Intra‐ and interspecific variation in trophic ecology of ‘predatory’ ants in the subfamily Ponerinae

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 444-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscila E. Hanisch ◽  
Kim Drager ◽  
Wendy H. Yang ◽  
Pablo L. Tubaro ◽  
Andrew V. Suarez
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Predatory Ants

scholarly journals Trophic ecology of two piranha species, Pygocentrus nattereri and Serrasalmus marginatus (Characiformes, Characidae), in the floodplain of the Negro River, Pantanal

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiane Silva Ferreira ◽  
Wagner Vicentin ◽  
Fábio Edir dos Santos Costa ◽  
Yzel Rondon Súarez
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Niche Breadth ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Ontogenetic Changes ◽  
Flood Season ◽  
Negro River ◽  
Main River ◽  
Main River Channel

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate influence of hydrological variation, ontogeny and interspecific variation in the feeding activity and diet composition for P. nattereri and S. marginatus in floodplain of Negro River, South Pantanal. METHODS: The samples were taken with the use of gillnets and cast nets of different sizes, from October/2005 to August/2008. RESULTS: We sampled 748 specimens, 442 of P. nattereri and 306 of S. marginatus. We identified 31 items in the dry and 14 in the flood season for P. nattereri, and 29 items in the dry and eight in the flood season for S. marginatus. For both species, fish was the predominant food item in both seasons. The PERMANOVA results showed that the diet varied significantly between the two species (p<0.001), during ontogenetic development (p<0.001) and seasonally (p=0.024). The ancova results suggests that the intensity of food intake was higher in the dry season (p<0.001) for both species. The niche breadth varied only between studied species with S. marginatus presenting higher niche breadth than P. nattereri. CONCLUSION: Piranhas feed more during dry season, probably because in this period food is more varied and abundant, due to the concentration of fish in the main river channel. There were ontogenetic changes in the diet, with no feeding overlap between the two species, probably because of differences in preference for some items and differences in feeding behavior displayed during hunting attacks.

The Effects of the sphragis on male and female genitalia in Acraea (Nymphalidae) butterflies

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon L Summers ◽  
Akito Y Kawahara ◽  
Ana P. S. Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Sperm Storage ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Storage Organ ◽  
Mating Plug ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Comparison And Analysis ◽  
Imagej Software ◽  
Sexually Antagonistic Coevolution

Male mating plugs have been used in many species to prevent female re-mating and sperm competition. One of the most extreme examples of a mating plug is the sphragis, which is a large, complex and externalized plug found only in butterflies. This structure is found in many species in the genus Acraea (Nymphalidae) and provides an opportunity for investigation of the effects of the sphragis on the morphology of the genitalia, which is poorly understood. This study aims to understand morphological interspecific variation in the genitalia of Acraea butterflies. Using specimens from museum collections, abdomen dissections were conducted on 19 species of Acraea: 9 sphragis bearing and 10 non-sphragis bearing species. Genitalia imaging was performed for easier comparison and analysis and measurements of genitalia structures was done using ImageJ software. Some distinguishing morphological features in the females were found. The most obvious difference is the larger and more externalized copulatory opening in sphragis bearing species, with varying degrees of external projections. Females of the sphragis bearing species also tend to have a shorter ductus (the structure that connects the copulatory opening with the sperm storage organ) than those without the sphragis. These differences may be due to a sexually antagonistic coevolution between the males and females, where the females evolve larger and more difficult to plug copulatory openings and the males attempt to prevent re-mating with the sphragis.

Neonatal nutritional strategy of a viviparous elasmobranch with extremely low reproductive output

2020 ◽  
Vol 638 ◽  
pp. 107-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
BS Rangel ◽  
NE Hussey ◽  
Y Niella ◽  
LA Martinelli ◽  
AD Gomes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Essential Fatty Acids ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Maternal Investment ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Nutritional State ◽  
Disc Width ◽  
Biomarker Analysis

