scholarly journals Parthenogenetic Females of the Stick Insect Clitarchus hookeri Maintain Sexual Traits

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Nakano ◽  
Mary Morgan-Richards ◽  
A. Jonathan R. Godfrey ◽  
Andrea Clavijo McCormick
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Traits ◽  
Sex Roles ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Stick Insect ◽  
Sexually Active ◽  
Chemical Signaling ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Sexual Traits ◽  
Chemical Traits

The New Zealand stick insect Clitarchus hookeri has both sexual and parthenogenetic (all-female) populations. Sexual populations exhibit a scramble competition mating system with distinctive sex roles, where females are signalers and males are searchers, which may lead to differences in the chemical and morphological traits between sexes. Evidence from a range of insect species has shown a decay of sexual traits is common in parthenogenetic lineages, especially those traits related to mate attraction and location, presumably due to their high cost. However, in some cases, sexual traits remain functional, either due to the recent evolution of the parthenogenetic lineage, low cost of maintenance, or because there might be an advantage in maintaining them. We measured morphological and chemical traits of C. hookeri to identify differences between males and females and between females from sexual and parthenogenetic populations. We also tested the ability of males to discriminate between sexual and parthenogenetic females in a laboratory bioassay. Our results show that male C. hookeri has morphological traits that facilitate mobility (smaller body with disproportionately longer legs) and mate detection (disproportionately longer antennae), and adult females release significantly higher amounts of volatile organic compounds than males when this species is sexually active, in accordance with their distinctive sex roles. Although some differences were detected between sexual and parthenogenetic females, the latter appear to maintain copulatory behaviors and chemical signaling. Males were unable to distinguish between sexual and parthenogenetic females, suggesting that there has been little decay in the sexual traits in the parthenogenetic lineage of C. hookeri.

Fluctuating asymmetry in certain morphological traits in laboratory populations of Drosophila ananassae

Genome ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 777-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Vishalakshi ◽  
B N Singh
Keyword(s):  
Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽  
Morphological Traits ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Developmental Instability ◽  
Drosophila Ananassae ◽  
Developmental Stress ◽  
Phenotypic Quality ◽  
Laboratory Populations ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Sexual Traits

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA, subtle random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry) is often used as a measure of developmental instability (DI), which results from perturbations in developmental pathways caused by genetic or environmental stressors. During the present study, we estimated FA in 5 morphological traits, viz. wing length (WL), wing to thorax ratio (W:T), sternopleural bristle number (SBN), sex-comb tooth number (SCTN), and ovariole number (ON) in 18 laboratory populations of Drosophila ananassae. FA levels of measured traits differed significantly among populations except for SBN (in males and females) and W:T ratio (in females). Positional fluctuating asymmetry (PFA), a sensitive measure of DI, also varied significantly among the populations for SBN in females and SCTN in males. Interestingly, both males and females were similar for nonsexual traits. However, when FA across all traits (sexual and nonsexual) was combined into a single composite index (CFA), significant differences were found for both populations and sexes. Males showed higher CFA values than females, suggesting that males are more prone to developmental perturbations. The magnitude of FA differed significantly among traits, being lowest for nonsexual traits (SBN, WL, W:T ratio) and highest for sexual traits (SCTN and ON). The trait size of sexual traits (SCTN and ON) was positively correlated with their asymmetry. The possible reasons for variation in FA both among traits and among populations, and the usefulness of FA as an indicator of developmental stress and phenotypic quality in D. ananassae are discussed.Key words: fluctuating asymmetry, developmental instability, morphological traits, laboratory populations, D. ananassae.

