{"title":"The delayed demographic responses of small mammals to habitat quality and density in the Brazilian Cerrado","authors":"Rodrigo C. Rossi, Natália O. Leiner","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2023.2248592","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2023.2248592","url":null,"abstract":"AbstractUnderstanding the effects of exogenous and endogenous factors on species demographic rates is crucial to investigate their chances of persistence on natural ecosystems. We used a 9-year time series, based on monthly captures, to test the delayed effects of endogenous (density) and exogenous (rainfall, habitat cover/heterogeneity, fire) factors on the survival and recruitment rates of two small mammals inhabiting the Brazilian Cerrado: the semelparous, scansorial marsupial Gracilinanus agilis and the iteroparous, arboreal rodent Rhipidomys macrurus. As in most short-lived small mammals, we found negative density-dependent effects on the recruitment of both species (3 months delay), which could occur through reduced immigration or fecundity, in addition to the semelparous breeding strategy of G. agilis. Reduced habitat cover following fire events had a negative delayed effect on the survival of G. agilis (3 months after) and R. macrurus (1 year after), albeit it increased the recruitment rates (1-year lagged effect) of R. macrurus. We failed to find any effect of fire on demography of either species. Our results suggest that the irregular and non-cyclical fluctuations in R. macrurus abundance were driven by the interaction between delayed density dependence and changes in habitat quality, while the marked and repeated fluctuations in G. agilis abundance were mainly shaped by the occurrence of semelparity associated with direct density dependence. We emphasize that changes in habitat quality brought by human-made activities may have severe impacts on the dynamics and persistence of forest-dependent small mammals in the Cerrado.KEY WORDS: marsupialspopulation dynamicsrecruitmentrodentssurvival AcknowledgmentsWe thank all the members (current and past) of Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos at Federal University of Uberlândia, for help in the data collection of monitoring. C.P.R. Ferrando, M. Ferreira and A. Mendonça helped with suggestions that improved an earlier version of the manuscript. The Instituto de Biologia (INBIO/UFU) and Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais/UFU provided logistical support.DISCLOSURE STATEMENTNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.ETHICAL STANDARDThis study follows the guidelines and protocols declared in the American Society of Mammalogists (Sikes Citation2016) and the ethical principles on animal research as regulations of National Advice of Control and Animal Experimentation (CONCEA/Brazil) and was approved by the Ethics Committee on Use of Animals of the Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil; Reference number 152/13 and 041/19. All animal experiments were approved by the Ethics Committee on Use of Animals of the Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil; Reference number 152/13 and 041/19AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONR.C. Rossi and N.O. Leiner originally formulated the idea, N.O. Leiner developed methodology and R.C. Rossi conducted fieldwork. R.C. Rossi analyze","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135199798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bruno B. Bittar, Matheus S. Lima-Ribeiro, Wilian Vaz-Silva, Carolina E. Santos, Roniel Freitas-Oliveira, Tainã L. Andreani, Seixas R. Oliveira, Alessandro R. Morais
{"title":"The acoustic activity of <i>Physalaemus cuvieri</i> (Anura Leptodactylidae) is strongly influenced by climatic conditions, but not by latitude or landscape metrics","authors":"Bruno B. Bittar, Matheus S. Lima-Ribeiro, Wilian Vaz-Silva, Carolina E. Santos, Roniel Freitas-Oliveira, Tainã L. Andreani, Seixas R. Oliveira, Alessandro R. Morais","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2023.2248594","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2023.2248594","url":null,"abstract":"AbstractUnderstanding the factors that influence acoustic activity of anuran species is essential for proper species management and herein, we investigated the influence of landscape metrics (% native vegetation cover and number of patches), latitude and climatic variables (temperature and relative humidity) on the acoustic activity of Physalaemus cuvieri. We used Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) to record the acoustic activity in males of the target species in 29 water bodies distributed throughout the Cerrado, the Brazilian savanna. We investigated whether the rate of call emission by P. cuvieri males is influenced by predictor variables based on generalized linear mixed models. The call rate of P. cuvieri males