Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Connecting People And Ideas From Around The World: Global Innovation Platforms For Next-Generation Ecology And Beyond, P. Søgaard Jørgensen, F. Barraquand, V. Bonhomme, T. J. Curran, E. Cieraad, T. G. Ezard, L. Gherardi, R. A. Hayes, T. Poisot, R. Salguero-Gómez, Lucía Desoto, B. Swartz, J. M. Talbot, B. Wee, Naupaka B. Zimmerman

Biology Faculty Publications

We present a case for using Global Community Innovation Platforms (GCIPs), an approach to improve innovation and knowledge exchange in international scientific communities through a common and open online infrastructure. We highlight the value of GCIPs by focusing on recent efforts targeting the ecological sciences, where GCIPs are of high relevance given the urgent need for interdisciplinary, geographical, and cross-sector collaboration to cope with growing challenges to the environment as well as the scientific community itself. Amidst the emergence of new international institutions, organizations, and meetings, GCIPs provide a stable international infrastructure for rapid and long-term coordination that can be …

Introduction Effort, Climate Matching And Species Traits As Predictors Of Global Establishment Success In Non-Native Reptiles, Peter J. Mahoney, Karen H. Beard, Andrew M. Durso, Aimee G. Tallian, Arin Lexine Long, Ryan J. Kindermann, Nicole E. Nolan, Daniel Kinka, Harrison E. Mohn

Biology Faculty Publications

Non-native reptiles are often detrimental to native communities and ecosystems and can be extremely difficult to manage once established. Thus, there is considerable interest in predicting the likelihood of establishment of nonnative reptiles. We assessed three hypotheses describing possible factors contributing to the successful establishment of introduced reptiles in an effort to better identify potential invaders.

Horseshoe Crab Research In Urban Estuaries: Challenges And Opportunities, Jennifer Mattei, Mark L. Botton, Mark Beekey, Christina P. ColóN

Biology Faculty Publications

Horseshoe crabs rely on estuaries for food resources, places to spawn and for larvae and juveniles to develop and grow. Many of these estuaries are becoming increasingly urbanized and dominated by human activity. An urban estuary is characterized by armored shorelines, high nutrient loads, large fluctuations in algal and bacteria populations, increased levels of pollutants like heavy metals and pesticides, and seasonally low oxygen levels and pH. While urban estuaries are challenging for horseshoe crab survival and to researchers trying to study them, there are also opportunities for involving the public in research and increasing public awareness of the importance …

The Mismanagement Of Limulus Polyphemus In Long Island Sound, U.S.A.: What Are The Characteristics Of A Population In Decline?, Mark Beekey, Jennifer Mattei

Biology Faculty Publications

Over the past 15 years, horseshoe crabs in Connecticut have gone from being considered a nuisance species to a species of Greatest Conservation Need in 2015. This has happened through first, its discovery as an economically important species, second through research of its ecological role in coastal estuaries, and third, through education of the public concerning its role in the environment and their own health. To manage horseshoe crab populations successfully requires long term monitoring, research and education. The use of annual or biannual trawl data trends to assess the success of management decisions is limited due to the high …

El Nino Southern Oscillation (Enso) Enhances Co2 Exchange Rates In Freshwater Marsh Ecosystems In The Florida Everglades, Sparkle L. Malone, Christina L. Staudhammer, Steven F. Oberbauer, Paulo Olivas, Michael G. Ryan, Jessica L. Schedlbauer, Henry W. Loescher, Gregory Starr

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Stem Nematode Counteracts Plant Resistance Of Aphids In Alfalfa, Medicago Sativa, Ricardo A. Ramirez, John M. Stark

Biology Faculty Publications

Plants are exploited by a diverse community of insect herbivores and phytopathogens that interact indirectly through plant-mediated interactions. Generally, plants are thought to respond to insects and pathogens through different defensive signaling pathways. As plants are selected for resistance to one phytophagous organism type (insect vs. pathogen) in managed systems, it is not clear how this selection may affect community interactions. This study examined the effect of nematode-resistant varieties on aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) suppression, and then determined how infection by the stem nematode, Ditylenchus dipsaci, mediated ecological effects on aphids and on plant defense proteins. Four alfalfa (Medicago sativa) varieties …

Persistence And Stability Of Eastern Afromontane Forests: Evidence From Brevicipitid Frogs, Simon P. Loader, F. Sara Ceccarelli, Michele Menegon, Kim M. Howell, Roman Kassahun, Abebe A. Mengistu, Samy A. Saber, Fikirte Gebresenbet, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

Aim: The persistence and stability of habitats through time are considered predictors of high levels of biodiversity in some environments. Long-term habitat persistence and stability may explain the species-rich, endemic forest fauna and flora of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Region (EABR). Using comple- mentary phylogenetic and biogeographical approaches, we examine evolution- ary patterns in EAR brevicipitid frogs. Using these data, we test whether brevicipitid history reflects patterns of long-term forest persistence and/or sta bility across the EABR.

