Controls on niche stability in geologic time: congruent responses to biotic and abiotic environmental changes among Cincinnatian (Late Ordovician) marine invertebrates

Paleobiology ◽  
10.1666/13035 ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah-Maria R. Brame ◽  
Alycia L. Stigall
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Relative Effect ◽  
Late Ordovician ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Niche Evolution ◽  
Temporal Intervals

The set of environmental conditions under which a taxon can survive and maintain viable populations, known as the ecological niche, is a fundamental determinant of a taxon's distribution. Because of the central importance of ecological niches, they have been assumed to remain relatively stable during intervals of morphological stasis. However, the assumption of niche stability has rarely been tested directly with fossil data spanning multiple temporal intervals. Thus, the conditions under which this assumption is likely to be accurate are not well understood. In this study, we use ecological niche modeling (ENM) to reconstruct the ecological niche for 11 genera of marine benthos (crinoids, trilobites, molluscs, bryozoans, and corals) from the Type Cincinnatian Series (Late Ordovician, Katian Stage) across nine temporal intervals spanning approximately three million years. This interval includes both abiotic environmental change (gradual sea-level fall) and biotic change (rapid pulses of the Richmondian Invasion), thus allowing the relative effect of different environmental perturbations to be constrained. A previous symmetrical analysis of niche stability of brachiopod species recovered an increase in niche evolution following the Richmondian Invasion. Herein we test the generality of the brachiopod pattern within the community. Niche stability was evaluated in geographic space, ecological space, and niche parameter space. Niche stability varied through time; during the Pre-Invasion interval, taxa exhibited niche stability during gradual shallowing of sea level in the basin, whereas niche evolution became more common during the Richmondian Invasion. Taxa adjusted to the increased competition by altering aspects of their niche. Notably, surviving taxa contracted their niche into a subset of their previous niche parameters. This represents an adaptive response to increased competition for resources with the newly established invader taxa, and it was employed most successfully by generalist taxa. Patterns of niche evolution were congruent between clades, among feeding styles, and across taxonomic levels.

scholarly journals An ecological niche shift for Neanderthal populations in Western Europe 70,000 years ago

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Banks ◽  
Marie-Hélène Moncel ◽  
Jean-Paul Raynal ◽  
Marlon E. Cobos ◽  
Daniel Romero-Alvarez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Niche Shift ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Middle Paleolithic ◽  
Niche Dynamics ◽  
Anatomically Modern Humans

AbstractMiddle Paleolithic Neanderthal populations occupied Eurasia for at least 250,000 years prior to the arrival of anatomically modern humans. While a considerable body of archaeological research has focused on Neanderthal material culture and subsistence strategies, little attention has been paid to the relationship between regionally specific cultural trajectories and their associated existing fundamental ecological niches, nor to how the latter varied across periods of climatic variability. We examine the Middle Paleolithic archaeological record of a naturally constrained region of Western Europe between 82,000 and 60,000 years ago using ecological niche modeling methods. Evaluations of ecological niche estimations, in both geographic and environmental dimensions, indicate that 70,000 years ago the range of suitable habitats exploited by these Neanderthal populations contracted and shifted. These ecological niche dynamics are the result of groups continuing to occupy habitual territories that were characterized by new environmental conditions during Marine Isotope Stage 4. The development of original cultural adaptations permitted this territorial stability.

Introduction

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Townsend Peterson ◽  
Jorge Soberón ◽  
Richard G. Pearson ◽  
Robert P. Anderson ◽  
Enrique Martínez-Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Species Distribution Modeling ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Distribution Modeling ◽  
Geographic Distributions ◽  
Complex Relationships

This book deals with ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling, two emerging fields that address the ecological, geographic, and evolutionary dimensions of geographic distributions of species. It provides a conceptual overview of the complex relationships between ecological niches and geographic distributions of species, both across space and (perhaps to a lesser degree) through time. The emphasis is on how that conceptual framework relates to ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling, which the book argues are complementary and are most broadly applicable to diverse questions regarding the ecology and geography of biodiversity phenomena. Part I of the book introduces the conceptual framework for thinking about and discussing the distributional ecology of species, Part II is concerned with the data and tools that have been used in the early development of the field, and Part III focuses on real-world situations to which these tools have been applied.

scholarly journals Can Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Bacteria Be Distinguished by Sensory Protein Abundance?

