Article
Entomology
Muhammad Mubashir Saeed, Kevin Tougeron, Abu Bakar Muhammad Raza, Muhammad Afzal, Anjum Aqueel, Guillaume Jean Le Goff, Francois Renoz, Jennifer Pirotte, Thierry Hance
Summary: Diapause is an adaptation that insects use to synchronize their life cycles with seasonal changes in climate and resources. Short day-length conditions, low temperatures, and maternal effects have been found to increase diapause induction.
Article
Ecology
Natasha Kruger, Jean Secondi, Louis du Preez, Anthony Herrel, John Measey
Summary: Phenotypic variations between populations are often related to climatic variables. In this study, the phenotypic variation of Xenopus laevis tadpoles in two regions with contrasting rainfall regimes in southern Africa was found to be driven by both adaptation and plasticity. However, the reaction norms differed between populations, indicating adaptive and asymmetric plasticity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zsolt Karpati, Ferenc Deutsch, Balazs Kiss, Thomas Schmitt
Summary: Seasonal plasticity in insects is often triggered by temperature and photoperiod changes. This study investigated the impact of cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile changes on mate recognition and mating success in Drosophila suzukii summer and winter morphs. The results showed that CHC compositions differed with age and morphs, but not between the sexes of the same age and morph. The behavioral assays revealed that summer morph pairs exhibited earlier mating, shorter duration, and higher offspring production compared to winter morph pairs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Hongran Li, Yan Peng, Yansong Wang, Bryce Summerhays, Xiaohan Shu, Yumary Vasquez, Hannah Vansant, Christy Grenier, Nicolette Gonzalez, Khyati Kansagra, Ryan Cartmill, Edison Ryoiti Sujii, Ling Meng, Xuguo Zhou, Gabor L. Loevei, John J. Obrycki, Arun Sethuraman, Baoping Li
Summary: This study provides new insights into the invasion processes of the harlequin ladybird into other continents from its native range in Asia. It identifies a population in eastern China as the source of non-native populations and identifies potential adaptive genomic loci related to body color variation, visual perception, and hemolymph synthesis. The study also reveals asymmetric migration, varying population sizes, historical bottlenecks, and different mitochondrial haplotypes between native and non-native populations.
Article
Ecology
Salvador Zarco-Perello, David Fairclough, Chris Dowling, Joey DiBattista, Rachel Austin, Thomas Wernberg, Brett Taylor
Summary: Global warming is affecting the phenology, life-history traits, and biogeography of species. This study examines the life-history traits of two successful range-extending fish species and finds that populations at higher latitudes have shorter reproductive periods, slower growth rates, but higher fecundity and longer lifespans.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tim Burton, Irja Ida Ratikainen, Sigurd Einum
Summary: This article examines the rate at which reversible phenotypic plasticity (RPP) occurs and its potential impact on how organisms overcome environmental challenges. The study suggests that current theoretical models do not consider the evolutionary potential of RPP rates. If the rate of plasticity itself can evolve, it may alter the organism's perception of environmental predictability and influence the slope of the evolved reaction norm. The optimization of phenotypic plasticity rates, their evolutionary dynamics in different environments, and the costs associated with them warrant further exploration in future research.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Enrique Hurtado-Bautista, Laura F. Perez Sanchez, Africa Islas-Robles, Gustavo Santoyo, Gabriela Olmedo-Alvarez
Summary: Phenotypic plasticity allows individuals to respond to new environments, but the study found fixed phenotypic plasticity within bacterial lineages despite different environments and limited evolutionary changes in heat tolerance. Bacteria in hot springs show higher heat tolerance compared to those in temperate lagoons, surviving as spores and completing their life cycles during intermittent moderate temperatures. These findings highlight the potential negative impact of climate change on biological cycles that depend on microorganisms.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Miao Xiang, Andrew L. Rypel, Fei Cheng, Jiao Qin, Lei Zhang, Yushun Chen, Songguang Xie
Summary: Understanding long-term changes in life-history traits of freshwater fish species is crucial for assessing and managing fisheries. This study compared the life-history traits of a native fish species in different periods and found that modern fish exhibit more opportunistic traits, larger size, faster growth, earlier sexual maturity, and increased fecundities compared to historical samples, which had larger size, higher age class diversity, and delayed sexual maturation. Fast growth towards early sexual maturation and reduced body sizes are associated with destabilized populations and ecosystems.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Anthony G. E. Mathiron, Gil Gallego, Frederic Silvestre
Summary: The impacts of environmental constraints during development on the behavioural response of fishes are not well understood. This study examined how early exposure to the pyrethroid insecticide permethrin influenced phenotypic traits in mangrove rivulus fish. The results showed that larval exposure to high concentration permethrin led to slower growth, decreased activity, negative thigmotaxis, and reduced prey capture. Additionally, adult fish previously exposed to high concentration permethrin showed overcompensated growth and altered aggression behavior during contests. This study highlights the immediate and persistent effects of permethrin on phenotypic traits and suggests an interaction between pyrethroids and hormones in affecting animal behavior.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Giacomo Puglielli, Carlos P. Carmona, Laura Varone, Lauri Laanisto, Carlo Ricotta
Summary: In trait-based ecology, it is common to use measures to quantify phenotypic variation between populations. However, these measures overlook the within-population trait variability and some of them cannot be partitioned between populations. This study proposes a new measure called the phenotypic dissimilarity (PhD) index to address these issues and provide a tool for quantifying phenotypic variation within and between species.