Throughout evolutionary history, elasmobranchs have developed diverse reproductive strategies. Little focused work, however, has addressed how neonatal nutritional state is affected by differing degrees of maternal investment associated with these markedly different reproductive strategies. To investigate the effect of maternal investment on the nutritional quality of pups during the early life history of an extremely viviparous elasmobranch, quantitative biomarker analysis including lipids, fatty acids and stable isotopes was conducted. Using the cownose ray Rhinoptera bonasus (histotrophic viviparous) as a model, we found that pups were initially born in a positive nutritional state, enriched in physiologically important essential fatty acids and nitrogen and carbon stable isotope values (δ15N and δ13C), a result of maternal intrauterine transfer. A systematic decrease in some fatty acids and δ15N values, as well as a decrease in cholesterol with growth, confirmed that these substrates were derived from maternal resources and used in initial metabolic processes following birth. An observed increase in condition factor, plasma essential fatty acids and triglyceride:cholesterol ratio with increasing body size identified a progression towards successful independent foraging with pups not displaying marked nutritional deficiency or fasting phases. Our multi-tracer approach allowed the identification of 2 size classes of young rays (<50 and <70 cm disc width) that displayed distinct physiological states. Since prenatal maternal investment is critical for offspring condition and to promote successful foraging post birth, understanding the trophic ecology and physiological state of pups during their first year is critical to guide management and conservation within nursery grounds.

Interspecific variation of zona pellucida glycoconjugates in several species of marsupial

Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 111-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Chapman ◽  
OW Wiebkin ◽  
WG Breed
Keyword(s):  
Glycine Max ◽  
Sialic Acid ◽  
Zona Pellucida ◽  
Fluorescein Isothiocyanate ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Lectin Histochemistry ◽  
Sialic Acids ◽  
Arachis Hypogea ◽  
Marsupial Species ◽  
Similar Intensity

The zona pellucida glycoconjugate content of several marsupial species was investigated using differential lectin histochemistry. Ovaries from fat-tailed dunnarts, a southern brown bandicoot, grey short-tailed opossums, brushtail possums, ringtail possums, koalas and eastern grey kangaroos were fixed, embedded in paraffin wax, sectioned and stained with ten fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated lectins. Sections were also incubated with either neuraminidase or saponified, respectively, before incubation with the lectins to identify saccharide residues masked by sialic acids or O-acetyl groups on sialic acids. The zonae pellucidae surrounding the oocytes of the marsupials demonstrated interspecific variation in glycoconjugate content, with mannose-containing glycoconjugates exhibiting the greatest variation. Some of the zona pellucida glycoconjugates of all species, except those of the opossums, were masked by sialic acid with an increase in fluorescence with lectins from Arachis hypogea (PNA), and Glycine max (SBA), after desialylation. The disaccharide beta-galactose(1-4)N-acetyl-D-glucosamine appeared to be conformationally masked by O-acetyl groups of sialic acids in the zonae pellucidae of all species, with an increase in fluorescence with the lectin from Erythrina cristagalli (ECA), after saponification. Similar intensity and localization of beta-(1-4)-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, as shown by staining of the lectin from Triticum vulgaris (WGA), to the inner and outer regions of the zona pellucida, were found to those reported in eutherian species. WGA fluorescence became uniform throughout the zonae pellucidae after saponification, indicating differential O-acetylation of sialic acids on the internal compartment of the zonae pellucidae.

TROPHIC ECOLOGY AND BIOEROSION OF MOLLUSCAN FAUNAS FROM THE LOWER WACCAMAW FORMATION AT PRINCE'S QUARRY IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura C. Streib ◽  
◽  
Christy C. Visaggi ◽  
Morgan E. Oldham ◽  
Austin B. Rickles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Trophic Ecology

scholarly journals Neural correlates of mating system diversity: oxytocin and vasopressin receptor distributions in monogamous and non-monogamous Eulemur

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas M. Grebe ◽  
Annika Sharma ◽  
Sara M. Freeman ◽  
Michelle C. Palumbo ◽  
Heather B. Patisaul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Primate Research ◽  
Pair Bonding ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Neuropeptide Receptors ◽  
Monogamous Species ◽  
Vasopressin 1A Receptor ◽  
Rare Opportunity

