Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Simone Macri, Ida-Maria Aalto, Remi Allemand, Nicolas Di-Poi
Summary: This study reveals the ecological origins and early evolution of snakes using high-definition brain reconstructions of extant species. The findings suggest that crown snakes originated from ancestors with a burrowing lifestyle and opportunistic behavior, reflecting complex brain patterns. The research emphasizes the importance of tracking soft tissue phenotypic diversification and accurately defining intact brain morphological traits, such as the cerebellum, in understanding snake evolution and vertebrate paleobiology.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luke C. Strotz, Bruce S. Lieberman
Summary: By quantifying trait variation in steam locomotives, we identified a pattern of competitive exclusion, showing when interspecific competition leads to extinction and suggesting that clade replacement occurs when niche overlap is near absolute and the incumbent cannot transition to a new adaptive zone. Our findings offer a new approach to analyze competitive exclusion without prior assumptions.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Jonathan D. D. Choquette, Jacqueline D. D. Litzgus, Joanne X. Y. Gui, Trevor E. E. Pitcher
Summary: This study conducted a systematic review of snake translocation studies and identified potential tactics for reducing post-release effects. By analyzing the association between different tactics and translocation outcomes, the study found that several specific tactics can increase the likelihood of positive translocation outcomes, such as releasing captive reared or juvenile snakes, releasing social groups together, and delaying release. The study also recommended practitioners to consider the possible influence of these tactics when planning snake translocations.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Leonardo Ancillotto, Rocco Labadessa
Summary: This study investigated the impact of interspecific acoustic competition on song structure, singing activity, and species coexistence in tree crickets. The results showed that the co-occurrence of the two species led to changes in all the considered factors, with asymmetrical effects on one of the species.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Birgit Szabo, Eva Ringler
Summary: Self-recognition refers to the ability to recognize stimuli coming from oneself. Humans and some non-human animals demonstrate true visual self-recognition in the mirror test. In lizards, chemical cues play a crucial role in social interactions, suggesting the importance of chemical self-other distinction. In this study, tokay geckos showed higher self-directed responses towards chemicals from unfamiliar individuals compared to self-produced chemicals and a water control, indicating the existence of chemical self-recognition and a possible social function of scat piles.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Raul E. Diaz, Elizabeth A. Taylor-Diaz, Paul A. Trainor, Rui Diogo, Julia L. Molnar
Summary: The study reveals a conserved early muscle development pattern among different species of lizards, with variations concentrated in distal regions, particularly in the specialized autopodia of chameleons where differentiation of muscles associated with the digits is delayed.
DEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Laura R. V. Alencar, Tiago B. B. Quental
Summary: This study investigates the coexistence dynamics of lizards and snakes and reveals that species coexistence is influenced by several factors, including speciation process, time since divergence, geographic context, and intrinsic properties of the organisms. Allopatric speciation is the main mode for snakes, while the coexistence of lizards is strongly influenced by dispersal abilities.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Cyrill Hess, Jonathan M. Levine, Martin M. Turcotte, Simon P. Hart
Summary: This article investigates the ecological explanations for species coexistence and the impact of trait changes on competitive outcomes. The study finds that phenotypic plasticity can promote species coexistence in a way that is not captured by traditional measures of niche differentiation.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Christian L. Cox, Albert K. Chung, Myles E. Davoll, Steph A. DeHart, Samuel T. Gerardi, Tony K. Ly, Kyle Moxley, Preston T. Nipper, Delaney R. Novak, Phillip F. Reeves, Becky J. Williams, Michael L. Logan
Summary: Regional heterothermy is a pattern where different body regions are maintained at different temperatures to prioritize certain body parts' function. This phenomenon is well understood in endotherms, but less is known about it in ectotherms. In this study, the authors investigated if diminutive snakes could maintain regional heterothermy, despite rapid temperature equilibration. The results showed that ring-necked snakes have robust regional heterothermy, and it is not solely driven by environmental variation but is instead linked to physiological or morphological mechanisms.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Birgit Szabo, Martin J. Whiting
Summary: This study presents a new protocol for testing lizard discrimination learning and validates its effectiveness. The results show that lizards can learn to touch cue cards and discriminate between colors, but they struggle with pattern discrimination.