was influenced only by air temperature variation throughout night. We found a peak of acoustic activity in the warmer hours in the beginning of the night followed by a decrease as the air temperature declines throughout the dawn. Contrary to our expectations, we did not find any significant influence of latitude, relative humidity or landscape metrics (number of fragments or percentage of native vegetation cover) on the acoustic activity of P. cuvieri. The impacts of landscape metrics on the acoustic activity of P. cuvieri are not significant, because it is a species with more generalist ecological requirements, which to allow the individuals to move across the landscape to be successful in colonizing water bodies situated in altered environments. Previous studies have suggested that changes in temperature may affect species phenology, since individuals alter their vocal activity, or their time spent in chorus in response to climate change. In this sense, our results are important because they allow us to predict the impact of future climate change on the acoustic activity of the target species, as well as demographic implications.HIGHLIGHTSWe tested the influence of latitude, landscape metrics and climatic variables on the acoustic activity of Physalaemus cuvieri.The acoustic activity of Physalaemus cuvieri is strongly influenced by weather conditions, specifically air temperature.Latitude and landscape metrics did not influence the call emission rates of P. cuvieri males.KEY WORDS: advertisement callanuransnative vegetation coverclimatic variablesCentral Brazil ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThis study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001. A.R. Morais and M.S. Lima-Ribeiro are CNPq research productivity fellows (process n. 310658/2020-9; 301514/2019-4, respectively). This paper was developed in the context of the National Institutes for Science and Technology (INCT) in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, supported by MCTIC/CNpq (proc. 465610/2014-5) and FAPEG. We are grateful for John Karpinski editing.DISCLOSURE STATEMENTNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONB.B. Bittar contributed to data collection, data ","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135481352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohamad Navaz Dahya, Rohit Chaudhary, Aadil Kazi, Alkesh Shah
{"title":"Food habits and characteristics of livestock depredation by leopard ( <i>Panthera pardus fusca</i> ) in human dominated landscape of South Gujarat, India","authors":"Mohamad Navaz Dahya, Rohit Chaudhary, Aadil Kazi, Alkesh Shah","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2023.2248597","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2023.2248597","url":null,"abstract":"AbstractInformation on essential resource requirements and characteristics of livestock predation is crucial for formulating a better conservation strategy for leopards in a human-dominated landscape. We assessed food habits and characteristics of livestock predation in the human-dominated landscape of South Gujarat, India, using scat analysis (n = 350) and secondary information from forest department reports (n = 780). Leopards consumed 17 prey species, with pigs contributing the most (44%) to the leopards’ diet, while domestic horses contributed the least (1%). Leopards preyed upon four domestic species: goats (47%), cows (43%), buffaloes (6%), and horses (2%). Young individuals of livestock were most commonly targeted by leopards, and livestock species were predominantly preyed upon during the evening or night time. Livestock were most vulnerable to predation when tied in open areas and least vulnerable while grazing. Our results highlight the significant role of pigs as the main prey and their contribution to mitigating livestock predation. Additionally, improving cattle shed structures and implementing night guarding could help reduce livestock predation. This study also addresses the knowledge gap regarding leopard ecology in human-dominated landscapes.KEY WORDS: leopardhuman dominated landscapefood habitslivestock depredationconservation ACKNOWLEDGMENTSAuthors are thankful to chief wildlife warden of Gujarat State, India for providing the necessary permission for field work. Authors are also thankful to Imran Vaid, Abrar Multani, Suraj Chaudhari, Aditya Patel, Hiren Joshi, Dharmesh Kadiwala, Himal Mehta, Jeeshan Contractor and Vaibhav Patel to assist in the field during the study. Thanks, are also dew to Dr T.G. Gohil, Head of Department, Biology Department, BKM Science College Valsad, Gujarat for permitting us to use the lab for the scat analysis.DISCLOSURE STATEMENTNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONConceptualisation: R. Chaudhary, A. Kazi; methodology: R. Chaudhary, A. Kazi; data collection M. Navaz Dahya, R. Chaudhary; data analysis: R. Chaudhary; writing-original draft: R. Chaudhary, M. Navaz Dahya; writing-reviewing and editing: A. Kazi, A. Shah. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.DATA ACCESSIBILITYThe datasets generated or analysed during the current study will be available from the corresponding author on a reasonable request.Additional informationFundingThe authors reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135481002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jialiang Han, Qixian Zou, Xin Dong, Bingnan Dong, Wenke Bai
