| 1. |
- Abrun, Pouria, et al.
(författare)
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Wolbachia impairs post-eclosion host preference in a parasitoid wasp
- 2021
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Ingår i: Science of Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 108:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Host preference behavior can result in adaptive advantages with important consequences for the fitness of individuals. Hopkin’s host-selection principle (HHSP) suggests that organisms at higher trophic levels demonstrate a preference for the host species on which they developed during their own larval stage. Although investigated in many herbivorous and predatory insects, the HHSP has, to our knowledge, never been tested in the context of insects hosting selfish endosymbiotic passengers. Here, we investigated the effect of infection with the facultative bacterial symbiont Wolbachia on post-eclosion host preference in the parasitoid wasp Trichogramma brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). We compared host preference in Wolbachia-infected individuals and uninfected adult female parasitoids after rearing them on two different Lepidopteran hosts, namely the flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) or the grain moth Sitotroga cerealella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in choice and no choice experimental design (n = 120 wasps per each choice/no choice experiments). We showed that in T. brassicae, Wolbachia affects the post-eclosion host preference of female wasps. Wolbachia-infected wasps did not show any host preference and more frequently switched hosts in the laboratory, while uninfected wasps significantly preferred to lay eggs on the host species they developed on. Additionally, Wolbachia significantly improved the emergence rate of infected wasps when reared on new hosts. Altogether, our results revealed that the wasp’s infection with Wolbachia may lead to impairment of post-eclosion host preference and facilitates growing up on different host species. The impairment of host preference by Wolbachia may allow T. brassicae to shift between hosts, a behavior that might have important evolutionary consequences for the wasp and its symbiont.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Arnemo, Jon
(författare)
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Seasonal changes in eicosanoid metabolism in the brown bear
- 2018
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 105
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exert several important functions across organ systems. During winter, hibernators divert PUFAs from oxidation, retaining them in their tissues and membranes, to ensure proper body functions at low body temperature. PUFAs are also precursors of eicosanoids with pro- and anti-inflammatory properties. This study investigated seasonal changes in eicosanoid metabolism of free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos). By using a lipidomic approach, we assessed (1) levels of specific omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids involved in the eicosanoid cascade and (2) concentrations of eicosanoids in skeletal muscle and blood plasma of winter hibernating and summer active bears. We observed significant seasonal changes in the specific omega-3 and omega-6 precursors. We also found significant seasonal alterations of eicosanoid levels in both tissues. Concentrations of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, such as thromboxane B2, 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE), and 15-HETE and 18-HETE, were significantly lower in muscle and/or plasma of hibernating bears compared to summer-active animals. Further, plasma and muscle levels of 5,6-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET), as well as muscle concentration of 8,9-EET, tended to be lower in bears during winter hibernation vs. summer. We also found lower plasma levels of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids, such as 15dPGJ(2) and PGE(3), in bears during winter hibernation. Despite of the limited changes in omega-3 and omega-6 precursors, plasma and muscle concentrations of the products of all pathways decreased significantly, or remained unchanged, independent of their pro- or anti-inflammatory properties. These findings suggest that hibernation in bears is associated with a depressed state of the eicosanoid cascade.
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| 4. |
- Balkenius, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Colour preferences influences odour learning in the hawkmoth, Macroglossum stellatarum
- 2006
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904 .- 0028-1042. ; 93:5, s. 255-258
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The hummingbird hawkmoth, Macroglossum stellatarum, learns colour fast and reliably. It has earlier been shown to spontaneously feed from odourless artificial flowers. Now, we have studied odour learning. The moths were trained to discriminate feeders of the same colour but marked with different odours. They did not learn to discriminate two natural flower odours when they were presented with the innately preferred colour blue, but they did learn this discrimination combined with yellow or green colours that are less attractive to the moth. The yellow colour could be trained to become as attractive as the innately preferred blue colour and the blue colour could be trained to become less attractive. This is the first proof of odour learning in a diurnal moth. The results show that M. stellatarum can use more than one modality in their foraging behaviour and that the system is plastic. By manipulating the preferences for the different colours, their influence on odour learning could be changed.
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| 5. |
- Ballen, Cissy, et al.
(författare)
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Predictors of telomere content in dragon lizards
- 2012
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904 .- 0028-1042. ; 99:8, s. 661-664
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Telomeres shorten as a consequence of DNA replication, in particular in cells with low production of telomerase and perhaps in response to physiological stress from exposure to reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide. This process of telomere attrition is countered by innate antioxidation, such as via the production of superoxide dismutase. We studied the inheritance of telomere length in the Australian painted dragon lizard (Ctenophorus pictus) and the extent to which telomere length covaries with masscorrected maternal reproductive investment, which reflects the level of circulating yolk precursor and antioxidant, vitellogenin. Our predictors of offspring telomere length explained 72 % of telomere variation (including interstitial telomeres if such are present). Maternal telomere length and reproductive investment were positively influencing offspring telomere length in our analyses, whereas flow cytometry-estimated superoxide level was negatively impacting offspring telomere length. We suggest that the effects of superoxide on hatchling telomere shortening may be partly balanced by transgenerational effects of vitellogenin antioxidation.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Bywater, Robert P., et al.
