Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Antoine Verriere, Joerg Froebisch
Summary: The study suggests that mesosaurs underwent developmental trends such as reduced skull length, elongated teeth, shortened hind limbs, and manus length. It is speculated that these changes were accompanied by a transition in diet and lifestyle during ontogeny, with juveniles preferring shallow water deposits and large adults favoring pelagic sediments. These parallel changes indicate a shift in feeding habits and environments for mesosaurs.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lukas Heiland, Georges Kunstler, Paloma Ruiz-Benito, Allan Buras, Jonas Dahlgren, Lisa Hulsmann
Summary: Recent research has shown that climate change has led to shifts in the distribution range of tree species. However, it is unclear to what extent ontogenetic effects contribute to the divergent occurrences between juvenile and adult trees along large-scale climatic gradients. This study used theoretical modeling and empirical analysis to demonstrate that ontogenetic effects are a relevant cause of divergent occurrences between life stages, challenging the practice of inferring climate change impacts from static data.
Article
Geology
Taia Wyenberg-Henzler, R. Timothy Patterson, Jordan C. Mallon
Summary: This study reveals that there were ontogenetic niche shifts in duck-billed dinosaurs, with juvenile individuals being more selective and feeding on softer, low-growing plants. Jaw chewing movements did not differ greatly between growth stages. These findings contribute to further research on cranial ontogenetic allometry in hadrosauromorphs and the role of ontogenetic niche shifts in the size structuring of Late Cretaceous herbivore communities.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
L. M. Fisk, L. Barton, L. D. Maccarone, S. N. Jenkins, D. Murphy
Summary: This study investigated the seasonal dynamics in the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria genes in agricultural soils and found that organic matter inputs and water availability significantly influenced the abundance of these bacteria, leading to an increased risk of nitrogen loss.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wei-Nan Kang, Lin Jin, Kai-Yun Fu, Wen-Chao Guo, Guo-Qing Li
Summary: The study revealed that pupae of Leptinotarsa decemlineata harbor specific bacteria which originate from soil, contributing to the pupa's performance in soil. This switch in bacterial communities enhances the evolutionary fitness of the insect to different environmental niches.
ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maya K. Wilson K. Brown, Emily B. B. Josephs
Summary: Researchers used ecological niche models to predict species distribution under future climate conditions. They found that the models generated from full-year averages had low transferability across continents and there were differences in climate conditions that influenced the distribution of Capsella bursa-pastoris between Europe and North America. Monthly models had better predictive accuracy in cooler seasons, but none of the models could accurately predict the species' occurrences in North American summers. The results suggested a change in the seasonal timing between the native and non-native ranges, highlighting the importance of using finer temporal scales in ecological niche models.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Grzegorz Swacha, Mateusz Meserszmit, Lenka Pavlu, Vilem V. Pavlu, Klara Kajzrova, Teowdroes Kassahun, Malgorzata W. Radula, Jan Titera, Zygmunt Kacki
Summary: Semi-natural grasslands provide important ecosystem services, especially in terms of biomass production. This study in the Sudetes Mountains investigated the factors influencing species-specific biomass and found that soil acidity, mowing cessation, temperature, and precipitation significantly affected biomass turnover. High inequality in biomass among coexisting plant species was observed, but this inequality decreased with increasing functional diversity. The study emphasizes the importance of both common and less frequent species in contributing to the total aboveground biomass and suggests that maintaining species diversity is crucial for sustaining ecosystem services.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Shuang Yin, Guopeng Liang, Chuankuan Wang, Zhenghu Zhou