{"title":"Sleeping behavior of the wild François’ langur ( <i>Trachypithecus francoisi</i> ) in Mayanghe Nature Reserve, China","authors":"Jialiang Han, Qixian Zou, Xin Dong, Bingnan Dong, Wenke Bai","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2023.2258112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2023.2258112","url":null,"abstract":"AbstractSleeping behavior is one of the most important components of primate socio-ecology, which can provide valuable insight for social relationships and their influencing factors. In this study, we observed the sleeping behavior of wild François’ langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) from July 2011 to June 2012 in Mayanghe Nature Reserve, China. The results indicated that the langurs spent most of the time sleeping, with an annual average of 670.25 min. The average sleeping time in summer was the shortest with a duration of 580.50 min on average, and sleeping time has the longest duration in winter with an average of 770.53 min. This indicates that there was a significant difference in the sleeping time in different seasons. In addition, temperature and weather condition play a role on the sleeping behavior of T. francoisi. T. francoisi allocated significantly less time for sleeping and leaving sleeping site, and more time for entering the sleeping site and pre-sleeping in sunny days than they did in rainy days.Key Words: François’ langur (Trachypithecus francoisi)pre-sleeping behaviorsleeping behaviorhuddlingMayanghe Nature Reserve ACKNOWLEDGMENTSWe would like to thank Mayanghe Nature Reserve Bureau for their assistance for data collection. We also thank Ye Cao during the fieldwork.DISCLOSURE STATEMENTNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.ETHICAL STANDARDAll research protocols reported here adhered to the regulatory requirements of and approved by the animal care committee of the Wildlife Protection Society of China.Additional informationFundingThe work was supported by the Forestry Research funding of Guizhou Province, China [No. 35(2022)Qianlin Kehe].","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134975874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tainara V. Sobroza, Jacob C. Dunn, Marcelo Gordo, Adrian A. Barnett
{"title":"Do pied tamarins increase scent-marking in response to urban noise?","authors":"Tainara V. Sobroza, Jacob C. Dunn, Marcelo Gordo, Adrian A. Barnett","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2023.2248591","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2023.2248591","url":null,"abstract":"AbstractSounds produced by human activities are often loud and may mask acoustic signals used by other species for communication. To circumvent this, some animals use various strategies, including shifting modality completely or complementing acoustic information by using additional modalities to communicate. Here we used pied tamarins (Saguinus bicolor) as models to explore whether shifts in communication modalities occur under increased anthropogenic noise or deploy them complementarily. We predicted that in circumstances where noise could impede acoustic communication the study animals would exhibit more scent-marking behaviour (i.e. olfactory communication) while reducing the emission of long calls (i.e. acoustic communication). We collected information on vocal and scent-marking behaviour in nine groups of wild pied tamarins in urban forests in Manaus, Amazonian Brazil. We found that scent marking occurrence increased with noise amplitude, though long call numbers did not change. Thus, our results do not suggest a complete shift between channels but complementation of information, where scent marking may compensate for the impacts of anthropogenic noise on the acoustic channel. This is an interesting result from a conservation perspective as pied tamarins may be capable of coping with city noise to communicate with conspecifics, a key tenet of species survival.Highlights Some species shift communication channels in response to anthropogenic noise.Pied tamarins do not reduce the number of long calls in response to anthropogenic noise, but the occurrence of scent markings increases with noise levels.Pied tamarins do not shift between channels, but scent marking may be used to complement information between channels.Key Words: animal communicationurban soundscapemultimodalityolfactoryAmazonSaguinus