(författare)
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The preferred conformation of dipeptides in the context of biosynthesis
- 2013
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904 .- 0028-1042. ; 100:9, s. 853-859
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Globular proteins are folded polypeptide structures comprising stretches of secondary structures (helical (alpha- or 3(10) helix type), polyproline helix or beta-strands) interspersed by regions of less well-ordered structure ("random coil"). Protein fold prediction is a very active field impacting inte alia on protein engineering and misfolding studies. Apart from the many studies of protein refolding from the denatured state, there has been considerable interest in studying the initial formation of peptides during biosynthesis, when there are at the outset only a few residues in the emerging polypeptide. Although there have been many studies employing quantum chemical methods of the conformation of dipeptides, these have mostly been carried out in the gas phase or simulated water. None of these conditions really apply in the interior confines of the ribosome. In the present work, we are concerned with the conformation of dipeptides in this low dielectric environment. Furthermore, only the residue types glycine and alanine have been studied by previous authors, but we extend this repertoire to include leucine and isoleucine, position isomers which have very different structural propensities.
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| 10. |
- Dalsätt, Johan, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Food remains in Confuciusornis sanctus suggest a fish diet.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Die Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 93:9, s. 444-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite hundreds of excellent fossils of Confuciusornis, the most abundant group of birds in the Early Cretaceous, 'Jehol Biota' in China, there is yet no indication of the food choice of these birds. Here, we describe fish remains preserved in the alimentary system of a specimen of Confuciusornis sanctus from the Jiufotang Formation. This find is about five million years younger than all previously published confuciusornithid birds from the Yixian Formation. Although it is unknown how common fish was in the diet of Confuciusornis, the find does not support previous hypotheses that it fed on plants or grain.
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| 11. |
- Dekker, Teun
(författare)
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Olfaction in the female sheep botfly
- 2010
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 97, s. 827-835
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nasal botfly Oestrus ovis (Diptera, Cyclorrhapha: Oestridae) is a myiasis-causing insect species, which affects the health of sheep, goats and humans. Gravid females are viviparous and larviposit into the animal's nostrils. Host-searching and larvipositing flies are visually guided and influenced by climatic conditions, whereas olfaction seemed to play no role in this process. However, here, we show that the antennae of adult O. ovis female flies are relatively small but well developed and inhabited by several types of olfactory sensilla. Further, we show that the antennal lobes of this species receive input from antennal afferents and consist of a clearly defined glomerular organisation. We also give the first evidence of the fly's ability to detect several synthetic odour compounds. Our findings provide a morpho-functional basis for future investigations on olfactory-mediated behaviour of this insect pest.
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| 12. |
- El-Sayed, Ashraf M., et al.
(författare)
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Climate change risk to pheromone application in pest management
- 2021
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Ingår i: The Science of Nature. - : Springer. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 108:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since of the first sex pheromone and the adoption of pheromone in pest management, the global pheromone market size has grown to reach USD 2.4 billion per year in 2019. This has enabled the development of environmentally friendly approaches that significantly reduce the application of pesticides. Recently, there have been reports of the failure of various commercial codlemone: (E,E)-8,10-dodecadien-1-ol formulations used for monitoring the apple pest codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.). This work was initiated to investigate factors behind the lack of efficacy of codlemone lure in the Northern Hemisphere (Germany) and Southern Hemisphere (New Zealand). We hypothesised that the observed failure could be due to two main factors: (a) a shift in the response of male codling moth to codlemone and (b) degradation of codlemone under field conditions that renders the lure less attractive. Field trial tests of various doses and blends containing minor pheromone compounds suggested no change in response of male codling moth. The addition of an antioxidant and a UV stabiliser to codlemone resulted in a significant increase in the number of males caught in Germany, but not in New Zealand. Mean maximum temperatures during the growing season since 2004 indicate a 3 degrees C increase to 35 degrees C in Germany, but just a 1.5 degrees C rise to 30 degrees C in New Zealand. Chemical analysis of the lures used in the field trials in Germany and New Zealand indicated more degradation products and reduced half-life of the lures in Germany compared with those in New Zealand. Heating codlemone lures to 32 degrees C significantly reduced the number of males caught in traps and increased the isomeric and chemical impurities of codlemone compared with unheated lures. Our data provide the first evidence that climate change affects pheromone molecule stability, thus reducing its biological efficacy. Our finding suggests that climate change could be a general problem for chemical communication and, therefore, could affect the integrity of natural ecosystems.
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| 13. |
- Engel, Fabian, et al.
(författare)
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A lake classification concept for a more accurate global estimate of the dissolved inorganic carbon export from terrestrial ecosystems to inland waters
- 2018
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Ingår i: The Science of Nature. - : Springer. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 105
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The magnitude of lateral dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) export from terrestrial ecosystems to inland waters strongly influences the estimate of the global terrestrial carbon dioxide (CO2) sink. At present, no reliable number of this export is available, and the few studies estimating the lateral DIC export assume that all lakes on Earth function similarly. However, lakes can function along a continuum from passive carbon transporters (passive open channels) to highly active carbon transformers with efficient in-lake CO2 production and loss. We developed and applied a conceptual model to demonstrate how the assumed function of lakes in carbon cycling can affect calculations of the global lateral DIC export from terrestrial ecosystems to inland waters. Using global data on in-lake CO2 production by mineralization as well as CO2 loss by emission, primary production, and carbonate precipitation in lakes, we estimated that the global lateral DIC export can lie within the range of 0.70(-0.31)(+0.27) 1.52(-0.90)(+1.09) Pg C yr(-1) depending on the assumed function of lakes. Thus, the considered lake function has a large effect on the calculated lateral DIC export from terrestrial ecosystems to inland waters. We conclude that more robust estimates of CO2 sinks and sources will require the classification of lakes into their predominant function. This functional lake classification concept becomes particularly important for the estimation of future CO2 sinks and sources, since in-lake carbon transformation is predicted to be altered with climate change.