Article
Entomology
Lei Wang, Dan-Dan Wei, Gui-Qiang Wang, Han-Qin Huang, Jin-Jun Wang
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of larval dietary sucrose on the life history traits, stress tolerance, and defense response at the molecular level of Bactrocera dorsalis. The results showed that low-sucrose diet led to decreased body size, shortened developmental duration, and enhanced sensitivity to beta-cypermethrin, while high-sucrose diet increased developmental duration, adult fecundity, and tolerance to malathion. Transcriptome analysis revealed differentially expressed genes related to metabolism, hormone synthesis and signaling, and immune-related pathways. This study provides insights into the phenotypic adjustments and strong host adaptability of oriental fruit flies in response to dietary conditions.
Article
Ecology
Nadja Verspagen, Suvi Ikonen, Dirk Maes, Constanti Stefanescu, Michelle F. Dileo, Marjo Saastamoinen
Summary: Trade-offs among traits vary within species living across environmental clines, possibly as a consequence of natural selection to local environmental conditions or other genetic constraints. Understanding these variations is important in predicting species' responses to climate change.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Janne Swaegers, Rosa A. Sanchez-Guillen, Jose A. Carbonell, Robby Stoks
Summary: This study investigates the plasticity and evolution of trait changes in damselflies during their range expansion into a warmer region. The results suggest that the populations have evolved adaptive changes in terms of a faster pace-of-life, smaller body size, higher energy budget, and increased expression levels of the heat shock gene DnaJ. However, there is incomplete convergence towards the native sister species for thermal plasticity in traits associated with anaerobic metabolism and melanization.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Yuzhe Hu, Chen Liu, Wenling Han, Pingzhang Wang
Summary: This study proposes a theoretical framework for immune cell phenotypic classification based on gene plasticity, and suggests that loss and gain of phenotype are accompanied by changes in gene plasticity. Transcriptome data analysis from multiple immune cell types supports the logical rationality and generality of this framework, providing a new perspective on understanding diverse immune cell phenotypes and intrinsic regulation in the immune system. Moreover, the results obtained provide a useful resource for big-data-driven experimental studies and knowledge discoveries.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Dmitry Kutcherov, Elena. B. B. Lopatina
Summary: The interaction between genetic divergence and phenotypic plasticity is important in understanding geographic variation in insects. Temperature and photoperiod are key factors in shaping insect life histories. This study investigates the survival, development, and body mass of three populations of Cassida vibex beetles from different geographic locations, revealing subtle but significant differences in these traits and their plasticity to temperature and photoperiod.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luc Janssens de Bisthoven, Maarten Vanhove, Anne-Julie Rochette, Jean Huge, Luc Brendonck
Summary: Ecosystem services are important for discussing natural resource management with stakeholders. A stakeholder analysis in the Lake Manyara sub-basin in Tanzania identified different groups with varying levels of influence and interest. An improved stakeholder analysis framework can contribute to better decision support systems in water basins.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Lizaan de Necker, Ruan Gerber, Johan van Vuren, Victor Wepener, Nico J. Smit, Luc Brendonck
Summary: South Africa experienced a severe drought that dried up waterbodies, but the study found that the drought did not affect the natural colonization and succession of aquatic invertebrates. However, if the drought persists, it could lead to local extinction of aquatic populations and loss of biodiversity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elizabeth Meyer-Milne, Luc Brendonck, Tom Pinceel
Summary: Due to the continued degradation of wetlands and the rapid decline of freshwater biodiversity, it is necessary to identify vulnerable species for conservation and management efforts. In this study, we assessed the vulnerability of branchiopod communities in dryland landscapes using egg bank abundance and morpho-species richness as indicators. Our results showed that the branchiopod communities became more vulnerable along an aridity gradient and that egg bank abundance decreased with alkalinity.
