Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Katarina C. Stuart, Natalie R. Hofmeister, Julia M. Zichello, Lee A. Rollins
Summary: The Common or European Starling is a highly successful invasive bird species that has been introduced to various regions around the world. By studying its life history and genomic variation, we are able to understand how eco-evolutionary dynamics contribute to its invasion success. Comparing Australian and North American invasions is particularly informative, as they both colonized new ranges concurrently and exhibit shared signals of selection despite different population histories.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hugo Loning, Laura Verkade, Simon C. Griffith, Marc Naguib
Summary: Male songbirds sing to establish territories and attract mates, but recent research has shown that singing also serves other functions, such as social cohesion and breeding synchronization. The study of zebra finches found that despite not having territories, males still sing and form long-term monogamous bonds with females. The study also revealed that singing plays an important role in social aggregations by attracting conspecifics. These findings demonstrate that birdsong has important functions beyond territoriality and mate choice.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Katharina J. Peters, Livia Gerber, Luca Scheu, Riccardo Cicciarella, Joseph A. Zoller, Zhe Fei, Steve Horvath, Simon J. Allen, Stephanie L. King, Richard C. Connor, Lee Ann Rollins, Michael Krutzen
Summary: The use of epigenetic clocks allows accurate age determination and sex prediction for Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, providing a non-invasive method for extracting life history information.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Katarina C. Stuart, William B. Sherwin, Richard J. Edwards, Lee A. Rollins
Summary: Two fundamental questions in evolutionary studies are the speed of evolution and its manifestation in an organism's genome. Research on invasive populations, such as the invasive European starlings in Australia, can provide insight into the mechanisms behind rapid adaptation and population persistence in novel environments. Recent developments in experimental and sequencing technologies have facilitated the investigation of these questions, particularly with the accessibility of next generation sequencing.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Haruka Wada, Leslie Dees, Laura L. Hurley, Simon C. Griffith
Summary: Avian females can modify their nest-site selection and breeding behavior in response to changes in ambient temperature. However, their response to high ambient temperature in terms of eggshell characteristics has not been extensively studied. To address this, wild-derived and domesticated Zebra Finches were bred under temperatures of 18 degrees C, 30 degrees C, or 35 degrees C. The study found that eggs from finches bred at 18 degrees C and 30 degrees C had similar characteristics, but females exposed to 35 degrees C laid significantly thinner eggs compared to the 18 degrees C group. These findings suggest that ecologically relevant temperatures in arid regions of Australia can affect eggshell thickness, an important factor for bird hatchability.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katarina C. Stuart, Richard J. Edwards, William B. Sherwin, Lee A. Rollins
Summary: This study examines the genetic diversity within the invasive European starling and finds that structural variants can have a complex impact on adaptation under new selection regimes, and their effects do not always align with SNP diversity.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Hector Pacheco-Fuentes, Riccardo Ton, Simon C. Griffith
Summary: Understanding the consequences of heat exposure on mitochondrial function is vital for the understanding of metabolic processes and population dynamics. Experiments with zebra finches showed that heat treatments during early development led to decreased mitochondrial metabolism in adults. The intensity, pattern, and duration of temperature conditions at early-life stages affected the reaction of adult birds to heat. Our study provides insights into the complexity of mitochondrial metabolism variation and raises questions about the adaptive value of long-lasting physiological adjustments triggered by the early-life thermal environment.
Article
Ecology
Callum S. McDiarmid, Fiona Finch, Marianne Peso, Erica van Rooij, Daniel M. Hooper, Melissah Rowe, Simon C. Griffith
Summary: Mating behavior plays a crucial role in speciation by influencing gene flow between closely related species. The long-tailed finch provides an opportunity to study mating behavior and species barriers through the examination of hybrid zones. Behavioral assays revealed an assortative mating preference for males of the same subspecies, but this preference was not observed when bill color was manipulated. This suggests that mate preference may be based on other traits or a combination of traits, or the bill manipulations were not convincing to the female choosers.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Laura L. Hurley, Riccardo Ton, Melissah Rowe, Katherine L. Buchanan, Simon C. Griffith, Ondi L. Crino
Summary: Birds that breed opportunistically maintain partial activation of reproductive systems to rapidly exploit environmental conditions when they become suitable for breeding. Males of seasonally breeding birds downregulate testosterone production outside of a breeding context to minimize costs.
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Madeleine Wheeler, Riccardo Ton, Hanja B. Brandl, Wiebke Schuett, Simon C. Griffith
Summary: Due to global warming, understanding how organisms adapt their behavior to environmental temperature conditions has become an increasingly important question in animal biology. Temperature-driven adjustments in parental care are important as they affect offspring size and survival. A study on zebra finches found that with every 1°C increase in daytime temperature, there was a 0.91% reduction in the frequency of parental visits to the nest, indicating the potential impact on food availability for nestlings.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lee A. Rollins, Daniel Lees, Andrew P. Woolnough, Andrea J. West, Michael Perry, David M. Forsyth
Summary: Using genetic data, this study found that sambar deer in Australia and New Zealand are genetically more similar to those in the west of their native range. Although genetic diversity is lower in the introduced populations, they still harbor unique genetic variants that could be used to strengthen genetic diversity in the native range.
Article
Ecology
Erin Hill, Nicholas Murphy, Scarlett Li-Williams, Christopher Davies, David Forsyth, Sebastien Comte, Lee Ann Rollins, Fiona Hogan, Faye Wedrowicz, Troy Crittle, Elaine Thomas, Luke Woodford, Carlo Pacioni
Summary: Introduced sambar and rusa deer populations in south-eastern Australia are subject to local control efforts. It is important to understand dispersal capability, population structure, and hybridisation rates for effective management. Genetic analysis reveals distinct management units and limited dispersal.
Article
Ecology
Scarlett Li-Williams, Katarina C. Stuart, Sebastien Comte, David M. Forsyth, Michelle Dawson, William B. Sherwin, Lee A. Rollins
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the population structure of rusa deer in the Illawarra region of New South Wales and determine the effects of landscape features on gene flow. The results showed that genetic diversity was highest near the original introduction site, and a railway line restricted gene flow. Surprisingly, the Illawarra escarpment did not limit gene flow, and there was no evidence of sex-biased dispersal.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katja Della Libera, Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin, Simon C. Griffith, Stephan T. Leu
Summary: Fission-fusion events are a mechanism for animals to adjust the social environment in response to short-term changes in the cost-benefit ratio of group living. This study identified fission-fusion events in free-ranging sheep based on high-resolution GPS data and found that group size was highest during resting times, while fission and fusion frequencies were highest during periods of high activity. However, fission and fusion events were not more frequent near food patches and water resources, suggesting limited role of resource competition.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katja Della Libera, Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin, Simon C. Griffith, Stephan T. Leu
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)