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| 14. |
- Engel, Fabian, et al.
(författare)
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A simplified approach to detect a significant carbon dioxide reduction by phytoplankton in lakes and rivers on a regional and global scale
- 2020
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Ingår i: The Science of Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 107:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake by phytoplankton can significantly reduce the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in lakes and rivers, and thereby CO2 emissions. Presently, it is not known in which inland waters on Earth a significant pCO2 reduction by phytoplankton is likely. Since detailed, comparable carbon budgets are currently not available for most inland waters, we modified a proxy to assess the pCO2 reduction by phytoplankton, originally developed for boreal lakes, for application on a global scale. Using data from 61 rivers and 125 lakes distributed over five continents, we show that a significant pCO2 reduction by phytoplankton is widespread across the temperate and sub-/tropical region, but absent in the cold regions on Earth. More specifically, we found that a significant pCO2 reduction by phytoplankton might occur in 24% of the lakes in the temperate region, and 39% of the lakes in the sub-/tropical region. We also showed that such a reduction might occur in 21% of the rivers in the temperate region, and 5% of the rivers in the sub-/tropical region. Our results indicate that CO2 uptake by phytoplankton is a relevant flux in regional and global carbon budgets. This highlights the need for more accurate approaches to quantify CO2 uptake by primary producers in inland waters, particularly in the temperate and sub-/tropical region.
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| 15. |
- Foster, James J., et al.
(författare)
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Polarisation vision : overcoming challenges of working with a property of light we barely see
- 2018
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Ingår i: Science of Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 105:3-4
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent years, the study of polarisation vision in animals has seen numerous breakthroughs, not just in terms of what is known about the function of this sensory ability, but also in the experimental methods by which polarisation can be controlled, presented and measured. Once thought to be limited to only a few animal species, polarisation sensitivity is now known to be widespread across many taxonomic groups, and advances in experimental techniques are, in part, responsible for these discoveries. Nevertheless, its study remains challenging, perhaps because of our own poor sensitivity to the polarisation of light, but equally as a result of the slow spread of new practices and methodological innovations within the field. In this review, we introduce the most important steps in designing and calibrating polarised stimuli, within the broader context of areas of current research and the applications of new techniques to key questions. Our aim is to provide a constructive guide to help researchers, particularly those with no background in the physics of polarisation, to design robust experiments that are free from confounding factors.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Glenszczyk, Mateusz, et al.
(författare)
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The jumping spider Saitis barbipes lacks a red photoreceptor to see its own sexually dimorphic red coloration
- 2022
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Ingår i: Science of Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 109:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Examining the role of color in mate choice without testing what colors the study animal is capable of seeing can lead to ill-posed hypotheses and erroneous conclusions. Here, we test the seemingly reasonable assumption that the sexually dimorphic red coloration of the male jumping spider Saitis barbipes is distinguishable, by females, from adjacent black color patches. Using microspectrophotometry, we find clear evidence for photoreceptor classes with maximal sensitivity in the UV (359 nm) and green (526 nm), inconclusive evidence for a photoreceptor maximally sensitive in the blue (451 nm), and no evidence for a red photoreceptor. No colored filters within the lens or retina could be found to shift green sensitivity to red. To quantify and visualize whether females may nevertheless be capable of discriminating red from black color patches, we take multispectral images of males and calculate photoreceptor excitations and color contrasts between color patches. Red patches would be, at best, barely discriminable from black, and not discriminable from a low-luminance green. Some color patches that appear achromatic to human eyes, such as beige and white, strongly absorb UV wavelengths and would appear as brighter “spider-greens” to S. barbipes than the red color patches. Unexpectedly, we discover an iridescent UV patch that contrasts strongly with the UV-absorbing surfaces dominating the rest of the spider. We propose that red and black coloration may serve identical purposes in sexual signaling, functioning to generate strong achromatic contrast with the visual background. The potential functional significance of red coloration outside of sexual signaling is discussed.
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| 18. |
- Goyret, Joaquin, et al.
(författare)
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Why do Manduca sexta feed from white flowers? Innate and learnt colour preferences in a hawkmoth
- 2008
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904 .- 0028-1042. ; 95:6, s. 569-576
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Flower colour is an important signal used by flowering plants to attract pollinators. Many anthophilous insects have an innate colour preference that is displayed during their first foraging bouts and which could help them locate their first nectar reward. Nevertheless, learning capabilities allow insects to switch their colour preferences with experience and thus, to track variation in floral nectar availability. Manduca sexta, a crepuscular hawkmoth widely studied as a model system for sensory physiology and behaviour, visits mostly white, night-blooming flowers lacking UV reflectance throughout its range in the Americas. Nevertheless, the spectral sensitivity of the feeding behaviour of naive moths shows a narrow peak around 450 nm wavelengths, suggesting an innate preference for the colour blue. Under more natural conditions (i.e. broader wavelength reflectance) than in previous studies, we used dual choice experiments with blue- and white-coloured feeders to investigate the innate preference of naive moths and trained different groups to each colour to evaluate their learning capabilities. We confirmed the innate preference of M. sexta for blue and found that these moths were able to switch colour preferences after training experience. These results unequivocally demonstrate that M. sexta moths innately prefer blue when presented against white flower models and offer novel experimental evidence supporting the hypothesis that learning capabilities could be involved in their foraging preferences, including their widely observed attraction to white flowers in nature.
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| 19. |
- Hettyey, Attila, et al.
