Article
Biology
Grace S. Gleason, Katherine Starr, Thomas J. Sanger, Alex R. Gunderson
Summary: Adaptive thermal tolerance plasticity can reduce the negative effects of warming. In this study, we tested the capacity for heat hardening in lizard embryos and found that hardened embryos had greater survival after lethal heat exposure. However, heat pre-treatment led to an increase in embryo heart rates, indicating an energetic cost. These results support the existence of adaptive thermal tolerance plasticity in embryos and emphasize the associated costs. The findings highlight the importance of considering thermal tolerance plasticity as a mechanism for embryo response to warming.
Article
Plant Sciences
Rachel Wooliver, Emma E. Vtipilthorpe, Amelia M. Wiegmann, Seema N. Sheth
Summary: We can understand the ecology and evolution of plant thermal niches through thermal performance curves (TPCs), which are unimodal, continuous reaction norms of performance across a temperature gradient. However, there is limited research on plant TPCs and most studies focus on physiological traits rather than individual fitness. Future studies should focus on genetic variation, plastic responses, and population-level thermal niches to better understand plant responses to climate change.
Article
Biology
Luke D. Flewwelling, Oliver H. Wearing, Emily J. Garrett, Graham R. Scott
Summary: Climate warming could have detrimental effects on the activity and thermoregulatory physiology of small mammals. This study examined the effects of simulated seasonal warming on deer mice, a nocturnal species. The results showed that summer warming led to decreased activity, dysregulation of body temperature, and reduced thermogenic capacity in the mice. These findings highlight the potential impacts of climate warming on the behavior and physiology of nocturnal mammals.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jelena Bujan, Sebastien Ollier, Irene Villalta, Severine Devers, Xim Cerda, Fernando Amor, Abdallah Dahbi, Cleo Bertelsmeier, Raphael Boulay
Summary: This study tested the predictive ability of important factors determining the fundamental niche (physiology, morphology, and evolutionary history) on the realized niche, and found no linkage between them. This has important implications for predicting species responses to climate change using the realized niche.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Claire E. Williams, Jordan G. Kueneman, Daniel J. Nicholson, Adam A. Rosso, Edita Folfas, Brianna Casement, Maria A. Gallegos-Koyner, Lauren K. Neel, John David Curlis, W. Owen McMillan, Christian L. Cox, Michael L. Logan
Summary: As climate change progresses, understanding how animals respond to shifts in their local environments is crucial. Changes in microbial communities that live in and on host organisms are part of this response. We investigated the effects of shifting climates on the gut microbiome of slender anole lizards through field and laboratory studies, including transplants to warmer islands in the Panama Canal. We found that slender anole microbiomes remained stable in response to short-term warming but may be sensitive to sustained climate anomalies, such as droughts. These findings have important implications for a species considered highly vulnerable to climate change.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Adi Barash, Aviad Scheinin, Eyal Bigal, Ziv Zemah Shamir, Stephane Martinez, Aileen Davidi, Yotam Fadida, Renanel Pickholtz, Dan Tchernov
Summary: Global warming affects the movement of large migrating marine species by raising seawater temperatures. This study focused on an artificial heat dissipation point created by a power station in Israel, where sharks were observed to prefer temperatures between 21.8 and 26.1 degrees Celsius, while the surrounding sea temperature ranged from 15.5 to 25.5 degrees Celsius.