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhrajit Bhar ◽  
Tungadri Bose ◽  
Sharmila S. Mande
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Genome Size ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Component Systems ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACT Signal transduction systems are essential for microorganisms to respond to their ever-changing environment. They can be distinguished into one-component systems, two-component systems, and extracytoplasmic-function σ factors. Abundances of a few signal-transducing proteins, termed herein as sensory proteins (SPs), have previously been reported to be correlated with the genome size and ecological niche of certain Gram-positive bacteria. No such reports are available for Gram-negative bacteria. The current study attempts to investigate the relationship of the abundances of SPs to genome size in Escherichia coli, and the bacterial pathotypes or phylotypes. While the relationship between SP abundance and genome size could not be established, the sensory protein index (SPI), a new metric defined herein, was found to be correlated with E. coli virulence. In addition, significant association was observed among the distribution of SPs and E. coli pathotypes. Results indicate that such associations might be due to genomic rearrangements to best utilize the resources available in a given ecological niche. Overall, the study provides an in-depth analysis of the occurrence of different SPs among pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. coli strains. Possibilities of using the SPI as a marker for identifying pathogenic strains from among an organism complex are also discussed. IMPORTANCE Sensory proteins (SPs) act as sensors and actuators for a cell and participate in important mechanisms pertaining to bacterial survival, adaptation, and virulence. Therefore, bacterial species residing in similar ecological niches or those sharing common pathotypes are expected to exhibit similar SP signatures. We have investigated profiles of SPs in different species of Escherichia coli and present in this article the sensory protein index (SPI), a metric for quantifying the abundance and/or distribution of SPs across bacterial genomes, which could indicate the virulence potency of a bacterium. The SPI could find use in characterizing uncultured strains and bacterial complexes, as a biomarker for disease diagnostics, evaluating the effect of therapeutic interventions, assessing effects of ecological alterations, etc. Grouping the studied strains of E. coli on the basis of the frequency of occurrence of SPs in their genomes could potentially replicate the stratification of these strains on the basis of their phylotypes. In addition, E. coli strains belonging to the same pathotypes were also seen to share similar SP signatures. Furthermore, the SPI was seen to be an indicator of pathogenic potency of E. coli strains. The SPI metric is expected to be useful in the (pathogenic) characterization of hereto uncultured strains which are routinely sequenced in host microbiome analysis projects, or from among an ensemble of microbial organisms constituting a biospecimen. Thus, the possibilities of using the SPI as a biomarker for diagnosis of a disease or the outcome of a therapeutic intervention cannot be ruled out. Further, SPIs obtained from longitudinal ecological samples have the potential to serve as key indicators of environmental changes. Such changes in the environment are often detrimental to the resident biome and methods for timely detection of environmental changes hold huge socioeconomic benefits.

Ecological niche modeling of coastal dune plants and future potential distribution in response to climate change and sea level rise

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 2524-2535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Mendoza-González ◽  
M. Luisa Martínez ◽  
Octavio R. Rojas-Soto ◽  
Gabriela Vázquez ◽  
Juan B. Gallego-Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Potential Distribution ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Coastal Dune Plants ◽  
Future Potential ◽  
Dune Plants

Niches and Distributions in Practice: Overview

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Townsend Peterson ◽  
Jorge Soberón ◽  
Richard G. Pearson ◽  
Robert P. Anderson ◽  
Enrique Martínez-Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Species Distribution Modeling ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Environmental Predictors ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
Process Error ◽  
Error Check ◽  
Niche Models

This chapter considers the practice of modeling ecological niches and estimating geographic distributions. It first introduces the general principles and definitions underlying ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling, focusing on model calibration and evaluation, before discussing the principal steps to be followed in building niche models. The first task in building a niche model is to collate, process, error-check, and format the data that are necessary as input. Two types of data are required: primary occurrence data documenting known presences (and sometimes absences) of the species, and environmental predictors in the form of raster-format GIS layers summarizing scenopoetic variables that may (or may not) be involved in delineating the ecological requirements of the species. The next step is to use a modeling algorithm to characterize the species’ ecological niche as a function of the environmental variables, followed by model projection and evaluation and finally, model transferability.