(författare)
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Does testis weight decline towards the Subarctic? : a case study on the common frog, Rana temporaria
- 2005
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Ingår i: Die Naturwissenschaften. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 92:4, s. 188-192
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Interpopulation comparisons of variation in resource availability and in allocation patterns along altitudinal and latitudinal gradients allow insights into the mechanisms shaping the life history of animals. Patterns of between-population differences in female life history traits have been studied intensively across a wide range of taxa, but similar investigations in males have remained scarce. To study if testis weight-a measure of reproductive investment-varies on a geographical scale in anurans, we focussed on the variation in relative testis weight (RelTW) and asymmetry in 22 populations of the common frog Rana temporaria along a 1,600-km latitudinal transect across the Scandinavian peninsula. We found that RelTW decreased towards the north. Body mass and body length both had independent positive effects on testes mass. We found evidence for directional asymmetry (DA) in testis weight with the right testis being larger than the left. The level of DA in testis weight was not related to latitude, but both body mass and testes mass had independent positive effects on asymmetry. We discuss the northwards decrease in RelTW in terms of a decreased reproductive investment as a possible consequence of harsher environmental conditions, and perhaps also, weaker sexual selection in the north than in the south.
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| 20. |
- Hettyey, A, et al.
(författare)
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Does testis weight decline towards the Subarctic? A case study on the common frog, Rana temporaria
- 2005
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904 .- 0028-1042. ; 92:4, s. 188-192
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Interpopulation comparisons of variation in resource availability and in allocation patterns along altitudinal and latitudinal gradients allow insights into the mechanisms shaping the life history of animals. Patterns of between-population differences in female life history traits have been studied intensively across a wide range of taxa, but similar investigations in males have remained scarce. To study if testis weight - ameasure of reproductive investment - varies on a geographical scale in anurans, we focussed on the variation in relative testis weight (RelTW) and asymmetry in 22 populations of the common frog Rana temporaria along a 1,600-km latitudinal transect across the Scandinavian peninsula. We found that RelTW decreased towards the north. Body mass and body length both had independent positive effects on testes mass. We found evidence for directional asymmetry (DA) in testis weight with the right testis being larger than the left. The level of DA in testis weight was not related to latitude, but both body mass and testes mass had independent positive effects on asymmetry. We discuss the northwards decrease in RelTW in terms of a decreased reproductive investment as a possible consequence of harsher environmental conditions, and perhaps also, weaker sexual selection in the north than in the south.
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
- Ibba, Irene, et al.
(författare)
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Macroglomeruli for fruit odors change blend preference in Drosophila
- 2010
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 97, s. 1059-1066
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The olfactory circuitry of Drosophila melanogaster is becoming increasingly clear. However, how olfactory processing translates into appropriate behavioral responses is still poorly understood. Using a sibling species approach, we tested how a perturbation in the olfactory circuitry affects odor preference. In a previous study, we found that the sibling species of D. melanogaster, the specialist D. sechellia, overrepresents a sensillum, ab3, the A neuron of which is sensitive to hexanoate esters, characteristic of the species' sole host, the Morinda citrifolia fruit. Concordantly, the corresponding glomerulus, DM2, is enlarged. In this study, we found that the ab3B neuron, the expansion of which was previously assumed to be pleiotropic and of no ecological significance, is in fact tuned to another morinda fruit volatile, 2-heptanone (HP). Axons of this neuron type arborize in a second enlarged glomerulus. In behavioral experiments we tested how this has affected the fly's odor preference. We demonstrate that D. sechellia has a reversed preference for the key ligands of these macroglomeruli, especially at high concentrations. Whereas D. melanogaster was repelled by high concentrations of these odors, D. sechellia was highly attracted. This was the case for odors presented singly, but more notably for blends thereof. Our study indicates that relatively simple changes, such as a shift in sensillar abundance, and concordant shifts in glomerular size, can distort the resulting olfactory code, and can lead to saltatory shifts in odor preference. D. sechellia has exploited this to align its olfactory preference with its ecological niche.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Janssen, Ralf, 1975-
(författare)
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Developmental abnormalities in Glomeris marginata (Villers 1789) (Myriapoda: Diplopoda) : implications for body axis determination in a myriapod
- 2013
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Ingår i: Die Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 100:1, s. 33-43
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abnormally developing embryos (ADEs) of the common pill millipede Glomeris marginata have been investigated by means of nuclear staining and mRNA in situ hybridization. It showed that all ADEs represent cases of Duplicitas posterior, which means that the posterior body pole is duplicated. The severity of the duplication ranges from duplicated posterior trunk segments in one specimen to an almost completely duplicated specimen that only shares the very anterior head region. Remarkably, none of the encountered ADEs represents a case of Duplicitas anterior (duplicated anterior pole) or a case of Duplicitas cruciata (cruciate duplication with two anterior and two posterior poles). This observation is discussed in the light of earlier reports on G. marginata ADEs that claim to have found these abnormalities. The lack of any other axial abnormality aside from D. posterior implies that early axis determination in G. marginata, and possibly myriapods in general, underlies the developmental mechanisms that prevent the formation of any other type of axial duplication. It is proposed that the formation of D. posterior-type embryos could be caused by the formation of two instead of only one posterior cumulus early during development.
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
- Kronenberger, Katrin, et al.
