scholarly journals The evolution of the urinary bladder as a storage organ: scent trails and selective pressure of the first land animals in a computational simulation

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Max McCarthy ◽  
Liam McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Bladder ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Computational Simulation ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Selective Advantage ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Storage Function ◽  
Scent Trails ◽  
Trail Detection ◽  
Living Organisms

AbstractThe function of waste control in all living organisms is one of the vital importance. Almost universally, terrestrial tetrapods have a urinary bladder with a storage function. It is well documented that many marine and aerial species do not have an organ of such a function, or have one with very depressed storage functionality. Bladder morphology indicates it has evolved from a thin-walled structure used for osmoregulatory purposes, as it is currently used in many marine animals. It is hypothesised that the storage function of the urinary bladder allows for an evolutionary selective advantage in reducing the likelihood of successful predation. Random walks simulating predator and prey movements with simplified scent trails were utilised to represent various stages of the hunt: Detection and pursuit. A final evolutionary model is proposed in order to display the advantages over inter-generational time scales and illustrates how a bladder may evolve from an osmoregulatory organ to one of the storage. Data sets were generated for each case and analysed indicating the viability of such advantages. From the highly consistent results, three distinct characteristics of having a storage function in the urinary bladder are suggested: reduced scent trail detection rate; increased prey–predator separation (upon scent trail detection); and a reduced probability of successful capture upon scent detection by the predator. Furthered by the evolutionary model indicating such characteristics are conserved and augmented over many generations, it is concluded that prey–predator interactions provide a large selective pressure in the evolution of the urinary bladder and its storage function.

A possible method of evolution of the migratory habit in butterflies

1968 ◽  
Vol 253 (787) ◽  
pp. 309-341 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Pieris Rapae ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Selective Advantage ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Flight Direction ◽  
Movement Function ◽  
Effects Of Temperature ◽  
One Year ◽  
Vanessa Atalanta ◽  
Number Of Individuals

A new theory of migration in butterflies is outlined and present concepts are examined. During the course of evolution many butterflies have become adapted in the larval stage to foodplants that occur in small and scattered localities, the distribution of which changes constantly. It is argued that whenever this happens selection might be expected to produce a butterfly which flies from one foodplant site to another. Further it is argued that while they were crossing areas devoid of foodplants selection would have favoured those individuals that flew at a constant angle to the sun. At first all angles to the sun would be represented equally in the population but each individual would pass on to its offspring a bias towards its own particular angle. It is suggested that the temperature gradient experienced by a butterfly dispersing in this way would constitute a marked selective pressure. This selective pressure would cause an increase in the number of individuals flying at certain angles and a decrease in the number flying at others. The effects of temperature on rate of development and fecundity were demonstrated for Pieris rapae and P. brassicae in the laboratory. The effects of seasonal and geographical temperature variations on these two species in the field were also demonstrated. Based on these results the relative selective advantage of each flight direction was calculated for different times of the year. As a result of these calculations it was predicted that P. rapae should fly at 159° to the sun until 27 August, when it should fly at 0°. For P. brassicae it was predicted that the first brood should fly at 159° and the second brood at 339°. Observations of flight direction of these two species from August of one year to October of the following year agreed well with these predictions. The observations of flight direction also showed that P. rapae , and probably also P. brassicae and Vanessa atalanta , were using the sun as the environmental clue by which they were orientating themselves. There was no compensation for the sun’s movement during the day or season. Experiments showed that P. rapae is sensitive to photoperiod during the adult stage. It is by this means that the same individuals can change their flight direction from 159° to 0° at the most selectively advantageous time. A calculation based on the results of this investigation suggested that a return flight would be a selective disadvantage to both P. rapae and P. brassicae . Observation of these two species suggested that in neither does the southward movement function as a return flight, i.e. is equal in distance to the northward movement.

scholarly journals Mathematical Modelling and Computational Simulation of Mammalian Cell Cycle Progression in Batch Systems

