Ecology and Evolution最新文献

{"title":"Genetic Conservation and Population Management of Non-Human Primates: Parentage Determination Using Seven Microsatellite-Based Multiplexes","authors":"Natasja G. de Groot,&nbsp;Annemiek J. M. de Vos-Rouweler,&nbsp;Corrine M. C. Heijmans,&nbsp;Annet Louwerse,&nbsp;Jorg J. M. Massen,&nbsp;Jan A. M. Langermans,&nbsp;Ronald E. Bontrop,&nbsp;Jesse Bruijnesteijn","doi":"10.1002/ece3.71216","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71216","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Conservation of non-human primates receives much attention, with nearly 350 of the more than 520 recorded primate species classified as threatened. To conduct effective population management, monitoring genetic diversity within species is of key importance, as it can offer insights into the levels of inbreeding within groups or populations. To examine kinship within the macaque breeding groups housed at the Biomedical Primate Research Centre, located in Rijswijk, The Netherlands, we have developed seven microsatellite-based multiplexes for parentage analysis. These multiplexes comprise a unique set of 23 short tandem repeats (STR) distributed across 15 chromosomes. Extensive validation has been conducted across 2217 Indian rhesus (<i>Macaca mulatta</i>) and 759 long-tailed macaques (<i>M. fascicularis</i>), demonstrating that these STR markers are highly polymorphic and segregate. Most markers exhibit a polymorphic information content (PIC) value above 0.5, illustrating that they are highly informative and valuable in providing us with a reliable parentage determination. Beyond macaques, we manifested that the multiplexes are also suitable for addressing parentage issues in apes and other Old World monkey species. Furthermore, this assay works on DNA isolated from both invasive and non-invasive derived material (e.g., hair follicles and potentially feces). Thus, we present here seven validated multiplexes suitable for parentage analysis in apes and Old World monkey species. These multiplexes support future colony management objectives for various captive populations and, given the applicability of non-invasive techniques, could also be valuable for monitoring free-ranging primate populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.71216","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unraveling Omnivory and Community Interactions Between Primary Producers and an Apex Predator","authors":"Ashlee J. Mikkelsen,&nbsp;Andreas Zedrosser,&nbsp;Agnieszka Sergiel,&nbsp;Keith A. Hobson,&nbsp;Nuria Selva,&nbsp;Anne G. Hertel","doi":"10.1002/ece3.71181","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71181","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The effects of climate and plant phenological changes on herbivorous species are widely recognized, yet less research has focused on predatory species, even though vegetative components can account for large proportions of their diet. The historical focus on predation through the lens of simple interactions between obligate carnivores and their prey oversimplifies many species' roles within ecological communities and minimizes other, equally important community functions. We used a long-term, individual-based dataset on an omnivorous species, the brown bear (<i>Ursus arctos</i>), to identify long-term diet patterns and factors contributing to annual variation in diet. We used carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes measured in hair and Bayesian mixing models to determine annual diet among three demographic classes and then used linear mixed models to relate diet to indices of food availability. Variation in both carbon and nitrogen values were explained by bilberry (<i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i>) productivity. Additionally, even as the moose population increased over time, there was no increase in the proportion of moose in the diet. The variation in the proportion of moose in the diet slightly decreased throughout the study, while the proportion of bilberry became increasingly more variable. Our results highlight that even though vegetative diet components are typically considered less important to predator ecology, brown bear diet in Sweden responded to changes in berry availability, regardless of prey availability. It will be crucial to put more emphasis on the vegetative parts of diets as we predict how species and ecological communities respond to climate change because predators serve many more functions within their community besides predation alone.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.71181","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Road Interactions on Mate-Searching Movements and Mate Location Success in an Imperiled Pit Viper (Crotalus horridus)","authors":"Elizabeth J. Noble,&nbsp;Anna F. Tipton,&nbsp;Morgan L. Thompson,&nbsp;John R. Powers,&nbsp;Amber A. Stubbs,&nbsp;William L. Tillett II,&nbsp;Jorge A. Vázquez Diosdado,&nbsp;Dominic L. DeSantis","doi":"10.1002/ece3.71102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71102","url":null,"abstract":"<p>For many species, male mate-searching movements are among the primary determinants of mate location success, and males often incur significant risks associated with elevated movement during reproductive seasons. In an increasingly human-modified world, this often includes more frequent interactions with anthropogenic landscape features, such as roadways. While road mortality represents the most direct and easily measured cost of road interactions, pervasive indirect or sub-lethal costs could carry significant fitness consequences that are more difficult to quantify. We leveraged radio telemetry and accelerometry monitoring to explore the associations between seasonal movement strategies, mate location success, and road interactions in Timber Rattlesnakes (<i>Crotalus horridus</i>) from the piedmont ecoregion of Georgia, USA, where populations are in decline. Males, but not females, significantly elevated measures of movement and the frequency of road interactions during mating seasons, supporting our predictions. By using accelerometers to evaluate fine-scale activity responses to roads, we identified a positive association between road interactions and male activity that was conserved across behavioral seasons. Unexpectedly, there