scholarly journals Ecophysiology of Amphibians: Information for Best Mechanistic Models

Diversity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Bovo ◽  
Carlos Navas ◽  
Miguel Tejedo ◽  
Saulo Valença ◽  
Sidney Gouveia
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Mechanistic Modeling ◽  
Mechanistic Models ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Biphasic Life Cycle ◽  
History Of

Several amphibian lineages epitomize the faunal biodiversity crises, with numerous reports of population declines and extinctions worldwide. Predicting how such lineages will cope with environmental changes is an urgent challenge for biologists. A promising framework for this involves mechanistic modeling, which integrates organismal ecophysiological features and ecological models as a means to establish causal and consequential relationships of species with their physical environment. Solid frameworks built for other tetrapods (e.g., lizards) have proved successful in this context, but its extension to amphibians requires care. First, the natural history of amphibians is distinct within tetrapods, for it includes a biphasic life cycle that undergoes major habitat transitions and changes in sensitivity to environmental factors. Second, the accumulated data on amphibian ecophysiology is not nearly as expressive, is heavily biased towards adult lifeforms of few non-tropical lineages, and overlook the importance of hydrothermal relationships. Thus, we argue that critical usage and improvement in the available data is essential for enhancing the power of mechanistic modeling from the physiological ecology of amphibians. We highlight the complexity of ecophysiological variables and the need for understanding the natural history of the group under study and indicate directions deemed crucial to attaining steady progress in this field.

scholarly journals Natural history of Ctenus medius Keyserling, 1891 (Araneae, Ctenidae) I: observations on habitats and the development of chromatic patterns

2000 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. ALMEIDA ◽  
E. F. RAMOS ◽  
E. GOUVÊA ◽  
M. do CARMO-SILVA ◽  
J. COSTA
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Natural History ◽  
National Park ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Mata Atlântica ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
History Of ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Phoneutria Nigriventer

Ctenus medius Keyserling, 1891 is a common species in several spots of Mata Atlântica, however there is a great lack of studies in all aspects of its natural history. This work aims to elucidate aspects of ecotope preference compared to large spiders, and to provide data on the development of chromatic patterns during its life cycle. The observations on the behavior of C. medius were done in the campus of Centro Universitário de Barra Mansa (UBM) by means of observations and nocturnal collections using cap lamps. For observations on the development of chromatic patterns, spiderlings raised in laboratory, hatched from an oviposition of a female from campus of UBM, and others spiderlings collected in field were used. The field observations indicate that: C. medius seems to prefer ecotopes characterized by dense shrub vegetation or herbal undergrowth; Lycosa erythrognatha and L. nordeskioldii seems to prefer open sites; Phoneutria nigriventer seems to prefer shrub vegetation and anthropogenic ecotopes as rubbish hills; Ancylometes sp. seems to prefer ecotopes near streams. Concerning chromatic patterns, it was observed that males and females show well distinct patterns during the last two instars, allowing distinction by sex without the use of a microscope. Through chromatic patterns it was also possible to draw a distinction between C. medius and C. ornatus longer that 3 mm cephalothorax width. 69 specimens of C. medius (males and females) collected in the campus of UBM did not show a striking polymorphism in chromatic pattern, but one among 7 adult females collected in National Park of Itatiaia, showed a distinct chromatic pattern.

scholarly journals On the Life Cycle and Natural History of Hymenitis Nero (Lepidoptera: Ithomiinae) in Costa Rica

1972 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 284-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen M. Young
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Population Biology ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Broad Distribution ◽  
Tropical Plant ◽  
History Of ◽  
Local Patterns ◽  
Tropical Plant Communities

A knowledge of life cycle and natural history are often important prerequisites to studies of population biology in butterflies. Although studies on the systematics and broad distribution patterns of that familiar New World Tropical group, the Ithomiinae, have been conducted (Seitz, 194; Fox, 1956; Fox, 1968), a lot remains to be known about the biology of many species in Central America. This is surprising in light of the considerable interest in these butterflies as members of mimicry complexes. In this spirit, this paper summarizes life cycle and natural history data on a clear wing ithoreiine Hymenitis nero (Hewitson) (Nymphalidae: Ithomiinae) in Costa Rica. Similar studies of several other sympatric ithomiines have either been completed (Young, in prep.) or begun, as a preliminary step towards understanding the local patterns of diversity of this family in selected tropical plant communities.

scholarly journals Notes on the Life Cycle and Natural History of Dismorphia Virgo (Lepidoptera Pieridae: Dismorphiinae) in Costa Rica

1972 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen M. Young
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Central American ◽  
South American ◽  
Species Status ◽  
New Information ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Common

This paper summarizes the life cycle and some aspects of natural history of the tropical pierid, Dismorphia virgo (Dismorphiinae) in Costa Rica. The precise taxonomic status of the butterfly in Central America has not been established, and it may represent a variable northern isolate of the common South American D. critomedia. Therefore, independent of whether the Central American form discussed in this paper has achieved full species status as the more northern virgo or is a subspecies or variety of critomedia evolving towards species status, this paper provides new information on the biology of the butterfly in Costa Rica. The establishment of precise taxonomic position awaits further study, and for the present purpose, I refer to the butterfly as D. virgo.