Summary: This study synthesized the seasonal patterns of soil microbial biomass and their associations with plant gross primary productivity (GPP) in different biomes globally. The results showed that the seasonal dynamics of microbial biomass varied among different biome types, with biomass peaking in different seasons depending on the biome. Negative relationships between microbial biomass and GPP were found in certain biomes, indicating seasonal asynchrony between plants and microorganisms.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Kit Yue Kwan, Justin Bopp, Shuyan Huang, Qiao Chen, Chun-Chieh Wang, Xueping Wang, Wenquan Zhen, Junhua Zhu, Xing Huang
Summary: The study found that the juvenile tri-spine horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus, is an ecological generalist and primarily relies on sedimentary organic matter and seagrass resources for energy, with a shift towards benthic macroinvertebrate grazers with age. Juvenile horseshoe crabs of varying sizes occupy similar trophic positions in the food web, with slight shifts as they grow. The availability of resources and ontogenetic diet shifts strongly influence the trophic dynamics of horseshoe crabs, emphasizing the importance of considering age in habitat conservation measures.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Qin Jiao, Liu Fengming, Bjorn Victor Schmidt, Sun Zhuoxin, Kong Lingwei, Yan Yunrong
Summary: This study investigated trophic niche patterns of Acentrogobius viridipunctatus in mangroves using stable isotope analysis and two complementary methods. The results showed significant variations in trophic niche across populations and ontogenetic groups. The study also found spatial niche separation and consistent increase in trophic position from juveniles to sub-adults. The findings highlight the adaptive value of trophic plasticity for mangrove fish predators.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ching-Tsun Chang, Jeffrey C. Drazen, Wei-Chuan Chiang, Daniel J. Madigan, Aaron B. Carlisle, Natalie J. Wallsgrove, Hung-Hung Hsu, Yuan-Hsing Ho, Brian N. Popp
Summary: This study investigated the foraging habits and trophic dynamics of sharptail mola from waters off eastern Taiwan. The results showed that the diet of sharptail mola mainly consisted of tunicates, but varied with size and season. The findings provide insights into the foraging behavior and ecological role of sharptail mola.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bohyung Choi, Won-Seok Kim, Chang Woo Ji, Min-Seob Kim, Ihn-Sil Kwak
Summary: Stable isotope analysis and stomach content analysis were conducted to investigate ontogenetic niche shifts in silver croaker. The results showed that there were dietary shifts with growth stages, which is a representative survival strategy in fish and essential information for managing fisheries. The study demonstrated the applicability of combined SIA and SCA analyses for dietary resource tracing and ecological niche studies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Biology
Yunfeng Geng, Frithjof Lutscher
Summary: Many species are annual breeders who consume resources and may die between reproductive events. A model for such life cycles needs to represent both the discrete- and continuous-time processes in the community. The dynamics of multiple discrete breeders on a single resource reveal coexistence mechanisms and complex dynamics.
JOURNAL OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Sarah R. Davies, Ian P. Vaughan, Robert J. Thomas, Lorna E. Drake, Angela Marchbank, William O. C. Symondson
Summary: The diet of an individual animal can change over time, with age having a significant influence on overall diet composition. Metabarcoding data enhances studies of insectivores in dynamic environments.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Laura Maria Wallnoefer, Petra Riefler, Oliver Meixner
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the motives and barriers for local seasonal food choices, finding that support of the local economy is the most important driver, while price sensibility is the most relevant barrier. The relevance of authenticity and local identity varies for consumers, and environmental benefits do not significantly impact the importance of environmental motives for choosing local seasonal food.