Location: East Africa.

Methods: A dated phylogeny for brevicipitids was constructed using two nuclear and three mitochondrial markers. Alternative diversification modes were used …

Systematics Of The Neotropical Genus Leptodactylus Fitzinger, 1826 (Anura: Leptodactylidae): Phylogeny, The Relevance Of Non-Molecular Evidence, And Species Accounts, Rafael O. De Sá, Taran Grant, Arley Camargo, W. R. Heyer, María Laura Ponssa, Edward Stanley

Biology Faculty Publications

A phylogeny of the species-rich clade of the Neotropical frog genus Leptodactylus sensu stricto is presented on the basis of a total evidence analysis of molecular (mitochondrial and nuclear markers) and non-molecular (adult and larval morphological and behavioral characters) sampled from > 80% of the 75 currently recognized species. Our results support the monophyly of Leptodactylus sensu stricto, with Hydrolaetare placed as its sister group. The reciprocal monophyly of Hydrolaetare and Leptodactylus sensu stricto does not require that we consider Hydrolaetare as either a subgenus or synonym of Leptodactylus sensu lato. We recognize Leptodactylus sensu stricto, Hydrolaetare, Adenomera, and Lithodytes …

A Threat To New Zealand's Tuatara Heats Up, Kristine L. Grayson, Nicola J. Mitchell, Nicola J. Nelson

Biology Faculty Publications

No matter how many times we head to one of New Zealand's offshore islands, the feelings are always a mix of sheer awe at the beauty and biodiversity preserved in these special refuges and lingering nerves. Did we remember all the gear? Do we have enough food and water in case we get stuck? Can the helicopter land on the side of a cliff in these winds? These epic journeys are in pursuit of a lone remnant of the reptile evolutionary tree, with a unique ecology that has big implications under climate change.

A New Species Of Chiasmocleis (Microhylidae, Gastrophryninae) From The Atlantic Forest Of Espírito Santo State, Brazil, João Filipe Tonini, Maruicio Forlani, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Among Neotropical microhylids, the genus Chiasmocleis is exceptionally diverse. Most species ofChiasmocleis were described in recent years based on external morphology, but recent studies using molecular data did not support the monophyly of the species groups clustered based on feet webbing. Furthermore, a phylogeographic study of C. lacrimae estimated high genetic divergence and low gene flow among populations across small geographic ranges. Increasing the molecular and geographic sampling, and incorporating morphological data, we identified new cryptic species. Herein, we used novel genetic and morphological data to describe a new species of Chiasmocleis.

Diet Alters Delayed Selfing, Inbreeding Depression, And Reproductive Senescence In A Freshwater Snail, Josh R. Auld, John F. Henkel

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Neotropical Genus Austrolebias: An Emerging Model Of Annual Killifishes, Nibia Berois, María J. Arezo, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Annual fishes are found in both Africa and South America occupying ephemeral ponds that dried seasonally. Neotropical annual fishes are members of the family Rivulidae that consist of both annual and non-annual fishes. Annual species are characterized by a prolonged embryonic development and a relatively short adult life.

Males and females show striking sexual dimorphisms, complex courtship, and mating behaviors. The prolonged embryonic stage has several traits including embryos that are resistant to desiccation and undergo up to three reversible developmental arrests until hatching. These unique developmental adaptations are closely related to the annual fish life cycle and are the …

Sex Ratio Bias And Extinction Risk In An Isolated Population Of Tuatara (Sphenodon Punctatus), Kristine L. Grayson, Nicola J. Mitchell, Joanne M. Monks, Susan N. Keall, Joanna N. Wilson, Nicola J. Nelson

Biology Faculty Publications

Understanding the mechanisms underlying population declines is critical for preventing the extinction of endangered populations. Positive feedbacks can hasten the process of collapse and create an ‘extinction vortex,’ particularly in small, isolated populations. We provide a case study of a male-biased sex ratio creating the conditions for extinction in a natural population of tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) on North Brother Island in the Cook Strait of New Zealand. We combine data from long term mark-recapture surveys, updated model estimates of hatchling sex ratio, and population viability modeling to measure the impacts of sex ratio skew. Results from the mark-recapture …