Intersexual differences in chemosensory responses to selected lipids reveal different messages conveyed by femoral secretions of male Iberian rock lizards

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 572-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pilar López ◽  
José Martín
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Social Behavior ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Tongue Flick ◽  
Secondary Sexual Traits ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Sexual Traits ◽  
Chemical Traits ◽  
Femoral Secretions

AbstractThe effects of intrasexual selection (i.e., male-male competition) and intersexual selection (i.e., mate choice) may result on the evolution of different secondary sexual traits. We tested whether chemosensory responses of male and female Iberolacerta cyreni lizards to femoral secretion of conspecific males (a chemical sexual trait used in social behavior) were eliciting by different chemical traits. Tongue-flick essays showed that males and females had similar chemosensory responses to the femoral secretions of males, but males and females differed in the magnitude of their chemosensory responses to the different chemicals found in secretions. Moreover, responses to chemicals related to body size depended on the own body size of the responding male, but did not in females. These results might support that femoral secretions of males convey different messages for male or female I. cyreni lizards.

Mating in the harvestman Leiobunum vittatum (Arachnida: Opiliones): from premating struggles to solicitous tactile engagement

Behaviour ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 151 (12-13) ◽  
pp. 1663-1686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasey D. Fowler-Finn ◽  
Emilia Triana ◽  
Owen G. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Traits ◽  
Nuptial Gift ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Mechanical Advantage ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Mutual Mate Choice ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Study ◽  
Multiple Stages

When mating interactions are influenced by multiple sources of selection, they may involve multiple stages of mate assessment. At each stage, a different set of morphological and behavioural traits may be important in determining the outcome of the interaction. Here, we test the potential for multiple sources of selection to shape mating interactions in Leiobunum vittatum harvestmen, commonly known as ‘daddy longlegs’. We provide a qualitative and quantitative study of mating interactions, and investigate the influence of multiple morphological traits on each of several distinct stages of their mating interactions. Mating interactions start with a struggle between males and females during which the male attempts to secure the females in a mating embrace. Success at this stage depends on the length of the male’s clasping pedipalps: those with shorter pedipalps (and thus greater mechanical advantage) were more successful. Male size relative to the female determines how quickly males achieve this embrace. Mating interactions then proceed to tactile exchanges between males and females, indicating the potential for mutual mate choice and/or peri- and post-copulatory selection. We found no morphological predictors of the timing of these later stages of the mating interactions, and suggest that the exchange of a nuptial gift is important for the dynamics of these stages. Overall, our results highlight L. vittatum as a potentially highly informative group for studying how traits involved in mating are shaped by the interaction of selection across multiple stages in mating interactions.

scholarly journals Mitigation of Gaseous Emissions from Swine Manure with the Surficial Application of Biochars

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhanibek Meiirkhanuly ◽  
Jacek A. Koziel ◽  
Baitong Chen ◽  
Andrzej Białowiec ◽  
Myeongseong Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Swine Manure ◽  
Animal Manure ◽  
Isobutyric Acid ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Regulatory Agencies ◽  
Gaseous Emissions ◽  
Percent Reduction ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
The Impact

Environmental impact associated with odor and gaseous emissions from animal manure is one of the challenges for communities, farmers, and regulatory agencies. Microbe-based manure additives treatments are marketed and used by farmers for mitigation of emissions. However, their performance is difficult to assess objectively. Thus, comprehensive, practical, and low-cost treatments are still in demand. We have been advancing such treatments based on physicochemical principles. The objective of this research was to test the effect of the surficial application of a thin layer (¼"; 6.3 mm) of biochar on the mitigation of gaseous emissions (as the percent reduction, % R) from swine manure. Two types of biochar were tested: highly alkaline and porous (HAP) biochar made from corn stover and red oak (RO), both with different pH and morphology. Three 30-day trials were conducted with a layer of HAP and RO (2.0 & 1.65 kg∙m-2, respectively) applied on manure surface, and emissions of ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), greenhouse gases (GHG), and odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured. The manure and biochar type and properties had an impact on the mitigation effect and its duration. RO significantly reduced NH3 (19-39%) and p-cresol (66-78%). H2S was mitigated (16~23%), but not significantly for all trials. Significant (66~78%) reductions for p-cresol were observed for all trials. The phenolic VOCs had relatively high % R in most trials but not significantly for all trials. HAP reduced NH3 (4~21%) and H2S (2~22%), but not significantly for all trials. Significant % R for p-cresol (91~97%) and skatole (74~95%) were observed for all trials. The % R for phenol and indole ranged from (60~99%) & (29~94%) but was not significant for all trials. The impact on GHGs, isobutyric acid, and the odor was mixed with some mitigation and generation effects. However, larger-scale experiments are needed to understand how biochar properties and the dose and frequency of application can be optimized to mitigate odor and gaseous emissions from swine manure. The lessons learned can also be applicable to surficial biochar treatment of gaseous emissions from other waste and area sources.

