scholarly journals Forests as promoters of terrestrial life-history strategies in East African amphibians

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 20121146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik Müller ◽  
H. Christoph Liedtke ◽  
Michele Menegon ◽  
Jan Beck ◽  
Liliana Ballesteros-Mejia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Montane Forest ◽  
Breeding Strategy ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Breeding Strategies ◽  
East African ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Terrestrial Life ◽  
Potential Factor ◽  
Forest Habitats

Many amphibian lineages show terrestrialization of their reproductive strategy and breeding is partially or completely independent of water. A number of causal factors have been proposed for the evolution of terrestrialized breeding. While predation has received repeated attention as a potential factor, the influence of other factors such as habitat has never been tested using appropriate data or methods. Using a dataset that comprises 180 amphibian species from various East African habitats, we tested whether species occurring in different habitats show different patterns of terrestrialization in their breeding strategy. We recovered a significant association between terrestrialized breeding strategies and forest habitats. In general, forest seems to act as a facilitator, providing a permissive environment for the evolution of terrestrialized breeding strategies. However, while terrestrial oviposition is strongly correlated with lowland and montane forest habitat, complete terrestrial development is significantly correlated with montane forest only, indicating different selective pressures acting at different steps towards complete terrestrial development.

scholarly journals Evidence for use of both capital and income breeding strategies in the mangrove tree crab, Aratus pisonii

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jade Carver ◽  
Morgan Meidell ◽  
Zachary J. Cannizzo ◽  
Blaine D. Griffen
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Breeding Strategy ◽  
Reproductive Period ◽  
Breeding Strategies ◽  
Mangrove Tree ◽  
Income Breeding ◽  
Aratus Pisonii ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Capital And Income Breeding

AbstractTwo common strategies organisms use to finance reproduction are capital breeding (using energy stored prior to reproduction) and income breeding (using energy gathered during the reproductive period). Understanding which of these two strategies a species uses can help in predicting its population dynamics and how it will respond to environmental change. Brachyuran crabs have historically been considered capital breeders as a group, but recent evidence has challenged this assumption. Here, we focus on the mangrove tree crab, Aratus pisonii, and examine its breeding strategy on the Atlantic Florida coast. We collected crabs during and after their breeding season (March–October) and dissected them to discern how energy was stored and utilized for reproduction. We found patterns of reproduction and energy storage that are consistent with both the use of stored energy (capital) and energy acquired (income) during the breeding season. We also found that energy acquisition and storage patterns that supported reproduction were influenced by unequal tidal patterns associated with the syzygy tide inequality cycle. Contrary to previous assumptions for crabs, we suggest that species of crab that produce multiple clutches of eggs during long breeding seasons (many tropical and subtropical species) may commonly use income breeding strategies.

scholarly journals Longevity, body dimension and reproductive mode drive differences in aquatic versus terrestrial life‐history strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1613-1625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pol Capdevila ◽  
Maria Beger ◽  
Simone P. Blomberg ◽  
Bernat Hereu ◽  
Cristina Linares ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Reproductive Mode ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Body Dimension ◽  
Terrestrial Life

Evaluation of basic and alternative breeding programs for Sahiwal cattle genetic resources in Kenya

2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (8) ◽  
pp. 682 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. D. Ilatsia ◽  
R. Roessler ◽  
A. K. Kahi ◽  
H.-P. Piepho ◽  
A. Valle Zárate
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Weight Basis ◽  
The Body ◽  
Breeding Program ◽  
Breeding Strategies ◽  
Nucleus Size ◽  
East African ◽  
Cattle Breeding ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Sahiwal Cattle

The Sahiwal cattle breeding program in Kenya has been operational on an interim basis for over 45 years. However, there have been no systematic efforts undertaken to evaluate its suitability, or to examine how competitive it is compared with other alternative programs in terms of genetic and economic merit. The objective of this study was therefore to evaluate the genetic and economic success of the current basic and alternative Sahiwal cattle breeding programs in Kenya. The breeding programs examined were the current closed nucleus with two breeding strategies: a purebreeding (CNPURE) and a crossbreeding system (CNCROSS) involving Sahiwal sires and East African Zebu dams. An open nucleus with a certain proportion of pastoral-born Sahiwal bulls introduced into the nucleus herds to produce cows was simulated as an alternative breeding program. In this program only a purebreeding strategy (ONPURE) was considered. The breeding strategies were evaluated under two breeding objective scenarios that addressed traditional markets where animals are sold on body size/weight basis and the Kenya Meat Commission where payment is based on carcass characteristics. Sensitivity analyses to changes in nucleus size and gene contribution were also performed. The annual monetary genetic gain and profit per cow for all investigated breeding programs varied within breeding objectives. Closed nucleus purebreeding program was the most attractive economically but less competitive in regard to genetic superiority compared with either CNCROSS or ONPURE. Returns and profits were generally higher for the carcass characteristic basis compared with the body size/weight basis for all evaluated breeding strategies. Expansion of the nucleus size was not attractive because of the associated reduction in genetic and economic benefits. However, gradual importation of pastoral-born sires into the nucleus farms at the current nucleus proportion of 14% was both genetically and economically beneficial. The CNCROSS plays a complimentary role of facilitating the exploitation of trade-offs that exist between the Sahiwal and the locally better adapted East African Zebu, it also represents an intermediate phase in the on-going upgrading program.

scholarly journals Genetic Basis for Productivity in Anthurium andraeanum Hort.

