Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Kun Guo, Xiang-Mo Li, Yan-Qing Wu, Yan-Fu Qu, Xiang Ji
Summary: The study of female reproductive traits of the red-banded wolf snake (Lycodon rufozonatus) in Zhejiang, East China over four years showed that postpartum body mass, clutch mass, and egg size were significantly greater in 2010 compared to other years, after accounting for female size. Contrary to traditional views, females did not trade off egg size against number.
Article
Ecology
Natalie L. R. Love, Susan J. Mazer
Summary: This study investigates the geographic variation in seed mass among populations of 6 species of Streptanthus in California. The results show that both long-term mean climate and climate anomalies in the year of collection are associated with population mean seed mass, but their effects differ in direction and magnitude. The study suggests that seed mass may be influenced by different mechanisms such as adaptive evolution and phenotypic plasticity, and the climate conditions of the populations also play a role in seed mass.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gabriel Jorgewich-Cohen, Rafael S. Henrique, Pedro Henrique Dias, Marcelo R. Sanchez-Villagra
Summary: Optimal egg size theory suggests that changes in egg and clutch characteristics are driven by selection, aiming for the largest possible production of offspring with the highest fitness. Our study found that large-bodied turtles tend to produce larger clutches with small and round eggs, while smaller species produce small clutches with large and elongated eggs. We also observed inverse correlations between egg shape and size with clutch size, with different evolutionary rates. Additionally, there is evidence of convergence in reproductive strategies among different turtle lineages. Climatic zone and diet were identified as important ecological factors influencing egg and clutch traits among turtles.
Article
Biology
Dylan Padilla J. Perez, Dale F. DeNardo, Michael J. Angilletta
Summary: Life-history theory suggests that the optimal reproductive effort of an organism is affected by factors such as energy acquisition and predation risk. The foraging-mode paradigm proposes that widely foraging species have evolved greater reproductive effort compared to sit-and-wait species.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Gideon Gywa Deme, Xin Hao, Liang Ma, Baojun Sun, Weiguo Du
Summary: This study investigated the reproductive strategy of lacertid lizards in China and found significant between-population variation in maternal body size and clutch mass, although these variations were not related to elevational differences. However, high-elevation females tended to produce smaller clutches of larger eggs compared to low-elevation counterparts, indicating an elevational change in the trade-off between egg size and number.
ASIAN HERPETOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Marcus Hall, Oscar Nordahl, Per Larsson, Anders Forsman, Petter Tibblin
Summary: Life history theory suggests that organisms should time their reproduction to maximize fitness. This study found that differences in breeding time among individuals in a perch population were associated with changes in hatching success and reproductive allocation strategies, as well as variation in offspring performance linked to temperature. These time-dependent adaptive differences within the population could influence the population's ability to cope with environmental challenges, such as global warming and exploitation.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martina Muraro, Stephanie Sherpa, Benedetta Barzaghi, Pierluigi Bombi, Danilo Borgatti, Viola Di Canio, Andrea Dalpasso, Mattia Falaschi, Benedetta Gambioli, Raoul Manenti, Silvio Marta, Paolo Momigliano, Veronica Nanni, Claudio Pardo, Elia Lo Parrino, Stefano Scali, Federico Storniolo, Leonardo Vignoli, Marco A. L. Zuffi, Roberto Sacchi, Daniele Salvi, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: The evolution of sexual dimorphism is driven by intricate interactions between sexual and natural selection, but environmental factors play a major role in SD variation within populations. The individual body condition and resource availability are the main drivers of SD expression in the Italian wall lizard.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dustin J. Marshall
Summary: Research has shown that there is a relationship between offspring size and temperature, with offspring size tracking local environmental temperature. Maternal adaptability may affect the relationship between offspring size and performance, and temperature can also influence this relationship.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Nadav Pezaro, Jeremiah Sean Doody, Michael B. Thompson
Summary: This study examines the variation in hatchlings of the Australian water dragon and discovers significant differences in hatchling sizes among populations from different climate types. These differences are not caused by differences in maternal investment or a plastic response to incubation temperatures. Further investigation reveals that southern, temperate populations have shorter incubation times but utilize less yolk during development, resulting in smaller hatchlings with more residual yolk. These findings demonstrate the role of embryonic resource allocation in mediating offspring size in reptiles.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephanie C. McClelland, Phillip Cassey, Golo Maurer, Mark E. Hauber, Steven J. Portugal
Summary: The study found that the calcium carbonate content in eggshells is positively correlated with species that have thinner eggshells and smaller eggs. Additionally, species with smaller clutch sizes tend to have lower calcium carbonate content in their eggshells. Furthermore, for species with larger clutch sizes, the calcium carbonate content in eggshells is negatively correlated with their mean lifespan.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Pamela L. Rutherford, Patrick T. Gregory
Summary: Enforced winter inactivity affects the life histories of cool-climate squamates by promoting viviparity over oviparity in cool climates and reducing the frequency of reproduction in females. This study explores the annual variation in reproductive traits and breeding patterns of a viviparous lizard population in southeastern British Columbia. The results show that there were no significant differences in the characteristics of gravid females among years, but the head width, mass, and condition of newborns varied. The majority of females did not reproduce annually, and larger females and those with intact tails were more likely to be pregnant.