Article
Biology
Michael L. Logan, Lauren K. Neel, Daniel J. Nicholson, Andrew J. Stokes, Christina L. Miller, Albert K. Chung, John David Curlis, Kaitlin M. Keegan, Adam A. Rosso, Inbar Maayan, Edite Folfas, Claire E. Williams, Brianna Casement, Maria A. Gallegos Koyner, Dylan J. Padilla Perez, Cleo H. Falvey, Sean M. Alexander, Kristin L. Charles, Zackary A. Graham, W. Owen McMillan, Jonathan B. Losos, Christian L. Cox
Summary: Sexual dimorphism can evolve if fitness optima for a given trait differ between males and females in a population. Differences in habitat use and thermal physiology may lead to sexual divergence in species with sexual size dimorphism. However, studies linking these differences to behavior or microhabitat use are rare, and differences in thermal physiology between sexes may arise from phenotypic plasticity or sex-specific selection rather than direct effects of thermal environments.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Scott Bennett, Raquel Vaquer-Sunyer, Gabriel Jorda, Marina Forteza, Guillem Roca, Nuria Marba
Summary: This study compares thermal performance within and between species of seagrass and seaweed in the Mediterranean Sea. The results show significant differences in thermal performance between species, with optimal temperatures varying by over 10 degrees Celsius within the same location. Within-species differences are also important, with seagrass populations displaying larger thermal safety margins in extreme temperatures. The findings suggest that the thermal performance patterns of these marine communities are influenced by deep pre-Mediterranean evolutionary legacies.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Sean W. Deery, Julie E. Rej, Daniel Haro, Alex R. Gunderson
Summary: Heat tolerance plasticity is an important adaptation to global warming, but there may be a trade-off between basal heat tolerance and tolerance plasticity. The study found that while there was an initial negative relationship between basal tolerance and heat hardening, statistical analyses showed potential false positives in the trade-off hypothesis.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Fernando Rafael De Grande, Bruno Rafael Fogo, Tania Marcia Costa
Summary: Fiddler crab males with regenerated claws, known as leptochelous morphology, have less muscle mass and longer fingers compared to those with unregenerated claws. This results in a less advantageous weapon in fights but better heat dissipation capabilities. In unshaded microhabitats, the proportion of adult males with leptochelous claws is higher, and in the laboratory, heat transfer between the body and claw is more efficient in leptochelous males.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Eric A. Riddell, Marko Mutanen, Cameron K. Ghalambor
Summary: Species' thermal tolerances are influenced by the hydric environment. As environments become hotter and drier, reducing water loss may lead to lower thermal tolerances. The correlation between water loss rate and CTmax suggests the need for a whole-organism perspective in studying thermal tolerances. Rating: 8 out of 10.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Luis Enrique Angeles-Gonzalez, Enrique Martinez-Meyer, Carlos Yanez-Arenas, Ivan Velazquez-Abunader, Jorge A. Lopez-Rocha, Josymar Torrejon-Magallanes, Carlos Rosas
Summary: This study used two niche models to predict the suitability and distribution of the red octopus in the Yucatan Peninsula under different climate change scenarios. The results suggest that the suitability of the red octopus may be slightly reduced in the future, with potential impacts on fisheries in the region.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Sarthak P. Malusare, Giacomo Zilio, Emanuel A. Fronhofer
Summary: Temperatures are increasing due to global changes, posing a risk to biodiversity. This study focuses on the evolutionary adaptations of organisms to temperature. By conducting a systematic literature search and statistical meta-analysis, the study finds positive responses to temperature selection across various taxa. However, there is no statistical support for the Hotter is better hypothesis. The study highlights the need for further experimental work, particularly in under-represented taxa such as plants and non-model systems.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alexa Fredston, Malin Pinsky, Rebecca L. Selden, Cody Szuwalski, James T. Thorson, Steven D. Gaines, Benjamin S. Halpern
Summary: By studying the range edge positions of 165 marine fish and invertebrates, it was found that the majority of edges maintained their edge thermal niche over time. However, some edges did not shift, shifted more than predicted, or shifted in the opposite direction, highlighting the multiple factors driving changes in range edge positions.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shijia Peng, Yunpeng Liu, Tong Lyu, Xiaoling Zhang, Yaoqi Li, Zhiheng Wang
Summary: This study predicts the thermal tolerance and vulnerability of 5628 woody species in China under climate warming using distribution maps and thermal distribution curves. The research reveals that species' vulnerability and potential local extinction risks increase with latitude and aridity, highlighting the importance of considering thermal tolerance in conservation planning under climate change.