Article
Ecology
P. Catalina Chaparro-Pedraza, Andre M. de Roos
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Ecology
P. Catalina Chaparro-Pedraza, Andre M. de Roos
Article
Ecology
Enrico Pirotta, Vincent Hin, Marc Mangel, Leslie New, Daniel P. Costa, Andre M. de Roos, John Harwood
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Hanna ten Brink, Renske E. Onstein, Andre M. de Roos
Article
Ecology
Tessa E. Hall, Andrew S. Freedman, Andre M. De Roos, Peter J. Edmunds, Robert C. Carpenter, Kevin Gross
Summary: Understanding the complex interplay among chronic environmental stressors, mass-mortality events, and population size structure sharpens our ability to manage and to restore coral-reef ecosystems in an increasingly disturbed future. Our study reveals that the impact of chronic stressors is amplified in highly disturbed environments, as disturbance weakens the buffering effect of space competition and size structure mediates the extent and pace of coral population recovery following a large-scale mortality event.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Perla Catalina Chaparro-Pedraza, Andre M. de Roos
Summary: Research shows that food decline in the ocean can mitigate rather than exacerbate the negative effect of elevated migration costs imposed by infrastructure building in streams on fish. This counterintuitive effect results from the highly nonlinear manner in which these stressors interact and affect individual energetics.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Andre M. de Roos
Summary: PSPManalysis is a software package that simulates ecological dynamics, computes ecological steady states, and detects bifurcation points in dynamics. It also allows for analyzing evolutionary dynamics and singular states of PSPMs, providing a more comprehensive and in-depth approach to studying the impact of environmental conditions on individuals' life history.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Floor H. Soudijn, P. Daniel van Denderen, Mikko Heino, Ulf Dieckmann, Andre M. de Roos
Summary: The study shows that the impact of fishing for forage fish on piscivores depends on the fishing mortality of the piscivores. When the fishing mortality of piscivores is high, fishing for forage fish benefits the piscivores, but when fishing mortality of piscivores is low, overfishing of forage fish can lead to declines in piscivore biomass.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biology
Kevin Gross, Andre M. de Roos
Summary: Ecologists have sought to understand how environmental variation affects natural populations by using transfer functions and continuous-time models to analyze resonant characteristics of size-structured populations, particularly in the case of stony corals. The analysis reveals a multi-decade resonance driven by space competition between coral colonies, with resonant oscillations most strongly determined by colony growth rate and potential for resonance greatest when colony growth is weakly density-dependent.
BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Correction
Biology
Kevin Gross, Andre M. de Roos
BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andre M. de Roos
Summary: The study shows that incorporating differences in vulnerability to predation and foraging efficiency between juvenile and adult individuals can result in larger and more complex communities in model simulations. These diverse communities are stable or fluctuate with limited amplitude, even with a highly connected population-level interaction network. This suggests that differences between juveniles and adults may have a significant impact on the stability of natural communities.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jing Yang, Qiang Zhang, Jun Zhang, Yan Ouyang, Zepeng Sun, Xinlong Liu, Feng Qaio, Li-Qun Xu, Yunfei Niu, Jian Li
Summary: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory disease caused by the interaction between genes and environmental conditions. The composition of airway bacteria changes significantly during acute exacerbations in COPD patients, accompanied by alterations in host inflammatory responses.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zepeng Sun, Xinlong Liu, Wei Liu, Jiahui Li, Jing Yang, Feng Qiao, Jianjun Ma, Jingjie Sha, Jian Li, Li-Qun Xu
Summary: In this study, an automated adaptive method called AutoNanopore is developed for fast and accurate event detection in current traces. The method has a high coverage ratio and performs well in detecting events with significantly varying baselines.
Review
Microbiology
Pin Chen, Zepeng Sun, Jiawei Wang, Xinlong Liu, Yun Bai, Jiang Chen, Anna Liu, Feng Qiao, Yang Chen, Chenyan Yuan, Jingjie Sha, Jinghui Zhang, Li-Qun Xu, Jian Li
Summary: Sequencing technology is widely used in molecular biology research and is crucial for the development and applications of molecular biology. It has undergone three generations of development since 1977, and is applied in various fields such as disease diagnosis, drug target discovery, and species protection. Nanopore sequencing technology has emerged as an advanced portable sequencing technology with the advantages of small size, portability, and direct reading using physical methods.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Li-Qun Xu, Jing Yang, Weicheng Liang, Jiang Chen, Zepeng Sun, Qiang Zhang, Xinlong Liu, Feng Qiao, Jian Li
Summary: Initially thought to be sterile, the lungs of healthy humans have been found to contain various commensal microorganisms, especially bacteria, with the development of sequencing technologies. Studies have also linked lung microbes to infectious lung diseases. However, there is a lack of databases focusing on the metagenomics of lungs to provide microbial compositions and metadata information. Such a database would be valuable for researching and treating lung diseases.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jorge Pena, Aviad Heifetz, Georg Noldeke
Summary: Cooperation usually becomes harder to sustain as groups become larger, but in some cases, increasing group size can increase the probability of cooperation. The expected payoff and the probability of provision of the public good vary with the cost of cooperation.
THEORETICAL POPULATION BIOLOGY
(2024)