HortScience ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 859-863
Author(s):  
Winston Elibox ◽  
Pathmanathan Umaharan
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Breeding Strategy ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Broad Sense Heritability ◽  
Narrow Sense ◽  
Cut Flowers ◽  
Narrow Sense Heritability ◽  
Modal Class ◽  
Anthurium Andraeanum ◽  
The Right

Anthurium andraeanum Hort. is an important tropical ornamental crop regarded as second only to orchids in its commercial importance. The genetic basis for productivity in anthurium was studied using parent–offspring regression analysis. Sixteen parental genotypes (4 years old) and 14 biparental progeny families (60 plants each, 4 years old) derived from the parents were used in the study. Yield expressed as number of cut flowers per plant per year (CFPY) was significant both between parental genotypes (P < 0.001) and between progeny families (P < 0.05). Mean CFPY of the parent genotypes was normally distributed and ranged from 4.8 in ‘Local Mina Red’ to 9.8 in ‘Kalapana’ with a mean of 7.5. CFPY in Year 1 was strongly correlated to that in Year 2 (Pearson’s r = 0.96; Spearman’s r = 0.93) and the broad sense heritability (H2) was high (87.6%) under controlled shadehouse conditions. CFPY in the progeny families varied from four to 14 with progeny means ranging from 5.7 in ‘Honduras/Local Mina Red’ to 7.2 in ‘Mirjam/Kalapana’. Progeny of seven and 10 crosses possessed mean CFPY greater than that of the more productive parent and the midparent values, respectively. The frequency distribution for productivity of the 840 progeny plants was skewed to the right with a modal class of six to seven. The correlation coefficient between progeny CFPY and midparent CFPY was large and significant (r = 0.90, P < 0.001). The regression of mean progeny CFPY on mean midparental CFPY was strong (y = 0.51x + 2.56; R2 = 0.81) with an estimated narrow sense heritability (h2) of 51.0%. A breeding strategy for improving per plant productivity based on the results is discussed.

scholarly journals Dataset of occurrences and ecological traits of amphibians from Upper Paraguay River Basin, central South America

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 71-89
Author(s):  
Matheus Oliveira Neves ◽  
Hugo Cabral ◽  
Mariana Pedrozo ◽  
Vanda Lucia Ferreira ◽  
Mário Ribeiro Moura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Breeding Strategy ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Species Occurrence ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Biodiversity Knowledge ◽  
Paraguay River ◽  
Central South ◽  
Occurrence Records

There are many gaps in our biodiversity knowledge, especially in highly diverse regions such as the Neotropics. Basic information on species occurrence and traits are scattered throughout different literature sources, which makes it difficult to access data and ultimately delays advances in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology. We provide species occurrence and trait data for amphibian species in the Upper Paraguay River Basin, central South America. The compiled information is made available through two different datasets that hold (i) 17K species occurrence records and (ii) 30 species-level traits for 113 amphibian species. The first dataset includes the species occurrence records and informs specimen id, collection of housing, locality, geographical coordinates, geographic accuracy, collection date, and collector name. The second dataset covers species-level attributes on morphometry, diet, activity, habitat, and breeding strategy. These datasets improve accessibility to spatial and trait data for amphibian species in the Pantanal ecoregion, one of the largest wetlands on Earth.

Adaptations to semi-terrestrial life in embryos of East African mangrove crabs: a comparative approach

2013 ◽  
Vol 160 (9) ◽  
pp. 2483-2492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riccardo Simoni ◽  
Folco Giomi ◽  
Daniele Spigoli ◽  
Hans-Otto Pörtner ◽  
Stefano Cannicci
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Approach ◽  
East African ◽  
Terrestrial Life ◽  
Mangrove Crabs

scholarly journals Optimum breeding strategies using genomic and phenotypic selection for the simultaneous improvement of two traits

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose J. Marulanda ◽  
Xuefei Mi ◽  
H. Friedrich Utz ◽  
Albrecht E. Melchinger ◽  
Tobias Würschum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Variance Components ◽  
Phenotypic Selection ◽  
R Package ◽  
Breeding Strategy ◽  
Breeding Strategies ◽  
Selection Gain ◽  
One Stage ◽  
Individual Traits ◽  
Economic Weights ◽  
Selection Indices