bicolor ACKNOWLEDGMENTSWe thank Caio Fábio Pereira, and colleagues from the Projeto Sauim-de-Coleira and Amazonian Mammals Research Group (AMRG) for logistical and field assistance. We also thank Fiene Steinbrecher for kindly sharing data on pied tamarin call amplitude; and the CENBAM/PPBio support during development of this manuscript.DISCLOSURE STATEMENTNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.ETHICAL STANDARDThe Project was approved by the Ethical Committee of the InstitutoNacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (SEI.01280.009002018–58).SISBIO/MMA (Ministry of Environment) granted us the necessary licenses to capture, anesthetize, manipulate, and mark the subjects (N. 60347–1). Appropriate licenses were obtained to access municipal and state parks and military areas.AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONT.V. Sobroza, A.A. Barnett, M. Gordo and J.C. Dunn originally formulated the research topic. T.V. Sobroza raised funds, collected data, performed statistical analyses and wrote the original draft. A.A. Barnett, M. Gordo, and J.C. Dunn supervised. A.A. Barnett and J.C. Dunn checked the English. All authors contributed to the writing and reviewingAdditio","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136313280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Patricio Hernáez, Anthony Forbes, Paulo R.C.M. de Souza, Jesser F. Souza-Filho
{"title":"Unraveling the mating system of the burrowing shrimp <i>Lepidophthalmus siriboia</i> (Decapoda Callichiridae) based on life history traits","authors":"Patricio Hernáez, Anthony Forbes, Paulo R.C.M. de Souza, Jesser F. Souza-Filho","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2023.2248086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2023.2248086","url":null,"abstract":"AbstractNatural history studies are important in helping to understand the origin and evolution of social organization as well as the evolution of specialized morphological structures linked to mating behavior of animals. Here we describe the burrow use pattern, sex ratio, and sexual dimorphism of the burrowing shrimp Lepidophthalmus siriboia to test a series of evolutionary hypotheses. To this end, a total of 259 individuals of L. siriboia were collected from the northeast region of Brazil. No shrimp pairs or burrows inhabited by more than one shrimp were detected during the study period. A solitary habit is a non-random behavior in this species because single shrimps were found with a greater frequency than expected by chance. All ovigerous females were found living solitarily, which suggests that males abandon these females shortly after insemination. Contrary to the expectations of an anisogamous species, L. siriboia produced a female-biased operational sex ratio (OSR), contradicting the hypothesis that only males compete for mates. The latter was supported by the existence of sexual dimorphism in cheliped size, a condition that argues in favor of female–female competition in this species. In the same line of reasoning, heterochely was present in adult males, although it was also present to a lesser degree in adult females. Female asymmetry of chelipeds suggests the evolution of an unconventional role in female major cheliped use. The major cheliped showed a positive allometric growth pattern through the ontogeny of both sexes. However, when growth patterns of the major and minor chelipeds were compared, the fitted regression lines for each sex had different slopes, indicating that the cheliped could be an appendage sexually selected by individuals of the opposite sex during mating.Key Words: allometric growthanimal weaponsmating successsex ratiosexual selection ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe lead author is grateful to Rozana Lima and her son Bryan Lima for the help during sampling activities. The material described herein was collected during the project entitled ‘História de vida dos camarões-fantasma (Decapoda, Axiidea, Anacalliacidae-Callianassidae-Callichiridae-Ctenochelidae) do Brasil: taxonomia, estilo de vida, dimorfismo sexual e sistema de acasalamento’. Finally, we deeply thank to two anonymous referees, who helped to improve the content and format of the manuscript.DISCLOSURE STATEMENTNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.ETHICAL STANDARDAll applicable international, national and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed by the authors. All necessary permits for sampling and observational field studies were obtained by the authors from the competent authorities. Licenses to collect zoological material issued to P. Hernáez (#51,578-1, #58,845-1) were provided by the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (SISBIO/IBAMA-MMA).AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONP. Hernáez conce","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135205930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kasey J. Watterson, Olivia M. Waldridge, Katelyn M. Enginger, Cassie M. Winn, Brian G. Gall