(författare)
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A novel marine silk
- 2012
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Ingår i: Die Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904. ; 99:1, s. 3-10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The discovery of a novel silk production system in a marine amphipod provides insights into the wider potential of natural silks. The tube-building corophioid amphipod Crassicorophium bonellii produces from its legs fibrous, adhesive underwater threads that combine barnacle cement biology with aspects of spider silk thread extrusion spinning. We characterised the filamentous silk as a mixture of mucopolysaccharides and protein deriving from glands representing two distinct types. The carbohydrate and protein silk secretion is dominated by complex β-sheet structures and a high content of charged amino acid residues. The filamentous secretion product exits the gland through a pore near the tip of the secretory leg after having moved through a duct, which subdivides into several small ductules all terminating in a spindle-shaped chamber. This chamber communicates with the exterior and may be considered the silk reservoir and processing/mixing space, in which the silk is mechanically and potentially chemically altered and becomes fibrous. We assert that further study of this probably independently evolved, marine arthropod silk processing and secretion system can provide not only important insights into the more complex arachnid and insect silks but also into crustacean adhesion cements.
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
- Lind, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Split-second escape decisions in blue tits (Parus caeruleus)
- 2002
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Ingår i: Die Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 89:9, s. 420-423
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bird mortality is heavily affected by birds of prey. Under attack, take-off is crucial for survival and even minor mistakes in initial escape response can have devastating consequences. Birds may respond differently depending on the character of the predator's attack and these split-second decisions were studied using a model merlin (Falco columbarius) that attacked feeding blue tits (Parus caeruleus) from two different attack angles in two different speeds. When attacked from a low attack angle they took off more steeply than when attacked from a high angle. This is the first study to show that escape behaviour also depends on predator attack speed. The blue tits responded to a high-speed attack by dodging sideways more often than when attacked at a low speed. Escape speed was not significantly affected by the different treatments. Although they have only a split-second before escaping an attack, blue tits do adjust their escape strategy to the prevailing attack conditions.
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| 31. |
- Marshall, D. G., et al.
(författare)
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Morganella morganii bacteria produces phenol as the sex pheromone of the New Zealand grass grub from tyrosine in the colleterial gland
- 2016
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Ingår i: The Science of Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 103:7-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Costelytra zealandica (Coleoptera: Scarabeidae) is a univoltine endemic species that has colonised and become a major pest of introduced clover and ryegrass pastures that form about half of the land area of New Zealand. Female beetles were previously shown to use phenol as their sex pheromone produced by symbiotic bacteria in the accessory or colleterial gland. In this study, production of phenol was confirmed from the female beetles, while bacteria were isolated from the gland and tested for attractiveness towards grass grub males in traps in the field. The phenol-producing bacterial taxon was identified by partial sequencing of the 16SrRNA gene, as Morganella morganii. We then tested the hypothesis that the phenol sex pheromone is biosynthesized from the amino acid tyrosine by the bacteria. This was shown to be correct, by addition of isotopically labelled tyrosine (C-13) to the bacterial broth, followed by detection of the labelled phenol by SPME-GCMS. Elucidation of this pathway provides specific evidence how the phenol is produced as an insect sex pheromone by a mutualistic bacteria.
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| 32. |
- Modesto, Sean P., et al.
(författare)
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The last “pelycosaur”: a varanopid synapsid from the PristerognathusAssemblage Zone, Middle Permian of South Africa
- 2011
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Ingår i: Die Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 98:12, s. 1027-1034
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on a partial varanopid skull and mandible from the Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone of the Beaufort Group, in the South African Karoo Basin, which is probably latest Middle Permian (Capitanian) in age. This mycterosaurine is not only the youngest known varanopid from the Southern Hemisphere, but it is also the youngest known “pelycosaur” (i.e., non-therapsid synapsid). Like all other members of this clade of hypercarnivores, the teeth are strongly flattened, recurved, and have finely serrated cutting edges. The anterior dentary teeth form a caniniform region, and the splenial features a foramen intermandibularis oralis, the first ever to be described in a “pelycosaur.” The last varanopids were the smallest carnivores of latest Middle Permian continental faunas. Occupation of the small carnivore guild appears to have allowed varanopids to achieve a nearly cosmopolitan distribution throughout the Middle Permian, between the great Early Permian radiation of basal synapsids and the spectacular diversification of therapsid synapsids in the Late Permian and Early Triassic.
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| 33. |
- Molander, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of the aggregation-sex pheromone of Plagionotus arcuatus ssp. arcuatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from two geographically separated European populations
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 106
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plagionotus arcuatus ssp. arcuatus (L.) is a common saproxylic cerambycid beetle in most parts of Europe, and is designated as an occasional pest of oak wood that is stored outside during the summer months. In an effort to identify attractants that can be used for monitoring this species, we collected headspace samples from adult beetles and conducted field bioassays with the resulting compounds as potential aggregation-sex pheromone components for this species. Three compounds, (R)-3-hydroxyhexan-2-one, (R)-3-hydroxyoctan-2-one, and (R)-3-hydroxydecan-2-one, were consistently present in relatively large quantities in headspace extracts from male P. arcuatus populations in both Hungary and Sweden, regardless of the adsorbent media (activated charcoal or Porapak Q) used to sample beetle odors, or the type of solvent (hexane, diethyl ether, or dichloromethane) used to elute trapped volatiles from the collectors. None of the hydroxyketone and related compounds were detected in corresponding extracts from females. In field bioassays in both countries, the blend of the C-6 and C-10 compounds, and the ternary blend both attracted significantly more beetles than the control, while other combinations or single compounds were not significantly attractive. Males and females showed similar patterns of responses to treatments. Our results demonstrate that (R)-3-hydroxyhexan-2-one and (R)-3-hydroxydecan-2-one constitute a male-produced aggregation-sex pheromone of P. arcuatus, whereas the role of (R)-3-hydroxyoctan-2-one remains unclear. Lures with the pheromone could be developed for monitoring of P. arcuatus populations as an indicator of fresh oak wood resources.