Review
Cell Biology
Syed Farhan Ahmad, Worapong Singchat, Thitipong Panthum, Kornsorn Srikulnath
Summary: Snakes have unique biological features and evolutionary characteristics, making them fascinating model systems for studying genomic evolution and the relationship between variation at the genomic level and phenotypic-level evolution. Snake genomes, similar to other eukaryotic genomes, are composed of a large proportion of repetitive DNA, including transposable elements and satellite repeats. The significance of repetitive DNA in snake genomes, particularly its structural and functional roles, remains unclear. The study highlights the diversity and composition of repetitive DNA in snake genomes, presenting snakes as an emerging and important model system for understanding the impact of repetitive DNA under sex and microchromosome evolution. Certain repetitive elements in snakes are found to be transcriptionally active and show highly dynamic lineage-specific patterns as repeat sequences, suggesting that they may trigger genomic mechanisms contributing to adaptive evolution in snakes. New approaches are reviewed for studying the expression of repetitive elements in complex genomes, such as snakes, to further explore the role of genomic repeats in shaping snake evolution.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarah K. Lamar, Nicola J. Nelson, Jennifer A. Moore, Helen R. Taylor, Susan N. Keall, Diane K. Ormsby
Summary: Successful reproduction is crucial for the persistence of at-risk species, and the reproductive characteristics of many wild species remain understudied. This study collected and characterized mature sperm from male tuatara for the first time, revealing a very high percentage of viable sperm cells and faster sperm velocity compared to other reptiles. Further research is needed to fully understand reproduction in this basal reptile.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Lisa M. Greis, Eva Ringler, Martin J. Whiting, Birgit Szabo
Summary: To make decisions, animals need to gather information from the environment to balance costs and benefits. Most animals face a trade-off between decision speed and accuracy. In a study with gidgee skinks, researchers found that the lizards were able to make decisions that were both fast and accurate, without significant individual differences in decision making. This contradicts previous findings and suggests the importance of testing methodologies in understanding decision-making processes.
BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Lachlan Campbell, John Clulow, Belinda Howe, Rose Upton, Sean Doody, Simon Clulow
Summary: This study demonstrates the ability to extend sperm viability for up to 8 days in unfrozen samples and to achieve acceptable post-thaw motility in samples frozen after 4 days of storage, contributing to valuable ARTs development for lizards and other reptiles.
REPRODUCTION FERTILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sean A. S. Anderson, Jason T. Weir
Summary: The study found that closely related species pairs in sympatry exhibit exaggerated trait differences, likely due to enhanced divergent selection in sympatry. Additionally, a latitudinal gradient in trait divergence was detected, with the strongest effects observed in tropical regions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Luke J. Sutton, David L. Anderson, Miguel Franco, Christopher J. W. McClure, Everton B. P. Miranda, F. Hernan Vargas, Jose De J. Vargas Gonzalez, Robert Puschendorf
Summary: Climate change and subsequent habitat loss may result in substantial losses in distribution for the Harpy Eagle across the southern edge of its range.