{"title":"An assessment of learning modalities in wild-caught freshwater flatworms (<i>Dugesia tigrina</i>)","authors":"Kasey J. Watterson, Olivia M. Waldridge, Katelyn M. Enginger, Cassie M. Winn, Brian G. Gall","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2023.2248603","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2023.2248603","url":null,"abstract":"AbstractAn organism’s ability to learn characteristics of its environment in the presence or absence of certain stimuli is a vital aspect of its survival. However, the level at which certain species can learn is thought to vary along the phylogenic tree. We assess free living freshwater flatworms (Dugesia tigrina) ability to learn via classical and operant conditioning. Flatworms’ ability to learn via classical and operant conditioning was assessed using an electric shock and red light inside an arena. A stronger curling response after training flatworms to associate a red light with a negative stimulus indicates flatworms possess the ability to learn through classical conditioning. Flatworms also actively avoided red light after it was paired with negative stimulus, indicating the capacity for operant conditioning. Despite a primitive nervous system, wild-caught freshwater flatworms exhibit two fundamental forms of learning which could facilitate adaptive foraging and predator avoidance behaviors. In addition, these results add clarity to the debate surrounding the learning capacity within Platyhelminthes and further our understanding of learning among primitive animals.Key words: Platyhelminthesoperant conditioningclassical conditioningsocial learning ACKNOWLEDGMENTSWe thank the Biology Department at Hanover College for funding this research. We also thank Dr Glene Mynhardt for helping to generate the curl scale pictures. Our appreciation to many undergraduate students who helped with animal husbandry and experimentation including Suzie Ronk, Cassie Lutes, Isabella Garino-Heisey, and Ashley Gordon.DISCLOSURE STATEMENTNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135784697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Phylogeographic investigation of the bladder grasshopper Bullacris unicolor (Orthoptera Pneumoroidea) in South Africa","authors":"Rekha Sathyan, A. Engelbrecht, V. Couldridge","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2022.2157892","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2022.2157892","url":null,"abstract":"There are several factors, such as genetic drift, gene flow and migration that affect the population genetic structure and phylogeographic distribution of genetic lineages within single species. Previous studies of the bladder grasshoppers, Bullacris unicolor of South Africa, showed divergence in mitochondrial CO1 (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) haplotype diversity and significant genetic structure. In this study, we revisit these findings adding more samples from different locations and using mitochondrial CO1 and Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequences. We tested the hypothesis that the western, northern and eastern distribution ranges of B. unicolor show different population genetic patterns, corresponding with isolation-by-distance. Mitochondrial CO1 and ITS data were collected for 99 individuals from 12 localities across the Western, Northern and Eastern sides of South Africa. Overall, significant variation in genetic structure was found across the localities as indicated by F ST analyses. Haplotype and phylogeographical analyses suggested that restricted gene flow played a role in shaping current genetic patterns, although isolation-by-distance was not supported, as confirmed by Mantel tests. Phylogenetic trees of both genetic sequences revealed two major clades, with western and northern sides. Also, the major clades exhibit a few sub-clades within the localities, showing other factors shaping the genetic structure of B. unicolor include the geographical barriers, and most likely due to changes in habitat specificity and habitat fragmentation. Taken together, this study aims to contribute information on the population structure and genetic diversity of B. unicolor populations across South Africa.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2023-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86465697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Ferrari, J. Cerri, A. Rolando, B. Bassano, A. Hardenberg, S. Bertolino