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| 34. |
- Nilsson, Anna L. K., et al.
(författare)
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Migratory and resident blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus differ in their reaction to a novel object
- 2010
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904 .- 0028-1042. ; 97:11, s. 981-985
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Individuals differ consistently in their behavioural reactions towards novel objects and new situations. Reaction to novelty is one part of a suit of individually consistent behaviours called coping strategies or personalities and is often summarised as bold or shy behaviour. Coping strategies could be particularly important for migrating birds exposed to novel environments on their journeys. We compared the average approach latencies to a novel object among migrants and residents in partially migratory blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus. In this test, we found migrating blue tits to have shorter approach latencies than had resident ones. Behavioural reactions to novelty can affect the readiness to migrate and short approach latency may have an adaptive value during migration. Individual behaviour towards novelty might be incorporated among the factors associated with migratory or resident behaviour in a partially migratory population.
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| 35. |
- Nyffeler, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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An estimated 400-800 million tons of prey are annually killed by the global spider community
- 2017
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Ingår i: Die Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904. ; 104:3-4, s. 30-30
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spiders have been suspected to be one of the most important groups of natural enemies of insects worldwide. To document the impact of the global spider community as insect predators, we present estimates of the biomass of annually killed insect prey. Our estimates assessed with two different methods suggest that the annual prey kill of the global spider community is in the range of 400-800 million metric tons (fresh weight), with insects and collembolans composing >90% of the captured prey. This equals approximately 1‰ of the global terrestrial net primary production. Spiders associated with forests and grasslands account for >95% of the annual prey kill of the global spider community, whereas spiders in other habitats are rather insignificant contributors over a full year. The spider communities associated with annual crops contribute less than 2% to the global annual prey kill. This, however, can be partly explained by the fact that annual crop fields are "disturbed habitats" with a low buildup of spider biomass and that agrobiont spiders often only kill prey over short time periods in a year. Our estimates are supported by the published results of exclusion experiments, showing that the number of herbivorous/detritivorous insects and collembolans increased significantly after spider removal from experimental plots. The presented estimates of the global annual prey kill and the relative contribution of spider predation in different biomes improve the general understanding of spider ecology and provide a first assessment of the global impact of this very important predator group.
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| 36. |
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
- Pap, Peter Laszlo, et al.
(författare)
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Sexual dimorphism in immune function changes during the annual cycle in house sparrows
- 2010
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904 .- 0028-1042. ; 97:10, s. 891-901
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Difference between sexes in parasitism is a common phenomenon among birds, which may be related to differences between males and females in their investment into immune functions or as a consequence of differential exposure to parasites. Because life-history strategies change sex specifically during the annual cycle, immunological responses of the host aiming to reduce the impact of parasites may be sexually dimorphic. Despite the great complexity of the immune system, studies on immunoecology generally characterise the immune status through a few variables, often overlooking potentially important seasonal and gender effects. However, because of the differences in physiological and defence mechanisms among different arms of the immune system, we expect divergent responses of immune components to environmental seasonality. In male and female house sparrows (Passer domesticus), we measured the major components of the immune system (innate, acquired, cellular and humoral) during four important life-history stages across the year: (1) mating, (2) breeding, (3) moulting and (4) during the winter capture and also following introduction to captivity in aviary. Different individuals were sampled from the same population during the four life cycle stages. We found that three out of eight immune variables showed a significant life cycle stage x sex interaction. The difference in immune response between the sexes was significant in five immune variables during the mating stage, when females had consistently stronger immune function than males, while variables varied generally non-significantly with sex during the remaining three life cycle stages. Our results show that the immune system is highly variable between life cycle stages and sexes, highlighting the potential fine tuning of the immune system to specific physiological states and environmental conditions.
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| 39. |
- Pedersen, Lykke, et al.
(författare)
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Sex-specific difference in migration schedule as a precursor of protandry in a long-distance migratory bird
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Science of Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 106:7-8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Protandry, the earlier arrival of males at the breeding grounds relative to females, is common in migratory birds. However, due to difficulties in following individual birds on migration, we still lack knowledge about the spatiotemporal origin of protandry during the annual cycle, impeding our understanding of the proximate drivers of this phenomenon. Here, we use full annual cycle tracking data of red-backed shrikes Lanius collurio to investigate the occurrence of sex-related differences in migratory pattern, which could be viewed as precursors (proximate causes) to protandry. We find protandry with males arriving an estimated 8.3 days (SE = 4.1) earlier at the breeding area than females. Furthermore, we find that, averaged across all departure and arrival events throughout the annual cycle, males migrate an estimated 5.3 days earlier than females during spring compared to 0.01 days in autumn. Event-wise estimates suggest that a divergence between male and female migratory schedules is initiated at departure from the main non-breeding area, thousands of kilometres from-, and several months prior to arrival at the breeding area. Duration of migration, flight speed during migration and spatial locations of stationary sites were similar between sexes. Our results reveal that protandry might arise from sex-differential migratory schedules emerging at the departure from the main non-breeding area in southern Africa and retained throughout spring migration, supporting the view that sex-differential selection pressure operates during spring migration rather than autumn migration.