Ecological Niche Modeling of the Main Forest-Forming Species in the Caucasus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Pshegusov ◽  
F. Tembotova ◽  
V. Chadaeva ◽  
Y. Sablirova ◽  
M. Mollaeva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Species Dispersal ◽  
The Caucasus ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Dispersal Capability ◽  
Birch Forests

Abstract Background: Ecological niche modeling of the main forest-forming species within the same geographic range contributes significantly to understanding the coexistence of species and the regularities of formation of their current spatial distribution. The main abiotic and biotic environmental variables, as well as species dispersal capability, affecting the spatial distribution of the main forest-forming species in the Caucasus, have not been sufficiently studied.Methods: We conducted studies within the physiographic boundaries of the Caucasus, including Russian Federation, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Our studies focused on ecological niche modeling of pure fir, spruce, pine, beech, hornbeam, and birch forests through species distribution modeling and the concept of the BAM (Biotic-Abiotic-Movement) diagram. We selected 648 geographic records of pure forests occurrence. ENVIREM and SoilGrids databases, statistical tools in R, Maxent were used to assess the influence of abiotic, biotic, and movement factors on the spatial distribution of the forest-forming species.Results: Geographic expression of fundamental ecological niches of the main forest-forming species depended mainly on topographic conditions and water regime. Competitor influence reduced the potential ranges of the studied species by 1.2–1.7 times to the geographic expression of their realized ecological niches. Movement factor significantly limited the areas suitable for pure forests (by 1.2–1.8 times compared with geographic expression of realized ecological niches), except for birch forests.Conclusion: Distribution maps, modeled by abiotic, biotic variables and movement factor, were the closest to the real distribution of the forest-forming species in the Caucasus. Biotic and movement factors should be considered in modeling studies of forest ecosystems if models are to have biological meaning and reality.

Conclusions

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Townsend Peterson ◽  
Jorge Soberón ◽  
Richard G. Pearson ◽  
Robert P. Anderson ◽  
Enrique Martínez-Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Theory ◽  
Population Biology ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ecological Niche Modeling ◽  
Species Distributions ◽  
Niche Modeling ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Niche Conservatism ◽  
Comprehensive Framework ◽  
Future Work

This book has described a comprehensive framework for thinking about the geography and ecology of species distributions, arguing that such a framework is critical to further progress in the field of ecological niches and distributions. To develop this framework, traditional concepts in ecology have been radically reworked. In this conclusion, some of the challenges for future work regarding ecological niche modeling are discussed, such as fully integrating the BAM diagram with central concepts of population biology and statistical theory; clarifying the notion of niche conservatism versus niche evolution as regards scenopoetic versus bionomic environmental dimensions; and improving the link between correlational and mechanistic approaches to estimating and understanding ecological niches. The book argues that careful conceptual thinking must be combined with detailed empirical exploration in order to address each of these challenges.

scholarly journals Late Ordovician environmental changes in Carnic Alps and central Nevada : a comparative study

2003 ◽  
Vol 174 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
William B.N. Berry
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Quartz Sand ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Late Ordovician ◽  
Carnic Alps ◽  
Shelf Slope ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Later Phase

Abstract Correlation of the late Ordovician stratigraphic and faunal successions in the Carnic Alps, which lay in a mid-latitude site at the time, with those in Nevada, which was in the tropics at the time, reveal certain similarities. During much of the late Ordovician glacial interval, deep shelves in both areas were sites of carbonate debris flow accumulations. The debris was derived from inner or shallow shelf environments. Karst topographies developed in inner or shallow shelves in both areas during the later phase of glaciation and sea level drawdown. A quartz sand spread widely at the end of the glacial interval on deep shelf-slope environments in both areas. Perhaps coincidently, shelves in both areas were uplifted and exposed by tectonism after the late Ordovician glacial episode.

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