Article
Biology
Michael L. Logan, Lauren K. Neel, Daniel J. Nicholson, Andrew J. Stokes, Christina L. Miller, Albert K. Chung, John David Curlis, Kaitlin M. Keegan, Adam A. Rosso, Inbar Maayan, Edite Folfas, Claire E. Williams, Brianna Casement, Maria A. Gallegos Koyner, Dylan J. Padilla Perez, Cleo H. Falvey, Sean M. Alexander, Kristin L. Charles, Zackary A. Graham, W. Owen McMillan, Jonathan B. Losos, Christian L. Cox
Summary: Sexual dimorphism can evolve if fitness optima for a given trait differ between males and females in a population. Differences in habitat use and thermal physiology may lead to sexual divergence in species with sexual size dimorphism. However, studies linking these differences to behavior or microhabitat use are rare, and differences in thermal physiology between sexes may arise from phenotypic plasticity or sex-specific selection rather than direct effects of thermal environments.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Lauren Wilson, George Lonsdale, John David Curlis, Elizabeth A. Hunter, Christian L. Cox
Summary: The impact of sympatry and allopatry on predator-based selection in mimicry systems in the montane tropics is more complex than previously thought, with edge sympatry potentially lacking fitness benefits for mimetic phenotypes.
EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY
(2022)
Correction
Ecology
Lauren Wilson, George Lonsdale, John David Curlis, Elizabeth A. Hunter, Christian L. Cox
EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Inbar Maayan, R. Graham Reynolds, Rachel M. Goodman, Paul M. Hime, Ryan Bickel, E. Allen Luck, Jonathan B. Losos
Summary: This study investigated the morphological changes in Neotropical lizard specimens over a 10-year period. The findings suggest that fixation in formalin and long-term preservation in ethanol can lead to a decline in snout-vent length and spine length.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
John David Curlis, Timothy Renney, Alison R. Davis Rabosky, Talia Y. Moore
Summary: Efficient comparison of biological color patterns is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of organism evolution. This study introduces Batch-Mask, an automated workflow for analyzing non-standard biological organisms from large photographic datasets. Batch-Mask increases efficiency and accuracy, reducing the time and attention required for quantitative analysis.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Claire E. Williams, Jordan G. Kueneman, Daniel J. Nicholson, Adam A. Rosso, Edita Folfas, Brianna Casement, Maria A. Gallegos-Koyner, Lauren K. Neel, John David Curlis, W. Owen McMillan, Christian L. Cox, Michael L. Logan
Summary: As climate change progresses, understanding how animals respond to shifts in their local environments is crucial. Changes in microbial communities that live in and on host organisms are part of this response. We investigated the effects of shifting climates on the gut microbiome of slender anole lizards through field and laboratory studies, including transplants to warmer islands in the Panama Canal. We found that slender anole microbiomes remained stable in response to short-term warming but may be sensitive to sustained climate anomalies, such as droughts. These findings have important implications for a species considered highly vulnerable to climate change.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Daniel J. Nicholson, Robert J. Knell, Rachel S. McCrea, Lauren K. Neel, John David Curlis, Claire E. Williams, Albert K. Chung, William Owen McMillan, Trenton W. J. Garner, Christian L. Cox, Michael L. Logan
Summary: Understanding the factors that influence the establishment of populations in novel environments is crucial for conservation biology. This study investigated the factors mediating establishment success by introducing slender anole lizards to islands in Panama and tracking them over multiple generations. The results showed that establishment success depends on the intensity of interspecific competition and the timing of colonization relative to climactic events, and that the effect of competitors interacts with sex.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Renata M. Pirani, Carlos F. Arias, Kristin Charles, Albert K. Chung, John David Curlis, Daniel J. Nicholson, Marta Vargas, Christian L. Cox, W. Owen McMillan, Michael L. Logan
Summary: The slender anole is a small arboreal lizard found in the rainforests of central and eastern Panama. This study presents a high-quality genome for the slender anole, which is an important resource for studying this species. The genome was compared with other anole genomes and is one of the most complete genomes of any anole assembled to date.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Zoology
R. M. Pirani, J. D. Curlis, C. Arias, O. McMilian, M. L. Logan
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Christian L. Cox, Michael L. Logan, Daniel J. Nicholson, Albert K. Chung, Adam A. Rosso, W. Owen McMillan, Robert M. Cox
Summary: The study compared the expression of genes in the GH/IGF network between two lizard species with different sexual size dimorphism. The results showed significant differences in sex-biased expression of genes in the GH/IGF network between the two species, but minor differences when comparing adult slender anoles to juvenile brown anoles. The expression of the GH/IGF network in the liver and muscle of adult brown anoles was sex-biased, while there was no sex-bias in either tissue in juvenile brown anoles or adult slender anoles.
INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)