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| 40. |
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| 41. |
- Rosin, Zuzanna
(författare)
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Shell colour, temperature, (micro)habitat structure and predator pressure affect the behaviour of Cepaea nemoralis
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 105
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although shell colour polymorphism of the land snail Cepaea nemoralis is a well-known phenomenon, proximate and ultimate factors driving its evolution remain uncertain. Polymorphic species show variation in behavioural responses to selective forces. Therefore, we estimated effects of various environmental factors (temperature, humidity, food availability, (micro)habitat structure and predatory pressure) on behavioural response (frequency of locomotion, climbing and hiding) of C. nemoralis morphs, in experimental and natural conditions. In the experimental part of study, the frequency of locomotion was negatively affected by temperature and the presence of food and positively influenced by the presence of light. Morphs significantly differed in behavioural responses to environmental variability. Pink mid-banded and yellow five-banded morphs climbed less often and hide in shelter more often than yellow and pink unbanded individuals when temperature was low and food was absent. Snails fed most often at moderate temperature compared to low and high temperatures. Field investigations partially confirmed differences among morphs in frequency of climbing, but not in terms of probability of hiding in sheltered sites. In natural colonies, temperature and (micro)habitat structure significantly affected frequency of climbing as well as hiding in shelter. Snails more often hid in sheltered sites where thrushes preyed on Cepaea. Tendency of unbanded morphs to climb trees may have evolved under avian predatory pressure as thrushes forage on a ground. Tendency of banded morphs to hide in sheltered sites may reflect prey preferences for cryptic background. The results implicate that differential behaviour of C. nemoralis morphs compensate for their morphological and physiological limitations of adaptation to habitat.
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| 42. |
- Rydell, J, et al.
(författare)
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Evasive response to ultrasound by the crepuscular butterfly Manataria maculata
- 2003
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904 .- 0028-1042. ; 90:2, s. 80-83
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The crepuscular nymphalid butterfly Manataria maculata was studied in Monteverde cloud forest, Costa Rica, during the dry season reproductive diapause. M. maculata has ears in the form of Vogel's organs located near the base of the forewings. Its behaviour in response to bursts of ultrasonic pulses (26 kHz, 110 dB SPL at 1 m) was condition-dependent. At dusk and dawn the sound consistently elicited evasive responses, similar to those of moths, in flying individuals. In contrast day-roosting individuals always remained motionless although they were alert to other stimuli. The daily movements between day- and night-roosts coincided in time and light intensity with the activity of insectivorous bats. This is the first reported case of ultrasonic hearing connected to evasive flights in a true butterfly (Papilionoidea). It strongly supports the idea that echolocating bats were involved in the evolution of hearing in butterflies.
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| 43. |
- Ryne, Camilla, et al.
(författare)
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Do anthropogenic transports facilitate stored-product pest moth dispersal? A molecular approach
- 2008
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904 .- 0028-1042. ; 95:2, s. 155-159
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stored-product moths cause large economic damage in food-processing industries and storage facilities. Control of indoor pests is currently dealt with locally, and control strategies seldom include different mills or cooperative industries in joint efforts to reduce infestations. In colder climates where conditions hinder flight dispersal of stored-product moths, we hypothesize that human transport between mills will facilitate dispersal. Albeit considered intuitive, this hypothesis has so far never been tested. Male moths from three mills (populations) in southern Sweden and Denmark were collected and by using AFLP pair-wise Fst values were calculated. Cluster (population) origins of the genotypes were computed by using a model-based method, STRUCTURE. The results indicate that known transportation of flour between two mills generate genetically more similar populations of the economically important stored-product moth, Ephestia kuehniella (Zell.) (Lepidoptera; Pyralidae), compared to the third mill, with another distribution area, but situated geographically in between the other mills. The STRUCTURE model placed the sampled genotypes to belong to either two or five original populations, with a higher probability of two original populations. The third mill was consistently different from the other two mills independent of the models’ calculated number of populations. Although the study was restricted to three mills and one transportation route, it highlights the possibility that transportation of food products promotes genetic mixing (i.e. dispersal) of insect pest populations. Including cooperating mills in control (or monitor) strategy schemes against stored-product pest insects would therefore be a more effective action rather than to treat each mill separately.
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| 44. |
- Sudyka, Joanna, et al.
(författare)
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Sex-specific effects of parasites on telomere dynamics in a short-lived passerinethe blue tit
- 2019
-
Ingår i: The Science of Nature. - : SPRINGER HEIDELBERG. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 106:1-2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Parasitic infections potentially drive host's life-histories since they can have detrimental effects on host's fitness. Telomere dynamics is a candidate mechanism to underlie life-history trade-offs and as such may correlate with observed fitness reduction in infected animals. We examined the relationship of chronic infection with two genera of haemosporidians causing avian malaria and malaria-like disease with host's telomere length (TL) in a longitudinal study of free-ranging blue tits. The observed overall infection prevalence was 80% and increased with age, constituting a potentially serious selective pressure in our population. We found longer telomeres in individuals infected with a parasite causing lesser blood pathologies i.e. Haemoproteus compared to Plasmodium genus, but this only held true among males. Female TL was independent of the infection type. Our results indicate that parasitic infections could bring about other types of costs to females than to males with respect to TL. Additionally, we detected linear telomere loss with age, however a random regression analysis did not confirm significant heterogeneity in TL of first breeders and telomere shortening rates in further life.
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| 45. |
- Tellgren-Roth, Asa, et al.