WETLANDS ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Floris Schoeters, Eli S. J. Thore, Audrey De Cuyper, Isabelle Noyens, Sarah Goossens, Sander Lybaert, Erik Meers, Sabine Van Miert, Marcella Fernandes de Souza
Summary: Green biorefineries aim to sustainably produce chemicals, materials, proteins and energy by processing green biomass, such as grass, into a solid fraction (fibers) and a liquid fraction (green juice) for further refining. In this study, microalgae cultivation was incorporated in the green biorefinery concept to obtain a higher protein production from green juice obtained from grass.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Yusuph A. A. Kafula, Gordian R. R. Mataba, Grite N. N. Mwaijengo, Pieter Lemmens, Linus K. K. Munishi, Francis Moyo, Trevor Dube, Bram Vanschoenwinkel, Luc Brendonck
Summary: Large branchiopods are crucial for temporary ponds' ecosystems and their disappearance in Tanzania due to human activities is a concern. In this study, we compared temporary ponds in protected areas with those in communal lands, and found that land-use types affect the structure of large branchiopod community. We found six large branchiopod species, including one new species, and identified the most abundant and widely occurring species. The variation in community structure was influenced by the presence of Nothobranchius killifish and orthophosphate concentration. Understanding the relationship between land-use types and large branchiopod communities can guide the management of temporary pond ecosystems.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Monika Mioduchowska, Edyta Konecka, Bartlomiej Goldyn, Tom Pinceel, Luc Brendonck, Dunja Lukic, Lukasz Kaczmarek, Tadeusz Namiotko, Katarzyna Zajac, Tadeusz Zajac, Jan P. Jastrzebski, Krzysztof Bartoszek
Summary: In this study, a new metagenetic method was developed for detecting the co-occurrence of different Wolbachia strains in freshwater invertebrate host species. Three supergroups of Wolbachia were identified: a new supergroup V in Crustacea and Bivalvia hosts, supergroup A in Crustacea, Bivalvia, and Eutardigrada hosts, and supergroup E infection in the Crustacea host microbiome community.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Charlotte Philippe, Lucia Vergauwen, Kato Huyghe, Gudrun De Boeck, Dries Knapen
Summary: The zebrafish is an important fish model species in scientific research. Handling the fish can cause stress, impacting fish welfare and experimental outcomes. The study found that even short handling routines can induce stress responses in zebrafish, and researchers should consider this when conducting measurements or behavioral trials within an hour after handling.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Eli S. J. Thore, Wouter Merckx
Summary: A laboratory experiment showed that turquoise killifish have a preference for black sand for spawning, depositing significantly more eggs compared to white or orange sand. This finding contributes to our understanding of the species' biology and can guide optimal husbandry and experimental conditions.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Lana Ramaekers, Bram Vanschoenwinkel, Luc Brendonck, Tom Pinceel
Summary: Increasing pCO(2) in freshwater environments may lead to acidification, which could negatively affect the survival, growth, and calcification of freshwater organisms. In this study, elevated pCO(2) and associated acidification were found to reduce the survival and calcium content of Daphnia magna, as well as slow down their growth and delay maturity. This is likely due to interference with the calcification process under elevated pCO(2) and low pH conditions.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yusuph A. Kafula, Eli S. J. Thore, Charlotte Philippe, Linus K. Munishi, Francis Moyo, Bram Vanschoenwinkel, Luc Brendonck
Summary: Environmental risks posed by widespread pesticide application have attracted global attention. Chemical risk assessments in aquatic environments typically rely on toxicity data from classic model species, but complementary data based on local species are needed for unusual living environments. This study conducted an environmental risk assessment of cypermethrin using local temporary pond species, and compared the results to those obtained using classic model species.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Eli S. J. Thore, Birgit Vanden Berghen, Luc Brendonck, Tom Pinceel
Summary: Ecosystems worldwide are being polluted by pharmaceutical compounds, which can disrupt wildlife behaviour. Despite a large body of literature, there is a lack of long-term studies across different life stages to accurately estimate the ecological outcomes of pharmaceutical pollution. In this experiment, fish exposed to the antidepressant fluoxetine showed smaller body size and changes in their position in the water column during adulthood, highlighting the importance of considering ecologically relevant timescales when studying the ecotoxicology of pharmaceuticals.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Yander L. Diez, Marlies Monnens, Arlien Wuyts, Luc Brendonck, Patrick Reygel, Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa, Tom Artois
Summary: This article presents 22 marine species of Dalytyphloplanida from Cuba, Panama, and Lanzarote, of which 16 are new to science. Phylogenetic analysis and detailed morphology were used to classify and describe new taxa. The study also proposes new species synonyms and the establishment of a new family. Additionally, the classification of thalassotyphloplanid families was revised based on morphological and molecular data.
ORGANISMS DIVERSITY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