Evolutionary Change In Continuous Reaction Norms, Courtney J. Murren, Heidi J. Maclean, Sarah E. Diamond, Ulrich K. Steiner, Mary A. Heskel, Corey A. Handelsman, Cameron K. Ghalambor, Josh R. Auld, Hilary S. Callahan, David W. Pfennig, Rick A. Relyea, Carl D. Schlichting, Joel Kingsolver

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evolutionary Relationships Of The Critically Endangered Frog Ericabatrachus Baleensis Largen, 1991 With Notes On Incorporating Previously Unsampled Taxa Into Large-Scale Phylogenetic Analyses, Karen Siu-Ting, David J. Gower, Davide Pisani, Roman Kassahun, Fikirte Gebresenbet, Michele Menegon, Abebe A. Mengistu, Samy A. Saber, Rafael O. De Sá, Mark Wilkinson, Simon P. Loader

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: The phylogenetic relationships of many taxa remain poorly known because of a lack of appropriate data and/or analyses. Despite substantial recent advances, amphibian phylogeny remains poorly resolved in many instances. The phylogenetic relationships of the Ethiopian endemic monotypic genus Ericabatrachus has been addressed thus far only with phenotypic data and remains contentious.

Results: We obtained fresh samples of the now rare and Critically Endangered Ericabatrachus baleensis and generated DNA sequences for two mitochondrial and four nuclear genes. Analyses of these new data using de novo and constrained-tree phylogenetic reconstructions strongly support a close relationship between Ericabatrachus and …

Utilization Of The Invasive Alga Gracilaria Vermiculophylla (Ohmi) Papenfuss By The Native Mud Snail Ilyanassa Obsoleta (Say), Michele Guidone, Christine Newton, Carol S. Thornber

Biology Faculty Publications

The recent invasions of the red alga, Gracilaria vermiculophylla, to the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans have the potential to significantly alter intertidal and subtidal soft sediment communities. In particular, G. vermiculophylla increases habitat complexity and provides a novel hard substrate in an otherwise two dimensional habitat. Following our observations that the native omnivorous mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta utilizes G. vermiculophylla for egg capsule deposition, our field surveys demonstrated that the in situ abundance of egg capsules on G. vermiculophylla matched abundances on a native alga Ceramium virgatumandwere at least 11–50 times greater than on all other co-occurring macrophytes. Additionally, …

Lack Of Quantitative Training Among Early-Career Ecologists: A Survey Of The Problem And Potential Solutions, F. Barraquand, T. G. Ezard, P. Søgaard Jørgensen, Naupaka B. Zimmerman, S. Chamberlain, R. Salguero-Gómez, T. J. Curran, T. Poisot

Biology Faculty Publications

Proficiency in mathematics and statistics is essential to modern ecological science, yet few studies have assessed the level of quantitative training received by ecologists. To do so, we conducted an online survey. The 937 respondents were mostly early-career scientists who studied biology as undergraduates. We found a clear self-perceived lack of quantitative training: 75% were not satisfied with their understanding of mathematical models; 75% felt that the level of mathematics was “too low” in their ecology classes; 90% wanted more mathematics classes for ecologists; and 95% more statistics classes. Respondents thought that 30% of classes in ecology-related degrees should be …

Assessing Perceived And Documented Crop Damage In A Tanzanian Village Impacted By Human-Elephant Conflict (Hec), Rebekah R. Hoffmeier-Karimi, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

In sub-Saharan Africa human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a growing conservation issue and human-elephant conflict (HEC) is of special concern. Crop loss to wildlife comprises a main component of HWC. Deterrent methods for crop loss are numerous and such schemes could be more effective by an improved understanding of how farmers’ perceptions align with actual causes of crop loss. Our objective was to compare the perception by farmers of the causes and extent of crop damage to the measured crop damage in fields of maize (Zea mays) using different deterrent methods. We interviewed agriculturalists in the farming village of Miti Mirefu …

Impacts Of Environmental Pressures On The Reproductive Physiology Of Subpopulations Of Black Rhinoceros (Diceros Bicornis Bicornis) In Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa, Elizabeth Freeman, Jordana Meyer, Jed Bird, John Adendorff, Bruce A. Schulte, Rachel Santymire

Biology Faculty Publications

Black rhinoceros are an icon for international conservation, yet little is known about their physiology due to their secretive nature. To overcome these challenges, non-invasive methods were used to monitor rhinoceros in two sections of Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa, namely Addo and Nyathi. These sections were separated by a public road, and the numbers of elephants, predators and tourists were higher in Addo. Faecal samples (n = 231) were collected (from July 2007 to November 2010) from known individuals and analysed for progestagen and androgen metabolite (FPM and FAM, respectively) concentrations. As biotic factors could impact reproduction, …