2022 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Massimo Pisu ◽  
Alessandro Concas ◽  
Giacomo Cao ◽  
Antonella Pantaleo
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Computational Simulation ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Internal Variables ◽  
In Vitro Tests ◽  
Cycle Progression ◽  
Batch Systems ◽  
Living Organisms

Cell cycle and its progression play a crucial role in the life of all living organisms, in tissues and organs of animals and humans, and therefore are the subject of intense study by scientists in various fields of biomedicine, bioengineering and biotechnology. Effective and predictive simulation models can offer new development opportunities in such fields. In the present paper a comprehensive mathematical model for simulating the cell cycle progression in batch systems is proposed. The model includes a structured population balance with two internal variables (i.e., cell volume and age) that properly describes cell cycle evolution through the various stages that a cell of an entire population undergoes as it grows and divides. The rate of transitions between two subsequent phases of the cell cycle are obtained by considering a detailed biochemical model which simulates the series of complex events that take place during cell growth and its division. The model capability for simulating the effect of various seeding conditions and the adding of few substances during in vitro tests, is discussed by considering specific cases of interest in tissue engineering and biomedicine.

scholarly journals Rotifers in Lake Orta: a potential ecological and evolutionary model system

2016 ◽  
Vol 75 (s2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Sommer ◽  
Sarma Nandini ◽  
S.S.S. Sarma ◽  
Arpat Ozgul ◽  
Diego Fontaneto
Keyword(s):  
Copper Concentration ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Recovery Phase ◽  
Resting Stages ◽  
Resurrection Ecology ◽  
History Of ◽  
Chronic Pollution ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Potential Use

<p>Lake Orta experienced for a few decades a unique history of chronic pollution, with extreme changes in pH and copper concentration. Currently, the lake has recovered to its almost pristine oligotrophic conditions, but its sediments still preserve the record of all the changes that happened since the establishment of the first polluting factories in the 1920s, through to the liming activities in 1989-1990, and to the recovery phase that is still going on. Here we review the current knowledge for Lake Orta regarding rotifers, a diverse component of the zooplankton of the lake, through studies on living organisms and on their resting stages accumulated in the sediments. We also report a brief review of what is known in general on the effects of changes in pH and copper concentration on rotifers at the population, species and community level, providing expectations for such effects on the rotifers of Lake Orta. Then, we conclude our review with a perspective on the potential use of rotifers hatched from the resting stages in the sediment of Lake Orta with the description of experiments that can be performed in the future in the framework of resurrection ecology, in order to understand the mechanisms of past and future changes in the environment.</p>

scholarly journals Plastid genomics of Nicotiana (Solanaceae): insights into molecular evolution, positive selection and the origin of the maternal genome of Aztec tobacco (Nicotiana rustica)

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9552
Author(s):  
Furrukh Mehmood ◽  
Abdullah ◽  
Zartasha Ubaid ◽  
Iram Shahzadi ◽  
Ibrar Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Selective Pressure ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Intergenic Spacer ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Plastid Genomes ◽  
Worldwide Production