scholarly journals Rapid phenotypic evolution following shifts in life cycle complexity

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1871) ◽  
pp. 20172304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald M. Bonett ◽  
John G. Phillips ◽  
Nicholus M. Ledbetter ◽  
Samuel D. Martin ◽  
Luke Lehman
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Vertebral Column ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Phenotypic Evolution ◽  
Trait Evolution ◽  
Life Cycle Stages ◽  
Biphasic Life Cycle ◽  
History Of ◽  
Life Cycle Evolution

Life cycle strategies have evolved extensively throughout the history of metazoans. The expression of disparate life stages within a single ontogeny can present conflicts to trait evolution, and therefore may have played a major role in shaping metazoan forms. However, few studies have examined the consequences of adding or subtracting life stages on patterns of trait evolution. By analysing trait evolution in a clade of closely related salamander lineages we show that shifts in the number of life cycle stages are associated with rapid phenotypic evolution. Specifically, salamanders with an aquatic-only (paedomorphic) life cycle have frequently added vertebrae to their trunk skeleton compared with closely related lineages with a complex aquatic-to-terrestrial (biphasic) life cycle. The rate of vertebral column evolution is also substantially lower in biphasic lineages, which may reflect the functional compromise of a complex cycle. This study demonstrates that the consequences of life cycle evolution can be detected at very fine scales of divergence. Rapid evolutionary responses can result from shifts in selective regimes following changes in life cycle complexity.

The diversity and natural history of parasites

2021 ◽  
pp. 19-50
Author(s):  
Paul Schmid-Hempel
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Growth Phases ◽  
New Host ◽  
Complex Life Cycles ◽  
Parasitic Species ◽  
Parasitic Lifestyle ◽  
History Of

Parasites are more numerous than non-parasitic species and have evolved in virtually all groups of organisms, such as viruses, prokaryotes (bacteria), protozoa, fungi, nematodes, flatworms, acantocephalans, annelids, crustaceans, and arthropods (crustacea, mites, ticks, insects). These groups have adapted to the parasitic lifestyle in very many ways. Evolution towards parasitism has also followed different routes. Initial steps such as phoresy, followed by later consumption of the transport host, are plausible evolutionary routes. Alternatively, formerly free-living forms have become commensals before evolving parasitism. Complex life cycles with several hosts evolved by scenarios such as upward (adding a new host upwards in the food chain), downward, or lateral incorporation, driven by the advantage of extending growth phases within hosts and increasing fecundity. Examples are digenea; other parasites have added vectors to their life cycle.

Immature stages and natural history of the butterfly Actinote brylla Oberthür (Heliconiinae: Acraeini)

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-43
Author(s):  
RONALDO BASTOS FRANCINI ◽  
EDNALDO FERREIRA SILVA-FILHO
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Oviposition Behavior ◽  
The State ◽  
Immature Stages ◽  
Yellowish Green ◽  
Larval Host ◽  
History Of

The butterfly Actinote brylla was described by Oberthür in 1917; since then, no work describing the life cycle of the species has been officially published. This paper aimed to describe the life cycle of A. brylla. The early stages, larval host plant and oviposition behavior were described after the creation of individuals collected in the region of “Baixada Santista”, the coast of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Actinote brylla uses Mikania lundiana as a host plant, with eggs being placed on the abaxial face of the leaf and ranging from 12 to 836 eggs in a cluster. Egg is barrel shaped with 18 to 22 longitudinal grooves and weakly marked horizontal ridges. Soon after laying, eggs are light white-yellowish gradually changing to red during the first 72 hours, ovules non-fecundated remains yellow. The caterpillars go through seven instars until pupation, the larvae are gregarious until the penultimate instar. The pupa is yellowish green in the early hours, after hardening, the coloring is cream with dark brown markings on wing cases and abdomen. The duration of all life cycle (egg to adult) ranged from 93 to 123 days. Key words: Mikania lundiana, superoviposition, egg cluster, Chaetotaxy

The waxworks by Angelo Maestri (1806–1889) preserved in the Museum of Natural History of the University of Pavia, Italy

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clementina Rovati ◽  
Fausto Barbagli ◽  
Carlo Violani
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Blood Circulation ◽  
Trichinella Spiralis ◽  
Italian Physician ◽  
Scientific Institutions ◽  
History Of ◽  
History Of The University ◽  
The University ◽  
Wax Models

A description is given of the waxworks made by the Italian physician Angelo Maestri (1806–1889), preparator, taxidermist and model-maker at the Museum of Natural History of Pavia University where the majority of his wax models are held today. Maestri's main works deal with the anatomy, physiology and pathology of the silkworm, the morphology of mushrooms and the poison fangs of snakes. He also made models of the life cycle of the nematode Trichinella spiralis and of the blood circulation in some vertebrates. Several preparations in wax by Maestri are held in other scientific institutions in Italy.

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