First Report Of Satellite Males During Breeding In Leptodactylus Latrans (Amphibia, Anura), Gabriel Laufer, Noelia Gobel, José M. Mautone, María Galán, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Individual males can adopt alternative mating tactics. The occurrence of satellite males is a common behaviour across anuran taxa (e.g., Lithobates clamitans, Wells, 1977; Anaxyrus cognatus, Krupa, 1989; Dendropsophus ebraccatus, Miyamoto and Cane, 1980; Rhinella crucifer, Forester and Lynken, 1986). Satellite males take peripheral positions to calling males, and adopt alternate mating tactics in an attempt to intercept females that are attracted to calling males (Wells, 2007) to increase their own mating success. Satellite males could have an inexpensive form of mate-locating, avoiding predators, and saving energy (Arak, 1983). Furthermore, this strategy could play an important role in the genetic …

Sarpa Salpa Herbivory On Shallow Reaches Of Posidonia Oceanica Beds, Latina Steele, Kelly M. Darnell, Just Cebrián, Jose Luis Sanchez-Lizaso

Biology Faculty Publications

Sarpa salpa herbivory on shallow reaches of Posidonia oceanica beds.— Here, we examined the temporal and small–scale spatial variability of grazing by the herbivorous fish Sarpa salpa on shallow beds of the temperate seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Herbivory intensity expressed as the percent of leaf area taken by fish bites was higher in September 2006 than in February 2007, and at 0.5 m than at 1.5 m during both sampling times. All S. salpa feeding at the shallow locations studied were juveniles, with bite sizes ranging from 0.03 to 0.62 cm2. Juveniles feeding at 1.5 m were larger in February 2007 …

The Tadpole Of Leptodactylus Caatingae Heyer & Juncá, 2003 (Anura: Leptodactylidae): External Morphology, Internal Anatomy, And Natural History, Felipe De Madeiros Magalhães, Adrian Antonio Garda, Ralita Ferreira Amado, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

We describe and illustrate the external morphology, oral disc, chondrocranium, and internal oral anatomy of Leptodactylus caatingae larvae. We analyze the internal oral anatomy using scanning electron microscopy of a larva in Gosner, stage 38 and chondrocranial anatomy is reported for Gosner stage 34. The tadpole at Gosner stage 38 has a globular body shape with low tail fins and a ventral oral disc bordered by two rows of marginal papillae on most of the disc, except for the anterior labium and a medial portion of the posterior labium where papillae are simple; a wide rostral gap is present, labial …

Integrated Carbon Budget Models For The Everglades Terrestrial-Coastal-Oceanic Gradient: Current Status And Needs For Inter-Site Comparisons, Tiffany G. Troxler, Evelyn Gaiser, Jordan Barr, Jose D. Fuentes, Rudolf Jaffe, Daniel L. Childers, Ligia Collado-Vides, Victor H. Rivera-Monroy, Edward Castaneda-Moya, William Anderson, Randy Chambers, Meilian Chen, Carlos Coronado-Molina, Stephen E. Davis, Victor Engel, Carl Fitz, James Fourqurean, Tom Frankovich, John Kominoski, Chris Madden, Sparkle L. Malone, Steve F. Oberbauer, Paulo Olivas, Jennifer Richards, Colin Saunders, Jessica L. Schedlbauer, Leonard J. Scinto, Fred Sklar, Tom Smith, Joseph M. Smoak, Gregory Starr, Robert R. Twilley, Kevin Whelan

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Genus Odontophrynus (Anura: Odontophrynidae): A Larval Perspective, Filipe Augusto C. Do Nascimento, Tamí Mott, José A. Langone, Christine A. Davis, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The genus Odontophrynus consists of 11 species of medium-sized frogs distributed across south and east South America. This study examines and describes the chondrocrania and oral cavities of 0. americanus, 0. maisuma, 0. carvalhoi, and 0. cu/tripes, and reviews current knowledge about the larval external morphology of the genus. Twenty-one tadpoles were cleared and double-stained for chondrocranium description and five tadpoles were dissected for analysis in a scanning electron microscope. The presence of a tectum parientale may be considered here as a putative synapomorphy of the genus. The 0. americanus and 0. cu/tripes species groups were partially differentiated by the …

Species Boundaries And Biogeography Of East African Torrent Frogs Of The Genus Petropedetes (Amphibia: Anura: Petropeditidae), Simon P. Loader, F. Sara Ceccarelli, Mark Wilkinson, Michele Menegon, Jean Mariaux, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