Species of the genus Nicotiana (Solanaceae), commonly referred to as tobacco plants, are often cultivated as non-food crops and garden ornamentals. In addition to the worldwide production of tobacco leaves, they are also used as evolutionary model systems due to their complex development history tangled by polyploidy and hybridization. Here, we assembled the plastid genomes of five tobacco species: N. knightiana, N. rustica, N. paniculata, N. obtusifolia and N. glauca. De novo assembled tobacco plastid genomes had the typical quadripartite structure, consisting of a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (25,323–25,369 bp each) separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region (86,510–86,716 bp) and a small single-copy (SSC) region (18,441–18,555 bp). Comparative analyses of Nicotiana plastid genomes with currently available Solanaceae genome sequences showed similar GC and gene content, codon usage, simple sequence and oligonucleotide repeats, RNA editing sites, and substitutions. We identified 20 highly polymorphic regions, mostly belonging to intergenic spacer regions (IGS), which could be suitable for the development of robust and cost-effective markers for inferring the phylogeny of the genus Nicotiana and family Solanaceae. Our comparative plastid genome analysis revealed that the maternal parent of the tetraploid N. rustica was the common ancestor of N. paniculata and N. knightiana, and the later species is more closely related to N. rustica. Relaxed molecular clock analyses estimated the speciation event between N. rustica and N. knightiana appeared 0.56 Ma (HPD 0.65–0.46). Biogeographical analysis supported a south-to-north range expansion and diversification for N. rustica and related species, where N. undulata and N. paniculata evolved in North/Central Peru, while N. rustica developed in Southern Peru and separated from N. knightiana, which adapted to the Southern coastal climatic regimes. We further inspected selective pressure on protein-coding genes among tobacco species to determine if this adaptation process affected the evolution of plastid genes. These analyses indicate that four genes involved in different plastid functions, including DNA replication (rpoA) and photosynthesis (atpB, ndhD and ndhF), came under positive selective pressure as a result of specific environmental conditions. Genetic mutations in these genes might have contributed to better survival and superior adaptations during the evolutionary history of tobacco species.

scholarly journals Artificial Organs and Related Bioinorganic Materials

2019 ◽  
pp. 07-12
Author(s):  
Prof. Barry Wiling
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Bladder ◽  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Auditory Brainstem ◽  
Artificial Organs ◽  
Biological Structure ◽  
Retinal Implant ◽  
Auditory Brainstem Implant ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Direct Acoustic Cochlear Implant ◽  
Kidney Liver

Bioinorganic compounds or materials play the momentous role in all living organisms. Artificial organs are generally defined as any device, machine or complex biological structure which is partially or completely synthetic in nature and that could be implanted or integrated into human body to perform the tasks of a particular biological structure which has been damaged and should be replaced due to some medical reasons. Various artificial organs like bone, heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, skin, urinary bladder, auditory brainstem implant, bionic contact lens, cochlear implant, direct acoustic cochlear implant, retinal implant and visual prosthetic parts have been developed. In this paper we are disusing about artificial biomaterial and organs.

scholarly journals Transparency, a better camouflage than crypsis in cryptically coloured moths

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónica Arias ◽  
Marianne Elias ◽  
Christine Andraud ◽  
Serge Berthier ◽  
Doris Gomez
Keyword(s):  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Animal Body ◽  
Avian Predators ◽  
Strong Selective Pressure ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Transparent Windows

AbstractPredation is a ubiquitous and strong selective pressure on living organisms. Transparency is a predation defence widespread in water but rare on land. Some Lepidoptera display transparent patches combined with already cryptic opaque patches. While transparency has recently been shown to reduce detectability in conspicuous prey, we here test whether transparency decreases detectability in already cryptically-coloured terrestrial prey, by conducting field predation experiments with free avian predators and artificial moths. We monitored and compared survival of a fully opaque grey artificial form (cryptic), a form including transparent windows and a wingless artificial butterfly body. Survival of the transparent forms was similar to that of wingless bodies and higher than that of fully opaque forms, suggesting a reduction of detectability conferred by transparency. This is the first evidence that transparency decreases detectability in cryptic terrestrial prey. Future studies should explore the organisation of transparent and opaque patches on the animal body and their interplay on survival, as well as the costs and other potential benefits associated to transparency on land.

scholarly journals On the Coevolution of Transposable Elements and Plant Genomes

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Civáň ◽  
Miroslav Švec ◽  
Pavol Hauptvogel
Keyword(s):  
Abiotic Stress ◽  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Genome Size ◽  
Regulatory Networks ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Selective Advantage ◽  
Genomic Hybridization ◽  
Plant Populations ◽  
Plant Genomes ◽  
Living Organisms