4. Sex roles and stereotypes

2018 ◽  
pp. 52-68
Author(s):  
Leigh W. Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Sexual Behaviour ◽  
Sex Roles ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Mating Competition ◽  
Characteristic Behaviour ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Female Roles

‘Sex roles and stereotypes’ examines the notion, implicit in many of the original ideas about sexual selection, that males and females have natural ‘roles’ with characteristic behaviour associated with each sex. It also explores further the reasons behind deviations from the ‘typical’ sex roles in mate choice and in mating competition. Are there ‘standard’ male and female roles in both humans and other animal species? One version of sex roles holds that males are generally dominant and females submissive, stemming from the way that sexual selection favours different behaviours in each sex. This could mean that sexual selection dictates particular behaviours in males and females. But in fact, sexual behaviour is extraordinarily varied in nature.

Design and Fabrication of 3D Printed Reconfigurable Metamaterial-inspired Structures

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 000595-000598
Author(s):  
Saranraj Karuppuswami ◽  
Avi Rajendra-Nicolucci ◽  
Saikat Mondal ◽  
Mohd Ifwat Mohd Ghazali ◽  
Premjeet Chahal
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Small Volume ◽  
Ring Resonator ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Channel ◽  
Split Ring Resonator ◽  
Split Ring ◽  
Liquid Samples ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
3D Printed

Abstract In this paper, 3D printing is used as an alternative manufacturing technique to fabricate metamaterial-inspired RF structures for liquid profiling. A dual split-ring resonator (SRR) based sensor tag is designed and integrated with a microfluidic channel for detecting different liquid samples. The sensor is 3D printed using a high-temperature resin and metallized using a custom developed metal patterning process. The sensor requires a very small volume of 8.6 μL of sample under test for detection. The resonance frequency of the SRR changes with change in sample loading and the shift is monitored for sample profiling. Different volatile organic compounds are introduced and the shift is monitored demonstrating the sensitivity of the proposed tag. The low-cost, real-time nature of the tag makes it an ideal choice for monitoring liquids along the supply chain.

Coeducation and Sex Roles

1986 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary B. Harris
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
University Students ◽  
Sexual Intercourse ◽  
Sex Roles ◽  
Natural Attitude ◽  
Single Sex ◽  
Happy Marriage ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Coeducational High Schools

In order to test conflicting hypotheses about the effects of coeducational versus single-sex schooling, 538 first-term Australian university students who had attended single sex or coeducational high schools were compared on a number of variables relating to sex roles. Those from the two types of schools did not differ significantly on the Australian Sex Roles Inventory or on a measure of nontraditional attitudes towards sex roles, although males and females differed in predictable ways. Most subjects, particularly those from coeducational schools, felt that coeducational schools are preferable and lead to a more natural attitude towards the opposite sex. Subjects from coeducational rather than single-sex schools said that they had more opposite-sex friends in high school and were more likely to feel that their school helped rather than hindered their everyday relations with the opposite sex and their chances for a happy marriage. However subjects did not feel that boys and girls learn or behave better in coeducational schools, and there were no differences in the percentages of subjects from the two types of schools who reported having had sexual intercourse or been in love while in high school. The single-sex schools attended tended to differ from the coeducational ones in being smaller, more urban, and more likely to be selective, which made comparisons difficult to interpret. Nevertheless it seems reasonable to conclude that coeducational schooling, at least for this selective sample, may have some advantages in fostering interactions with the opposite sex.