AbstractContemporary theory that emphasizes the roles of oxytocin and vasopressin in mammalian sociality has been shaped by seminal vole research that revealed interspecific variation in neuroendocrine circuitry by mating system. However, substantial challenges exist in interpreting and translating these rodent findings to other mammalian groups, including humans, making research on nonhuman primates crucial. Both monogamous and non-monogamous species exist within Eulemur, a genus of strepsirrhine primate, offering a rare opportunity to broaden a comparative perspective on oxytocin and vasopressin neurocircuitry with increased evolutionary relevance to humans. We performed oxytocin and arginine vasopressin 1a receptor autoradiography on 12 Eulemur brains from seven closely related species to (1) characterize receptor distributions across the genus, and (2) examine differences between monogamous and non-monogamous species in regions part of putative “pair-bonding circuits”. We find some binding patterns across Eulemur reminiscent of olfactory-guided rodents, but others congruent with more visually oriented anthropoids, consistent with lemurs occupying an ‘intermediary’ evolutionary niche between haplorhine primates and other mammalian groups. We find little evidence of a “pair-bonding circuit” in Eulemur akin to those proposed in previous rodent or primate research. Mapping neuropeptide receptors in these nontraditional species questions existing assumptions and informs proposed evolutionary explanations about the biological bases of monogamy.

scholarly journals Integrating multiple chemical tracers to elucidate the diet and habitat of Cookiecutter Sharks

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron B. Carlisle ◽  
Elizabeth Andruszkiewicz Allan ◽  
Sora L. Kim ◽  
Lauren Meyer ◽  
Jesse Port ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Foraging Ecology ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Environmental Dna ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Apex Predators ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Chemical Tracers ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Tracer Techniques

AbstractThe Cookiecutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis) is an ectoparasitic, mesopelagic shark that is known for removing plugs of tissue from larger prey, including teleosts, chondrichthyans, cephalopods, and marine mammals. Although this species is widely distributed throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical oceanic waters, like many deep-water species, it remains very poorly understood due to its mesopelagic distribution. We used a suite of biochemical tracers, including stable isotope analysis (SIA), fatty acid analysis (FAA), and environmental DNA (eDNA), to investigate the trophic ecology of this species in the Central Pacific around Hawaii. We found that large epipelagic prey constituted a relatively minor part of the overall diet. Surprisingly, small micronektonic and forage species (meso- and epipelagic) are the most important prey group for Cookiecutter sharks across the studied size range (17–43 cm total length), with larger mesopelagic species or species that exhibit diel vertical migration also being important prey. These results were consistent across all the tracer techniques employed. Our results indicate that Cookiecutter sharks play a unique role in pelagic food webs, feeding on prey ranging from the largest apex predators to small, low trophic level species, in particular those that overlap with the depth distribution of the sharks throughout the diel cycle. We also found evidence of a potential shift in diet and/or habitat with size and season. Environmental DNA metabarcoding revealed new prey items for Cookiecutter sharks while also demonstrating that eDNA can be used to identify recent prey in stomachs frozen for extended periods. Integrating across chemical tracers is a powerful tool for investigating the ecology of elusive and difficult to study species, such as meso- and bathypelagic chondrichthyans, and can increase the amount of information gained from small sample sizes. Better resolving the foraging ecology of these mesopelagic predators is critical for effective conservation and management of these taxa and ecosystems, which are intrinsically vulnerable to overfishing and exploitation.

scholarly journals No sex differences in learning in wild bumblebees

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicity Muth ◽  
Amber D Tripodi ◽  
Rene Bonilla ◽  
James P Strange ◽  
Anne S Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Associative Learning ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Comparative Cognition ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Learning Performance ◽  
Males And Females

Abstract Females and males often face different sources of selection, resulting in dimorphism in morphological, physiological, and even cognitive traits. Sex differences are often studied in respect to spatial cognition, yet the different ecological roles of males and females might shape cognition in multiple ways. For example, in dietary generalist bumblebees (Bombus), the ability to learn associations is critical to female workers, who face informationally rich foraging scenarios as they collect nectar and pollen from thousands of flowers over a period of weeks to months to feed the colony. While male bumblebees likely need to learn associations as well, they only forage for themselves while searching for potential mates. It is thus less clear whether foraging males would benefit from the same associative learning performance as foraging females. In this system, as in others, cognitive performance is typically studied in lab-reared animals under captive conditions, which may not be representative of patterns in the wild. In the first test of sex and species differences in cognition using wild bumblebees, we compared the performance of Bombus vancouverensis nearcticus (formerly bifarius) and Bombus vosnesenskii of both sexes on an associative learning task at Sierra Nevada (CA) field sites. Across both species, we found that males and females did not differ in their ability to learn, although males were slower to respond to the sucrose reward. These results offer the first evidence from natural populations that male bumblebees may be equally as able to learn associations as females, supporting findings from captive colonies of commercial bees. The observed interspecific variation in learning ability opens the door to using the Bombus system to test hypotheses about comparative cognition.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document