Abstract Key message A breeding strategy combining genomic with one-stage phenotypic selection maximizes annual selection gain for net merit. Choice of the selection index strongly affects the selection gain expected in individual traits. Abstract Selection indices using genomic information have been proposed in crop-specific scenarios. Routine use of genomic selection (GS) for simultaneous improvement of multiple traits requires information about the impact of the available economic and logistic resources and genetic properties (variances, trait correlations, and prediction accuracies) of the breeding population on the expected selection gain. We extended the R package “selectiongain” from single trait to index selection to optimize and compare breeding strategies for simultaneous improvement of two traits. We focused on the expected annual selection gain (ΔGa) for traits differing in their genetic correlation, economic weights, variance components, and prediction accuracies of GS. For all scenarios considered, breeding strategy GSrapid (one-stage GS followed by one-stage phenotypic selection) achieved higher ΔGa than classical two-stage phenotypic selection, regardless of the index chosen to combine the two traits and the prediction accuracy of GS. The Smith–Hazel or base index delivered higher ΔGa for net merit and individual traits compared to selection by independent culling levels, whereas the restricted index led to lower ΔGa in net merit and divergent results for selection gain of individual traits. The differences among the indices depended strongly on the correlation of traits, their variance components, and economic weights, underpinning the importance of choosing the selection indices according to the goal of the breeding program. We demonstrate our theoretical derivations and extensions of the R package “selectiongain” with an example from hybrid wheat by designing indices to simultaneously improve grain yield and grain protein content or sedimentation volume.

Calling site selection by male Boana punctata (Anura: Hylidae)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Kleber S. Martins ◽  
Zaida Ortega ◽  
Vanda L. Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Resource Selection ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Microhabitat Selection ◽  
Vegetation Density ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Vegetation Height ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Amphibian species require specific conditions for reproduction, such as cover structures and shelters, in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, which directly influence reproductive success. A careful selection of calling sites is an important process, driving life-history strategies and tactics in amphibians. Despite this, a significant knowledge gap on how different variables modulate amphibian microhabitat selection processes is noted. Thus, we aimed to: (1) describing the microhabitat use of adult neotropical Boana punctata males during the breeding season; and (2) quantitatively analyzing the selection process of five resource variables (i.e., vegetation cover, vegetation density, vegetation height, water depth, and distance to the water shore). We then compared the microhabitat selection of males that achieved spawning and that of males that did not achieve spawning. To quantify selection, we used a resource selection function approach, applying a case/control design where the calling site used by each male was paired to eight surrounding, unused locations. We found that males selected microhabitats with higher vegetation than surrounding areas for reproduction, which suggests territorialism, and selected microhabitats slightly (∼ 30 cm) inside the assessed ponds. Males also acted randomly with regard to the other variables, not influencing the males’ microhabitat selection. Microhabitat use of males successful in obtaining females to spawn was similar to that of males exhibiting mating failure. In addition to being of ecological interest, our study highlights that preserving tall vegetation and the ponds’ shores is important for the conservation of existing B. punctata urban populations.

scholarly journals Terrestrial reproduction as an adaptation to steep terrain in African toads

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1851) ◽  
pp. 20162598 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Christoph Liedtke ◽  
Hendrik Müller ◽  
Julian Hafner ◽  
Johannes Penner ◽  
David J. Gower ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Histories ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Major Question ◽  
Evolutionary Transitions ◽  
Rigorous Testing ◽  
Terrestrial Life ◽  
Abiotic Habitat ◽  
Steep Terrain

How evolutionary novelties evolve is a major question in evolutionary biology. It is widely accepted that changes in environmental conditions shift the position of selective optima, and advancements in phylogenetic comparative approaches allow the rigorous testing of such correlated transitions. A longstanding question in vertebrate biology has been the evolution of terrestrial life histories in amphibians and here, by investigating African bufonids, we test whether terrestrial modes of reproduction have evolved as adaptations to particular abiotic habitat parameters. We reconstruct and date the most complete species-level molecular phylogeny and estimate ancestral states for reproductive modes. By correlating continuous habitat measurements from remote sensing data and locality records with life-history transitions, we discover that terrestrial modes of reproduction, including viviparity evolved multiple times in this group, most often directly from fully aquatic modes. Terrestrial modes of reproduction are strongly correlated with steep terrain and low availability of accumulated water sources. Evolutionary transitions to terrestrial modes of reproduction occurred synchronously with or after transitions in habitat, and we, therefore, interpret terrestrial breeding as an adaptation to these abiotic conditions, rather than an exaptation that facilitated the colonization of montane habitats.

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