Based on morphology there are currently three described East African species of torrent frogs belonging to the tropical African genus Petropedetes (P. dutoiti, P. martiennseni and P. yakusini). Taxonomic uncertainties are evident within this group: a putative new species reported from the Nguru Mountains and the species P. yakusini have a fragmented distribution across the Southern Tanzanian highlands. We conducted a molecular systematic study, sampling populations of East African petropedetids occurring in the mountains of Tanzania (P. martiennseni and P. yakusini), to investigate species boundaries and biogeography. Data provide evidence for the recognition of …

The Identity Of Rana Margaritifera Laurenti, 1768 (Anura, Bufonidae), Esteban O. Lavilla, Ulisses Caramaschi, José A. Langone, José P. Pombal Jr., Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Rana margaritifera was described by Laurenti in 1768 and currently is associated to the genus Rhinella, under the combination Rhinella margaritifera. Currently, the R. margaritifera species group consists of 16 recognized species. Further-more, many additional species have been suggested to exist in this group which highlights the ambiguity surrounding the identity of Rhinella margaritifera and impend further description of the species in this group. After an exhaustive bibliographic review, we concluded that the recent designation of a lectotype for R. margaritifera is invalid according with Art. 73, ICZN, 1999. Herein, we designate and provide the description of a …

A Hands-On Activity To Introduce The Effects Of Transmission By An Invasive Species, Barbara May

Biology Faculty Publications

This activity engages students to better understand the impact of transmission by invasive species. Using dice, poker chips, and paper plates, an entire class mimics the spread of an invasive species within a geographic region. The activity can be modified and conducted at the K-16 levels.

Unexpected Phylogenetic Positions Of The Genera Rupirana And Crossodactylodes Reveal Insights Into The Biogeography And Reproductive Evolution Of Leptodactylid Frogs, Antoine Foquet, Boris Leonardo Blotto, Maximiliano Manuel Maronna, Vanessa Kruth Verdade, Flora Acuña Juncá, Rafael O. De Sá, Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues

Biology Faculty Publications

Despite major progress in deciphering the amphibian tree of life by molecular phylogenetics, we identified two questions remaining to be answered regarding relationships within Hyloidea, the clade of South American origin that comprises most extant anuran diversity. A few genera like Rupirana and Crossodactylodes have enigmatic phylogenetic positions, and relationships among major lineages within some families like Leptodactylidae remain ambiguous. To resolve these specific questions we used two approaches (1) a complete matrix approach representing >6.6 kb, including most major Hyloidea lineages (61 terminals) combining different methods of phylogenetic reconstruction and measures of node support; and (2) a supermatrix approach …

The Advertisement Calls And Distribution Of Two Sympatric Species Of Chiasmocleis (Méhely 1904) (Anura, Microhylidae, Gastrophryninae) From The Atlantic Forest, Maruicio C. Forlani, Caio Vinicius De Mira Mendes, Iuri Ribeiro Dias, Danilo Silva Ruas, João Filipe Riva Tonini, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The advertisement calls of Chiasmocleis cordeiroi and C. crucis are described for populations from the municipalities of Igrapiúna and Camacan, respectively, state of Bahia, Brazil. Both calls consist of multipulsed notes produced in series. Differences between the two calls are: dominant frequency, higher in C. cordeiroi (range 4500-4898 Hz; C. crucis range 4069-4435 Hz); note rate, higher in C. cordeiroi (range 6.20--7.46 s/note; C. crucis range 5.17-5.59 s/note); pulse rate, higher in C. cordeiroi (151.82-194.83 s/note; C. crucis range 125.30- 142.12 s/note); and the structure of the modulation patterns of the notes. Moreover, the advertisement calls of C. crucis and …

The Advertisement Calls And Distribution Of Two Sympatric Species Of Chiasmocleis (Méhely 1904) (Anura, Microhylidae, Gastrophryninae) From The Atlantic Forest, Mauricio C. Florani, Caio Vinicus De Mira Mendes, Iuri Ribeiro Dias, Danilo Silva Ruas, João Fillipe Riva Tonini, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The advertisement calls of Chiasmocleis cordeiroi and C. crucis are described for populations from the municipalities of Igrapiúna and Camacan, respectively, state of Bahia, Brazil. Both calls consist of multipulsed notes produced in series. Differences between the two calls are: dominant frequency, higher in C. cordeiroi (range 4500–4898 Hz; C. crucis range 4069–4435 Hz); note rate, higher in C. cordeiroi (range 6.20–7.46 s/note; C. crucis range 5.17–5.59 s/note); pulse rate, higher in C. cordeiroi (151.82–194.83 s/note; C. crucis range 125.30– 142.12 s/note); and the structure of the modulation patterns of the notes. Moreover, the advertisement calls of C. crucis and …