scholarly journals Habitat, Sexual and Allometric Influences on Morphological Traits of Intertidal Crabs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Vermeiren ◽  
C. Lennard ◽  
C. Trave
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Morphological Traits ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Mangrove Crab ◽  
Habitat Factors ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Claw Shape

Abstract Intertidal crabs display distinct morphological traits that allow differential interactions with biotic and abiotic features of the intertidal landscape, but are also influenced by allometry and sexual selection. This study aimed to explore the influence of sexual, allometric and habitat factors on morphological variation in the intertidal mangrove crab assemblage. A standardized photographic protocol was developed using readily available, low-cost technology to capture the morphology of carapaces and claws as sets of Cartesian landmarks. Digitization errors were 1 to 2 orders of magnitude smaller than the variation among individuals. In Tubuca seismella and Tubuca signata (superfamily Ocypodoidea), species that have traditionally been studied for sexual dimorphism, standardized major claw sizes were 2.8 and 3.7, respectively, times larger for males than females. Sexual dimorphism in claw size was also observed for Metopograpsus frontalis and Parasesarma longicristatum (superfamily Grapsoidea), with the largest claw in males being 15% and 33%, respectively, larger than in females. In contrast to size, claw shape did not relate to sex, except for T. seismella. Carapace shape, although variable among individuals and displaying asymmetry, was unrelated to sex. Claw and carapace shapes displayed high correlations, with values around 0.78. Carapace shapes grouped into taxonomic families and linked to habitat preferences, while claw shapes varied along a taxonomic gradient. These results complement studies on crab morphology that focus on specific factors or species, and stress the importance of multiple, interacting factors including sexual, allometric and habitat influences as drivers of morphological trait variability.

scholarly journals Formaldehyde and Total VOC (TVOC) Commercial Low-Cost Monitoring Devices: From an Evaluation in Controlled Conditions to a Use Case Application in a Real Building

Chemosensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valérie Goletto ◽  
Geneviève Mialon ◽  
Timothé Faivre ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Isabelle Lesieur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
General Public ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Experimental Methodology ◽  
Portable Devices ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Controlled Conditions ◽  
Volatile Organic

Formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are major indoor pollutants with multiple origins. Standard methods exist to measure them that require analytical expertise and provide, at best, an average value of their concentrations. There is a need to monitor them continuously during periods of several days, weeks, or even months. Recently, portable devices have become available. Two categories of portable devices are considered in this research paper: connected objects for the general public (price <500 €) and monitoring portable devices for professional users (price in the range >500 to 5000 €). The ISO method (ISO 16000-29) describes the standard for VOC detector qualification. It is quite complex and is not well adapted for a first qualitative evaluation of these low-cost devices. In this paper, we present an experimental methodology used to evaluate commercial devices that monitor formaldehyde and/or total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) under controlled conditions (23 °C, 50–65% relative humidity (RH)). We conclude that none of the connected objects dedicated to the general public can provide reliable data in the conditions tested, not even for a qualitative evaluation. For formaldehyde monitoring, we obtained some promising results with a portable device dedicated to professional users. In this paper, we illustrate, with a real test case in an office building, how this device was used for a comparative analysis.

Detection and discrimination of volatile organic compounds by noble metal nanoparticle functionalized MoS2 coated biodegradable paper sensors

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (38) ◽  
pp. 16613-16625
Author(s):  
Radha Bhardwaj ◽  
Venkatarao Selamneni ◽  
Uttam Narendra Thakur ◽  
Parikshit Sahatiya ◽  
Arnab Hazra
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Noble Metal ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Metal Nanoparticle ◽  
Selective Detection ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Volatile Organic

In the current study, noble metal nanoparticle functionalized MoS2 coated biodegradable low-cost paper sensors were fabricated for the selective detection of low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

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