Article
Ecology
Hemanta Dhakal, Hari Prasad Sharma, Christopher J. W. McClure, Munir Virani, Brian W. Rolek, Narendra Man Babu Pradhan, Krishna Prasad Bhusal
Summary: Nepal, particularly the Pokhara Valley, is crucial for vulture conservation due to its abundance and diversity of vultures. The study found that eight vulture species, including four threatened with extinction, exist in the valley. The majority of respondents were unaware of the major threats to vulture population, such as habitat loss and diclofenac use. More awareness programs are needed, especially among individuals involved in animal husbandry and providing livestock to vulture restaurants.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Luke J. Sutton, David L. Anderson, Miguel Franco, Christopher J. W. McClure, Everton B. P. Miranda, F. Hernan Vargas, Jose de J. Vargas Gonzalez, Robert Puschendorf
Summary: Quantifying habitat use is essential for understanding animal survival requirements and conservation planning. The study focused on the Harpy Eagle, a raptor species facing threats from habitat loss. It identified the species-habitat associations and predicted habitat suitability based on the Area of Habitat metric. The study recommended new Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) to strengthen the current KBA network, as several important areas of high habitat suitability were lacking coverage.
ORNITHOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Christopher J. W. McClure, Zackery Szymczycha, David L. Anderson, Francisca Helena Aguiar-Silva, Sarah Schulwitz, Leah Dunn, Michael T. Henderson, Leticia Camacho, Jose de Jesus Vargas Gonzalez, Chris N. Parish, Evan R. Buechley, Jesse D'Elia, Sanford Wilbur, Kenneth Johansen, Devin L. Johnson, Soren Moller, Ivan Pokrovsky, Todd E. Katzner
Summary: Scoping reviews systematically collate and summarize the literature on a given topic, which aids literature searches, identifies knowledge gaps, and informs conservation efforts. This study presents and applies a framework for scoping reviews of three raptor species, highlighting important knowledge gaps and potential areas for conservation actions.
Article
Ornithology
Brian W. Rolek, Melissa A. Braham, Tricia A. Miller, Adam E. Duerr, Todd E. Katzner, Jennifer D. McCabe, Leah Dunn, Christopher J. W. McClure
Summary: Operators of wind power facilities can reduce wildlife mortality by predicting the probability of birds entering rotor-swept zones based on their flight characteristics. We developed a model that accurately forecasted entry probability using distance and altitude thresholds for curtailment decisions. These findings can inform the criteria for curtailment in real-time decision-making.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
L. J. Sutton, J. C. Ibanez, D. I. Salvador, R. L. Taraya, G. S. Opiso, T. L. P. Senarillos, C. J. W. McClure
Summary: Many range-restricted taxa are experiencing population declines, but we lack fundamental information regarding their distribution and population size. Our study demonstrates that using model-based interpolation and species distribution models, we can estimate IUCN range metrics, protected area coverage, and population size for rare and threatened species, even with spatially biased occurrence data.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Luke J. J. Sutton, David L. L. Anderson, Miguel Franco, Christopher J. W. McClure, Everton B. P. Miranda, F. Hernan Vargas, Jose de J. Vargas Gonzalez, Robert Puschendorf
Summary: The distribution of species at continental scales is regulated by climate, while biotic interactions are not detectable at coarse-grain extents. Incorporating food resource distributions is important for improving model predictions at large distribution scales. This is particularly relevant for understanding the factors limiting the distribution of widespread apex predators.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Luke J. Sutton, David L. Anderson, Miguel Franco, Felipe Bittioli R. Gomes, Christopher J. W. McClure, Everton B. P. Miranda, F. Hernan Vargas, Jose de J. Vargas Gonzalez, Robert Puschendorf
Summary: Quantifying resource partitioning between closely related Neotropical forest eagles, we found that they have nearly identical habitat requirements in both geographical and environmental space. This suggests that at the continental scale, these eagles can coexist, presumably due to sufficient habitat heterogeneity when they occur in close proximity.
Article
Ornithology
Luke J. Sutton, Jayson C. Ibanez, Dennis I. Salvador, Rowell L. Taraya, Guiller S. Opiso, Tristan Luap P. Senarillos, Christopher J. W. Mcclure
Summary: Quantifying home-range size and habitat resource selection are important elements in wildlife ecology and are useful for informing conservation action. In this study, satellite remote sensing technologies were used to provide updated estimates of home-range size and first estimates of fine-scale resource selection for Philippine Eagles. Space-time autocorrelated kernel density estimate (AKDE) home-range estimators and non-parametric resource selection functions were employed. The results showed distinct site fidelity and specific resource preferences of the adult Eagles. These findings provide valuable insights for conservation management.