{"title":"See you in spring: overwinter survival is higher than post summer in the Alpine marmot","authors":"C. Ferrari, J. Cerri, A. Rolando, B. Bassano, A. Hardenberg, S. Bertolino","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2022.2157891","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2022.2157891","url":null,"abstract":"Animal species living in highly seasonal environments developed different strategies to cope with the periodical drastic change of environmental conditions. Hibernating mammals survive the winter season by reducing their activity and metabolism, and by centring their activities during the favourable season. Thus, the demography of these species depends upon both hibernating and active periods. In this study, we explored the apparent survival of Alpine marmots monitored between 2007 and 2018 in the North-Western Italian Alps. We fit Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) models to quantify changes in the apparent survival and capture probability of marmots, after the hibernation phase and at the end of the summer. Apparent survival after winter almost reached 100% and it was higher than post-summer survival. Moreover, while post-summer apparent survival remained almost stable over lifetime, with a slight increase with age, characterised however by wide confidence intervals, overwinter survival decreased with age, especially after 6 years of age. No temporal trends, nor changes between areas at different elevations, were found. We suggest that these results arise from a combination of climatic conditions, predation pressure and social dynamics, which is a pivotal feature of this species and cannot be ignored when considering population dynamics of Alpine marmots. Highlights This study provides evidence of a higher survival in the hibernating mammals of the Alpine ecosystem, the Alpine marmot, compared to the survival of individuals during the summer season, providing the first evidence of different seasonal survival in this species. High overwinter survival in Alpine marmot","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2023-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82450278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Quero, M. O. Gonzaga, J. Vasconcellos‐Neto, R. R. Moura
{"title":"Offspring mortality factors and parental care efficiency of the spider Manogea porracea (Araneidae) in the Brazilian savanna","authors":"A. Quero, M. O. Gonzaga, J. Vasconcellos‐Neto, R. R. Moura","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2022.2152197","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2022.2152197","url":null,"abstract":"The expressions of parental care can vary in space and time because factors driving offspring mortality depend on variable abiotic and biotic conditions. Manogea porracea is a spider that exhibits biparental care and widespread distribution in the Neotropical region. Parents can protect their offspring against abiotic conditions that may damage their webs, or compromise their egg sacs, and against araneophagic spiders that prey on their eggs. However, the current knowledge of the parental care in the species is restricted to a population located in areas covered by Eucalyptus plantations. This study investigates parental care efficiency in a new ecological context, a protected area of Brazilian savanna. We described the substrates in which M. porracea built webs and the agents of egg mortality. We also performed a parent removal experiment to test the effect of parental care on the integrity of nursery webs, offspring survival, and the presence of egg predators. Spiders built webs at variable heights and many distinct substrates but were mainly associated with the bromeliad Ananas ananassoides. We found two previously reported egg predators, Faiditus caudatus and Argyrodes elevatus (Araneae Theridiidae), and a new one emerging from the egg sacs, the insect Zeugomantispa virescens (Neuroptera Mantispidae). The presence of parents in the webs of M. porracea prevented the webs from collapsing and effectively increased offspring survival. However, the occurrence of egg predators was not reduced by the presence of parents. Overall, parental care increased offspring survival in both populations, but variation in biotic and abiotic factors between areas influenced offspring mortality and the efficiency of parental behaviours. Our results emphasise the importance of investigating multiple populations in behavioural studies of parental care. HIGHLIGHTS We investigated the efficiency of parental care of the spider M. porracea in a protected area of Brazilian savanna. Parents were efficient in increasing offspring survival and their presence assured the integrity of most nursery webs. Egg predators were found in webs regardless of the presence of parents and we registered for the first time the insect Zeugomantispa virescens within egg sacs. We discuss the implications of population variation for the ecology and evolution of parental care efficiency in M. porracea.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2023-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88056049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}