Plant genomes are unique in an intriguing feature: the range of their size variation is unprecedented among living organisms. Although polyploidization contributes to this variability, transposable elements (TEs) seem to play the pivotal role. TEs, often considered intragenomic parasites, not only affect the genome size of the host, but also interact with other genes, disrupting and creating new functions and regulatory networks. Coevolution of plant genomes and TEs has led to tight regulation of TE activity, and growing evidence suggests their relationship became mutualistic. Although the expansions of TEs represent certain costs for the host genomes, they may also bring profits for populations, helping to overcome challenging environmental (biotic/abiotic stress) or genomic (hybridization and allopolyploidization) conditions. In this paper, we discuss the possibility that the possession of inducible TEs may provide a selective advantage for various plant populations.

scholarly journals Protection from epidemics is a driving force for evolution of lifespan setpoints

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter V. Lidsky ◽  
Raul Andino
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
New Host ◽  
Important Public Health ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Pathogen Clearance

Most living organisms age, as determined by species-specific limits to lifespan1–6. The biological driving force for a genetically-defined limit on the lifespan of a given species (herein called “lifespan setpoint”) remains poorly understood. Here we present mathematical models suggesting that an upper limit of individual lifespans protects their cohort population from infection-associated penalties. A shorter lifespan setpoint helps control pathogen spread within a population, prevents the establishment and progression of infections, and accelerates pathogen clearance from the population when compared to populations with long-lived individuals. Strikingly, shorter-living variants efficiently displace longer-living individuals in populations that are exposed to pathogens and exist in spatially structured niches. The beneficial effects of shorter lifespan setpoints are even more evident in the context of zoonotic transmissions, where pathogens undergo adaptation to a new host. We submit that the selective pressure of infectious disease provides an evolutionary driving force to limit individual lifespan setpoints after reproductive maturity to secure its kin’s fitness. Our findings have important public health implications for efforts to extend human’s lifespan.

scholarly journals Environmental complexity favors the evolution of learning

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Slimane Dridi ◽  
Laurent Lehmann
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Instrumental Learning ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Selective Advantage ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Environmental Complexity ◽  
Environmental Predictability ◽  
Biological Adaptation ◽  
Environmental Process ◽  
Evolutionarily Stable

Learning is a fundamental biological adaptation that is widespread throughout the animal kingdom. According to previous research, two conditions are necessary for learning to be adaptive: between-generation environmental variability and within-generation environmental predictability. In this paper, we show that between-generation variability is not necessary, and that instrumental learning can provide a selective advantage in complex environments, where an individual is exposed to a large number of different challenges during its lifespan. We construct an evolutionary model where individuals have a memory with limited storage capacity, and an evolving trait determines the fraction of that memory that should be allocated to innate responses to the environment versus learning these responses. The evolutionarily stable level of learning depends critically on the environmental process, but generally increases with environmental complexity. Overall, our work sheds light on the importance of global structural properties of the environment in shaping the evolution of learning.

scholarly journals Marine Plastic Debris Pollution in the Western Sector of the Russian Arctic

2021 ◽  
pp. 246-252
Author(s):  
Konstantin S. ZAIKOV ◽  
◽  
Nikita A. SOBOLEV ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
Arctic Seas ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Plastic Debris ◽  
Commercial Activities ◽  
Other World ◽  
Living Organisms

The article discusses the pollution of marine environment with plastic waste, in particular, the accumulation of microplastics in the oceans, which is one of the most serious environmental problems both in the world and in the Russian Arctic. Alongside with other world oceans, the Arctic Ocean and the Barents Sea have become places of plastic accumulation, causing great harm to the fragile ecosystem of the Arctic region. Researchers have found microplastics not only in Arctic waters, but also in the ice of the Arctic seas. Plastic debris is carried by ocean currents from more densely populated areas of the planet. Local sources, such as fishing and other commercial activities, as well as waste water, are one more reason. Microplastics adversely affect living organisms in the ocean. In particular, plastic can cause physical harm and disrupt body formation of marine animals, as well as cause death by suffocation or ingestion of plastic. At the same time, plastics can accumulate persistent organic pollutants on their surface, which can poison marine animals, damaging the entire food chain.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document