Article
Ecology
Allison M. Nguyen, Brian D. Todd, Brian J. Halstead
Summary: The endangered species giant gartersnake in California is facing extinction due to habitat loss. The study found that translocation and captive rearing of adult and juvenile snakes can improve their survival and activity levels in restored wetlands. However, translocated adult snakes had lower survival rates compared to resident snakes, while juvenile snakes had higher survival rates. This suggests that captive rearing and juvenile translocation may be more effective for establishing and recovering populations of this species.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Christopher J. W. McClure, Brian W. Rolek
Summary: Site selection bias can occur when researchers choose to monitor animals in locations that have high abundance, occupancy or quality. This can lead to an inaccurate representation of the overall population dynamics. Three potential pitfalls of site selection bias include regression to the mean, preferential sampling, and the missing zero effect.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christopher J. W. McClure, Igor Berkunsky, Evan R. Buechley, Leah Dunn, Jeff Johnson, Jennifer McCabe, Steffen Oppel, Brian W. Rolek, Luke J. Sutton, Rikki Gumbs
Summary: Amidst the ongoing sixth mass extinction, conservationists are faced with limited resources and the need to prioritize species and areas for conservation action. This study emphasizes the importance of evolutionary distinctiveness in determining the conservation priority of bird species. By combining evolutionary distinctiveness with a species' global endangered status, an EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered) score is obtained. The researchers analyzed all bird species and bird conservation areas globally, with a focus on parrots, raptors, and seabirds due to their high threat levels and species richness. The results showed that these three groups had a significant median threatened evolutionary history, indicating their importance in preserving bird evolutionary history. The countries of Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar, New Zealand, and the Philippines were identified as particularly critical for bird conservation, as they had a high concentration of threatened evolutionary history for endemic birds and were important for the focal groups mentioned above. The study highlights the need for increased enforcement of international agreements to protect parrots, raptors, and seabirds, as they safeguard millions of years of threatened bird evolutionary history. Urgent action is required to conserve the evolutionary history of birds in the Anthropocene.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Brian W. Rolek, Melissa A. Braham, Tricia A. Miller, Adam E. Duerr, Todd E. Katzner, Christopher J. W. McClure
Summary: Automated curtailment of wind turbines can reduce wildlife fatality rates, but it may also decrease power generation due to increased curtailments. Tailoring curtailment criteria for each turbine can minimize unnecessary curtailments, but it is unknown whether wildlife risks vary among turbines. Our study demonstrates variation in speed, altitude, approach angle, and distance metrics associated with eagle entry into rotor-swept zones for each turbine. Therefore, our results highlight the potential value of turbine-specific curtailment criteria in reducing wildlife fatality rates at wind energy facilities.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Luke J. J. Sutton, Armand Benjara, Lily-Ariso de Roland, Russell Thorstrom, Christopher J. W. McClure
Summary: Knowledge gaps regarding distribution, habitat associations, and population size for rare and threatened taxa can be filled by using Species Distribution Models (SDMs) with remote-sensing habitat data. The Area of Habitat (AOH) metric developed by IUCN can provide useful information for extinction risk assessments. In this study, SDMs were used to estimate AOH for the Endangered Madagascar Serpent-eagle, allowing for an updated global population estimate and gap analysis of protected area coverage. The results demonstrated the importance of using remote-sensing covariates to inform conservation action for endangered species.
BIRD CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jonathan P. Rose, Patrick M. Kleeman, Brian J. Halstead
Summary: The Dixie Valley toads are highly dependent on surface water in the desert spring wetland. Adults and larvae have different environmental preferences, with larvae occurring farther from the spring heads.