Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Understanding the tripartite approach to Bayesian divergence time estimation
Published: 2020-04-07
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Sciences, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Placing evolutionary events in the context of geological time is a fundamental goal in paleobiology and macroevolution. In this article we describe the tripartite model used for Bayesian estimation of time calibrated phylogenetic trees. The model can be readily separated into its component models: the substitution model, the clock model and the tree model. We provide an overview of the most [...]
Facultative predation can alter the ant-aphid population
Published: 2020-04-04
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Entomology, Life Sciences
Although ant--aphid interactions are the most typical example of mutualism between insect species, some studies suggest that ant attendance is not always advantageous for the aphids because they may pay a physiological cost. In this study, we propose a new mathematical model of an ant--aphid system considering the costs of ant attendance. It includes both mutualism and predation. In the model, we [...]
The “intestines of the soil”: the taxonomic and functional diversity of earthworms – a review for young ecologists
Published: 2020-04-02
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Earthworms are some of the most important and popular soil organisms. Their essential roles in ecosystems have not only been recognized by Aristotle, Charles Darwin, and many active scientists around the globe, but also by land managers, farmers, and gardeners. However, many people do not know how diverse earthworms are in terms of their form and function. Here we summarize the current knowledge [...]
Evolutionary consequences of epigenetically induced phenotypic switching
Published: 2020-04-01
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Evolution, Life Sciences
In this book chapter, we discuss the importance of phenotypic switching with respect to adaptation. Hereby, we focus on epigenetic mechanisms of phenotypic switching that are involved in gene expression regulation. We start by placing the discovery of phenotypic switching in the context of the history of evolutionary biology. We highlight how the controversy about whether phenotypic switching can [...]
On the inadequacy of species distribution models for modelling the spread of SARS-CoV-2: response to Araújo and Naimi
Published: 2020-03-28
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Other Medicine and Health Sciences
The ongoing pandemic of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing significant damage to public health and economic livelihoods, and is putting significant strains on healthcare services globally. This unfolding emergency has prompted the preparation and dissemination of the article “Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus likely to be constrained by climate” by Araújo [...]
Towards a generalizable framework of disturbance ecology through crowdsourced science
Published: 2020-03-24
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Disturbances fundamentally alter ecosystem functions, yet predicting their impacts remains a key scientific challenge. While the study of disturbances is ubiquitous across many ecological disciplines, there is no agreed-upon, cross-disciplinary foundation for discussing or quantifying the complexity of disturbances, and no consistent terminology or methodologies exist. This inconsistency presents [...]
The sixth R: Revitalizing the natural phosphorus pump
Published: 2020-03-18
Subjects: Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Humans and natural systems face three pressing concerns: the loss of large animal biodiversity, eutrophication of many aquatic systems, and the need to better recycle phosphorus. Here we propose a mechanism to help alleviate these problems. Some have hypothesized that we are approaching “peak phosphorus,” where phosphorus may become more expensive as it becomes rarer, thus endangering the green [...]
Epicuticular compounds of Protopiophila litigata (Diptera: Piophilidae): identification and sexual selection across two years in the wild
Published: 2020-03-18
Subjects: Behavior and Ethology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Entomology, Evolution, Life Sciences
The epicuticular compounds (ECs) of insects serve both to waterproof the cuticle and, in many taxa, as pheromones that are important for various social interactions including mate choice within populations. However, ECs have not been individually identified in many species and most studies of their role in mate choice have been performed in a laboratory setting. Here we newly identify and [...]
Poor nutritional condition promotes high-risk behaviours: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Published: 2020-03-18
Subjects: Behavior and Ethology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
Animal behaviour can lead to varying levels of risk, and an individual’s physical condition can alter the potential costs and benefits of undertaking risky behaviours. How risk-taking behaviour depends on condition is subject to contrasting hypotheses. The asset protection principle proposes that individuals in better condition should be more risk averse, as they have higher future reproductive [...]
Pre-maturation social experience affects female reproductive strategies and offspring fitness in a highly polyandrous insect
Published: 2020-03-17
Subjects: Behavior and Ethology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Evolution, Life Sciences, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
The pre-maturation social environment experienced by females may affect their post-maturation reproductive strategies, including mating preferences and investment in offspring. Whether the pre-maturation social environment also affects other aspects of females’ reproductive strategies, such as the degree of polyandry and post-copulatory decisions, is still an open question. To address this [...]
Development time mediates the effect of larval diet on ageing and mating success of male antler flies in the wild
Published: 2020-03-16
Subjects: Behavior and Ethology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Entomology, Evolution, Life Sciences, Population Biology
High-quality developmental environments often improve individual performance into adulthood, but allocating toward early-life traits, such as growth, development rate, and reproduction, may lead to trade-offs with late life performance. It is therefore uncertain how a rich developmental environment will affect the ageing process (senescence), particularly in wild insects. To investigate the [...]
Natural variation in the growth and development of Protopiophila litigata (Diptera: Piophilidae) developing in three moose (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) antlers
Published: 2020-03-16
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Entomology, Evolution, Life Sciences, Population Biology
In animals, the early-life environment influences growth and development, which can have lasting effects on life history and fitness into adulthood. We investigated patterns of growth, pupal development time, and their covariation, in wild antler fly larvae (Protopiophila litigata; Diptera: Piophilidae) of both sexes collected from three discarded moose antlers of varying size, chewing damage [...]
Infected or informed? Social structure and the simultaneous transmission of information and infectious disease
Published: 2020-03-06
Subjects: Behavior and Ethology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Life Sciences
Social interactions present opportunities for both information and infection to spread through populations. Social learning is often proposed as a key benefit of sociality, while disease epidemics are proposed as a major cost. Multiple empirical and theoretical studies have demonstrated the importance of social structure for either information or infectious disease, but rarely in combination. We [...]
Estimation of environmental and genetic contributions to telomere length variation in a wild mammal
Published: 2020-03-04
Subjects: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Understanding individual variation in fitness-related traits requires separating the environmental and genetic determinants. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that are thought to be a biomarker of senescence as their length predicts mortality risk and reflect the physiological consequences of environmental conditions. The relative contribution of genetic and environmental [...]
Intergroup food transfers in wild golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia)
Published: 2020-03-01
Subjects: Animal Sciences, Behavior and Ethology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences, Zoology
Transfers of food between adults are uncommon in primates. Although golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia), are unique among primates in the extent of food transfers, reports of food transfers between adults have so far been restricted to captive or reintroduced individuals. Here, I report the first six recorded events of adult-adult food transfers between individuals belonging to [...]