allowing AOB to persist in the oligotrophic ocean remains unclear. Here we show that marine isolates, Nitrosopumilus maritimus strain SCM1 (AOA) and Nitrosococcus oceani strain C-107 (AOB) have contrasting physiologies in response to the trace metals iron (Fe) and copper (Cu), holding potential implications for their niche separation in the oceans. A greater affinity for unchelated Fe may allow AOB to inhabit shallower, euphotic waters where ammonium supply is high, but competition for Fe is rife. In contrast to AOB, AOA isolates have a greater affinity and toxicity threshold for unchelated Cu providing additional explanation to the greater success of AOA in the marine environment where Cu availability can be highly variable. Using comparative genomics, we predict that the proteomic and metal transport basis giving rise to contrasting physiologies in isolates is widespread across phylogenetically diverse marine AOA and AOB that are not yet available in pure culture. Our results develop the testable hypothesis that ammonia oxidation may be limited by Cu in large tracts of the open ocean and suggest a relatively earlier emergence of AOB than AOA when considered in the context of evolving trace metal availabilities over geologic time.

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