were no associations detected between mate location success and road interactions. However, underlying variation in male movement measures revealed differing associations between movement and mate location success within road interaction categories. We discuss the possible roles of chemosensory disruption and road avoidance in this system, while emphasizing the need for further sampling and targeted field experiments to boost observations of road interactions and refine our understanding of these associations. Ultimately, our results are the first to directly quantify the relationship between elevated male movement in mate searching efforts and increased road interactions by longitudinally monitored rattlesnakes, despite this trend being widely recognized through observational studies of road mortality. For <i>C. horridus</i>, specifically, roads are implicated as a leading driver of declines range-wide, and our results further highlight mating seasons as a window of highest vulnerability.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.71102","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fire Is Associated With Positive Shifts in Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) Body Size and Bee Abundance in the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains","authors":"Claudinéia P. Costa,&nbsp;Natalie Fischer,&nbsp;Melissa Arellano,&nbsp;Claudette C. Torres,&nbsp;S. Hollis Woodard","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70821","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70821","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires worldwide. Although wildfires are typically viewed as destructive, emerging research suggests they may have benefits for some species, including some pollinators. One reason for this is that wildfires can increase floral resource availability in the years immediately following the burn, potentially creating more favorable conditions for pollinator foraging and reproduction. In this study, we focused on how the 2021 KNP Complex Fire impacted the bumble bee <i>Bombus vosnesenskii</i> in the Southern Sierra Mountains, where the effects of fire on this pollinator species have not been previously explored. Consistent with bumble bee studies in other areas, we found an increase in the size of <i>B. vosnesenskii</i> workers in recently burned areas. This effect was detectable despite a limited number of sampling events and locations in our study, and irrespective of the habitat type (meadow vs. forest) in which sampling occurred. We failed to detect increased floral resource availability (abundance or diversity) in burned areas but did observe unique floral communities in burned areas. Our findings contribute to our growing understanding of fire's impact on pollinators and support the broad idea that fire might have benefits for some organisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70821","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Primates in Burrows: A Cause for Concern? Observations From a One Health Perspective at Niokolo Koba National Park, Senegal","authors":"Cédric Vermeulen,&nbsp;Jérôme Vandebos,&nbsp;Daelemans Virginie,&nbsp;Simon Lhoest","doi":"10.1002/ece3.71062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71062","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Burrows are places where many species cross paths and potentially exchange diseases. Primates are rarely frequenting burrows. However, this brief descriptive communication shows that three species of primates in the Niokolo Koba National Park (Senegal) frequent the vicinity of burrows, with some individuals even entering them. In particular, these primates come potentially into contact with bats. We aim to draw the scientific community's attention to the fact that burrows serve as critical interaction points for various taxa, some of which are reputed to carry zoonoses. As such, these burrows should be considered as potential “One Health hotspots” to be monitored, especially when frequented by primates in contact with rangers or tourists.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.71062","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic Diversity and Interpopulation Variability of the Hong Kong Newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis) in an Urbanized and Deforested Landscape","authors":"Anthony Lau,&nbsp;Shu-Ping Tseng,&nbsp;Nancy E. Karraker,&nbsp;David Dudgeon","doi":"10.1002/ece3.70849","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70849","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Population genetics is a valuable tool for conservationists to quantify population-level genetic variation and identify priority conservation units. The Hong Kong newt (<i>Paramesotriton hongkongensis</i>) is a tropical salamander restricted to streams and forests in southern China, facing significant challenges from range-wide deforestation since the 1600s, and recent rapid urban development. Using species-specific microsatellite markers, we found surprisingly high genetic diversity within and among <i>P. hongkongensis</i> populations, despite long-term habitat disturbance and fragmentation. Only 2 out of 10 sites exhibited evidence of recent population bottlenecks. Bayesian clustering revealed four well-supported genetic clusters within the newt's Hong Kong range, suggesting that these should be managed as separate conservation units. Our findings highlight the resilience of this species to historical and contemporary disturbances and emphasize the importance of considering genetic data in conservation planning for amphibians in human-modified landscapes.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70849","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate Change and Human Pressure: Assessing the Vulnerability of Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) Habitat Integrated With Prey Distribution on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau","authors":"Yu Zhang,&nbsp;Yunchuan Dai,&nbsp;Jia Li,&nbsp;Wei Cong,&nbsp;Yuguang Zhang,&nbsp;Xiuqing Nie,&nbsp;Qiong Wu,&nbsp;Yadong Xue","doi":"10.1002/ece3.71232","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71232","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Climate change is significantly altering the distribution of large carnivores and their primary prey species, with particular emphasis on the changing prey distribution in high-altitude regions. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known for its rich biodiversity, is highly sensitive to climate change, affecting the habitats of snow leopards (<i>Panthera uncia</i>) and blue sheep (<i>Pseudois nayaur</i>). Our study identified blue sheep as the primary prey of snow leopards through metagenomic analysis and used bioclimatic data and Land Use/Cover Change (LUCC) information to model habitat suitability under three climate scenarios (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5). Projections showed that under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, snow leopard habitats will decrease by 13.0% and 23.4%, while blue sheep habitats will decrease by 38.3% and 49.7%, respectively. These habitats are expected to shift to higher altitudes, with snow leopards experiencing a more significant shift. Based on these findings, we recommend adjusting protected area boundaries for S1 (Ideal distribution range), establishing ecological corridors for S2 (stepping stone), and implementing targeted measures to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts in S3 (potential conflict area). To protect these species, international efforts to reduce carbon emissions, cross-administrative cooperation, and community-based conservation strategies are essential.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.71232","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143770122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Targeted eDNA Metabarcoding Reveals New Populations of a Range-Limited Stonefly","authors":"Graham A. McCulloch,&nbsp;Stephen R. Pohe,&nbsp;Shaun P. Wilkinson,&nbsp;Tom J. Drinan,&nbsp;Jonathan M. Waters","doi":"10.1002/ece3.71244","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71244","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding the geographic distributions of rare species can be crucial for conservation management. New environmental DNA (eDNA) technologies offer the potential to efficiently document the distributions of endangered species, but to date, such screening has focused largely on vertebrate taxa. Here we use freshwater eDNA to assess the geographic distribution of the Maungatua stonefly, <i>Zelandoperla maungatuaensis</i>, a flightless insect previously known from only a handful of streams draining a 4-km section of the Maungatua mountain range in southern New Zealand. We analyzed freshwater eDNA from 12 stream localities across the Maungatua range. Screening with commercial eDNA COI primers failed to detect the focal species <i>Z. maungatuaensis</i>. However, newly designed species-specific primers detected this taxon from four adjacent east-flowing streams known to contain <i>Z. maungatuaensis</i>, and two streams from which it had not previously been detected. Subsequent manual surveys confirmed the presence of two newly discovered <i>Z. maungatuaensis</i> populations, with COI barcoding revealing that they together represent a previously unknown, genetically divergent subclade. Our results illustrate the potential of eDNA metabarcoding to help delineate the geographic ranges of rare taxa, and highlight the importance of primer specificity when screening for rare taxa. These findings also have considerable implications for commercial companies offering biodiversity and stream health eDNA services targeting invertebrates.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.71244","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143770312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to “Warm Spring Days Are Related to Shorter Durations of Reproductive Phenophases for Understory Forest Herbs”","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/ece3.71219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71219","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Miller, C. N., and K. L. Stuble. 2024. “Warm Spring Days Are Related to Shorter Durations of Reproductive Phenophases for Understory Forest Herbs.” Ecology and Evolution 14: e70700. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70700.</p><p>In the published article, a temporary URL was included in the Data Availability Statement. The data can now be accessed at the permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jh9w0vtmh.</p><p>We apologize for this error.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.71219","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143762242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vocal Learning Versus Speech Evolution: Untangling a False Equivalence","authors":"Adriano R. Lameira","doi":"10.1002/ece3.71241","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71241","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The evolution of speech remains one of the most profound and unresolved questions in science. Despite significant advancements in comparative research, key assumptions about the evolutionary precursors of speech continue to be accepted with minimal scrutiny. One such assumption is the widely held belief that vocal learning—the ability to imitate and modify vocalizations—was an obligatory precondition for speech evolution. However, by the time ape-like human ancestors emerged amid Miocene's forests, the ancestors of vocal learning species already walked the Earth and flew the skies. A head-start of millions of years of vocal evolution didn't produce linguistic elephants, bats, or birds, suggesting that hominids' humble vocal beginnings were determinant for verbal evolution. Current evidence on extant great ape calls provides new details and insight into the extinct vocal forms and functions that allowed human ancestors to jump-start speech evolution. By reconsidering the evolutionary processes that led to speech, this paper advocates for a shift in focus toward the hominid biotope, body, brain, and behavior, rather than treating speech as the pinnacle endpoint of vocal learning evolution and drawing misleading parallels with far-related vocal learners.</p>","PeriodicalId":11467,"journal":{"name":"Ecology and Evolution","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.71241","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143770233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}