Article
Zoology
Gabriela Cardozo, Sergio Naretto, Cecilia Blengini, Margarita Chiaraviglio
Summary: The aim of this study was to understand variations in the reproductive investment of females in Salvator merianae according to their multivariate morphology. The researchers found an annual-biennial pattern of reproduction dependent on female phenotype, and identified fat storage and follicle development as plastic traits that varied with female body size. They also discovered that multiple phenotypic traits, such as tail and abdominal perimeter, were indicators of a female's reproductive value. Oviductal traits varied among females of different body length and were determinant of clutch size. Overall, the study suggests that the variability in reproductive strategies is related to the multivariate maternal phenotype, even in the absence of discrete phenotypic differences.
SOUTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ella F. Cole, Charlotte E. Regan, Ben C. Sheldon
Summary: Studies have found small-scale spatial variation in the timing of egg laying for great tits, linked to the health of nearby oak trees, in response to climate change. This suggests spatial differences in the impact of climate change on animals and plants, highlighting the importance of local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in responding to climate change, as well as the role of behavioral responses like habitat selection and dispersal in mitigating challenges from climate extremes.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Raciel Cruz-Elizalde, Aurelio Ramirez-Bautista, Abraham Lozano, Ricardo Luria-Manzano, Xochitl Hernandez-Ibarra, Omar Ramos-Flores, Aaron Garcia-Rosales, Christian Berriozabal-Islas
Summary: This study explores the reproductive patterns and characteristics of a lizard community in the arid Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico. The results show variations in size and weight among different species. There are also differences in clutch/litter size and egg/embryo mass and volume, with the latter positively correlated with female size. Oviparous species tend to be larger in size, but other characteristics are similar to viviparous species. Additionally, some species have longer reproductive periods.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alena Samkova, Jan Raska, Jirf Hadrava, Jirf Skuhrovec
Summary: Through experimental research, we demonstrated the effects of superparasitism due to scarcity of host on fertility in the gregarious parasitoid Anaphes flavipes. We also showed that a reduction in female fertility translates as an actual increase in the fertility of individual offspring through an intergenerational approach.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Austin C. Hulbert, Joshua M. Hall, Timothy S. Mitchell, Daniel A. Warner
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2020)
Article
Biology
Alex R. Gunderson, Amelie Fargevieille, Daniel A. Warner
Article
Ecology
Joshua M. Hall, Timothy S. Mitchell, Christopher J. Thawley, James T. Stroud, Daniel A. Warner
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Physiology
Daniel A. Warner, Timothy S. Mitchell, Brooke L. Bodensteiner, Fredric J. Janzen
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ZOOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jenna E. Pruett, Amelie Fargevieille, Daniel A. Warner
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ariel L. Steele, Daniel A. Warner
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2020)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Allison Dees, Kayla Wilson, Chanel Reali, Jenna E. Pruett, Joshua M. Hall, Renata Brandt, Daniel A. Warner
Article
Zoology
Joshua M. Hall, Daniel A. Warner
Summary: The study found that high temperatures pose a lethal threat to embryos of brown anoles, with immediate and cumulative effects significantly impacting development and survival rates.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A-ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Andrew DeSana, Amelie Fargevieille, Daniel A. Warner
EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Zoology
Catherine Tylan, Maria Horvat-Gordon, Paul A. Bartell, Tracy Langkilde
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A-ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Braulio A. Assis, Julian D. Avery, Catherine Tylan, Heather Engler, Ryan L. Earley, Tracy Langkilde
Summary: Sex differences in animal coloration are often caused by sex-dependent regulatory mechanisms. In some species, females exhibit incomplete sexual dimorphism, leading to intralocus sexual conflict. The relationships between color saturation and individual quality, relevant hormones, and trait characteristics differed between males and females.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Kirsty J. MacLeod, Tracy Langkilde, Cameron P. Venable, David C. Ensminger, Michael J. Sheriff
Summary: Maternal glucocorticoid levels during gestation can affect offspring behavior, particularly in response to predator cues. However, the survival rate does not show significant differences based on maternal glucocorticoid treatment. Interactions between historic and novel invasive predators may confound the potential impact of maternal glucocorticoids on offspring behavior.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kirsty J. MacLeod, Kevin D. Kohl, Brian K. Trevelline, Tracy Langkilde
Summary: The gut microbiota of vertebrates can be significantly influenced by stress-related glucocorticoid hormones, with effects varying based on gestational state and stage. Experimental elevation of CORT altered microbiome characteristics, increasing diversity in late-gestation females, and impacting microbial community membership. Contextual factors, such as reproductive stages, play a crucial role in interpreting stress effects on gut microbiota in ecology.
Article
Biology
B. A. Assis, J. D. Avery, R. L. Earley, T. Langkilde
Summary: The adaptive significance of colorful or exaggerated traits expressed in females is often unclear. However, research on female eastern fence lizards suggests that they modulate the visibility of their ornaments through thermoregulation, contradicting the widely held view that female ornaments are maladaptive and suggesting they may carry context-dependent social benefits.
INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Travis R. Robbins, Carter Dollen, Earl D. McCoy, Henry R. Mushinsky
Summary: Oviductal sperm storage is common in most squamate lineages, potentially offering fitness benefits by increasing reproductive success opportunities. The duration of sperm storage and viability are crucial factors, which are influenced by reproductive ecology and specific selective landscapes. Further research is needed to understand the functional sperm storage durations in different species.
HERPETOLOGICAL CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY
(2021)