(författare)
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Keeping the blood flowing-plasminogen activator genes and feeding behavior in vampire bats
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Die Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 96:1, s. 39-47
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The blood feeding vampire bats emerged from New World leaf-nosed bats that fed on fruit and insects. Plasminogen activator, a serine protease that regulates blood coagulation, is known to be expressed in the saliva of Desmodus rotundus (common vampire bat) and is thought to be a key enzyme for the emergence of blood feeding in vampire bats. To better understand the evolution of this biological function, we studied the plasminogen activator (PA) genes from all vampire bat species in light of their feeding transition to bird and subsequently mammalian blood. We include the rare species Diphylla ecaudata and Diaemus youngi, where plasminogen activator had not previously been studied and demonstrate that PA gene duplication observed in Desmodus is not essential to the vampire phenotype, but relates to the emergence of predominant mammalian blood feeding in this species. Plasminogen activator has evolved through gene duplication, domain loss, and sequence evolution leading to change in fibrin-specificity and susceptibility to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Before undertaking this study, only the four plasminogen activator isoforms from Desmodus were known. The evolution of vampire bat plasminogen activators can now be linked phylogenetically to the transition in feeding behavior among vampire bat species from bird to mammalian blood.
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| 46. |
- Tobler, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Specific floater home ranges and prospective behaviour in the European starling, Sturnus vulgaris
- 2004
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Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1904 .- 0028-1042. ; 91:2, s. 85-89
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In many bird species, floaters are present on the breeding grounds in one or more years before they breed. There is increasing evidence that they have specific home ranges in which they search for information about current and future breeding opportunities. We investigated the role of prospecting in a migratory European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) population. Radio-tracking showed that male starling floaters use specific home range areas during the breeding period. Nest-box observations demonstrated that non-parental nest intrusion is common in the starling and that it is significantly more frequent during the nestling than during the incubation period. In addition, small groups of nest boxes were more likely to be occupied by starlings if they had been put up during the preceding breeding season. The results suggest that floaters try to acquire information about local breeding communities. One specific type of information may be the location of potential breeding sites.
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| 47. |
- Toledo, Alejandra, et al.
(författare)
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Fatty acid profiles of great tit (Parus major) eggs differ between urban and rural habitats, but not between coniferous and deciduous forests
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042. ; 103:7-8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Early-life nutrition is an important determinant of both short- and long-term performance and fitness. The avian embryo develops within an enclosed package of nutrients, of which fatty acids (FA) are essential for many aspects of development. The FA composition of yolk depends on maternal nutrition and condition prior to egg formation, which may be affected by the external environment. To test if maternal environment affects yolk FA composition, we investigated whether the FA composition of great tit (Parus major) egg yolks differed between urban and rural habitats, and between deciduous and coniferous habitats. The results reveal differences in FA composition between eggs laid in urban and rural habitats, but not between eggs from the coniferous and deciduous habitats. To a large extent, this difference likely reflects dietary differences associated with urban habitats rather than dominating vegetation type. Specifically, urban yolks contained lower proportions of both ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated FAs (PUFA), which are important for chick development. We also found a positive association between the proportion of saturated fatty acids and laying date, and a negative association between the proportion of ω-6 PUFA and clutch size. Given that urbanization is expanding rapidly, future studies should investigate whether factors such as anthropogenic food in the urban environment underlie these differences and whether they impair chick development.
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| 48. |
- Unelius, C. Rikard, et al.
(författare)
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Identification and electrophysiological studies of (4S,5S)-5-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-heptanone and 4-methyl-3,5-heptanedione in male lucerne weevils
- 2013
-
Ingår i: The Science of Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 100:2, s. 135-143
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An investigation to identify a sex or aggregation pheromone of Sitona discoideus GyllenhAyenl (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is presented. Antenna flicking and attraction behaviors evoked by conspecifics of both sexes were recorded in arena bioassays, where attraction of females to males was observed. Air entrainment of both males and females was conducted in separate chambers. Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of headspace volatiles revealed that two male-specific compounds, 4-methyl-3,5-heptanedione (major) and (4S,5S)-5-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-heptanone (minor), were emitted during the autumnal post-aestivatory flight period. The stereoisomers of the minor component were separated by enantioselective gas chromatography and their absolute configurations assigned by NMR (diastereomers) and the known preference of enantioselective transesterification reactions catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase B. Electroantennogram and single sensillum recording studies indicate that 4-methyl-3,5-heptanedione as well as all individual stereoisomers of 5-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-heptanone are detected by the antennae of male and female S. discoideus. Further, single sensillum recordings suggest that both sexes of S. discoideus have specialized olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) for detecting 4-methyl-3,5-heptanedione and different populations of stereoselective ORNs for detecting the stereoisomers of 5-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-heptanone. Some of these stereoselective ORNs appear to be sex-specific in S. discoideus.
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| 49. |
- Vicari, Mark, et al.
(författare)
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Unpacking multi-trophic herbivore-grass-endophyte interactions : feedbacks across different scales in vegetation responses to Soay sheep herbivory
- 2018
-
Ingår i: The Science of Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 105:11-12
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Grazing can induce changes in both plant productivity and nutritional quality, which may subsequently influence herbivore carrying capacity. While research on Soay sheep (Ovis aries L.) dynamics on Hirta Island in the St. Kilda archipelago has elucidated the complexity of population drivers, including parasites, the role of herbivore-generated feedbacks as an intrinsic regulating factor remains unclear. The sheep lack large predators and every 3-9years undergo population crashes (overcompensatory mortality). We investigated the effects of grazing on (1) sward productivity and (2) quality (toxicity) of the primary forage species, red fescue (Festuca rubra L.), which is highly infected by an alkaloid-synthesizing fungal endophyte. Grazing had a negative impact on both forage quantity and quality. At higher sheep densities, impacts on sward growth were magnified, resulting in a nonlinear relationship with plant productivity. Simultaneously, endophyte hyphal load (and by inference, toxicity) peaked close to the time of a crash. A greenhouse experiment showed that alkaloid concentration in F. rubra increased in response to artificial defoliation. We conclude that at high sheep densities, grazing-mediated reductions in productivity, together with sustained alkaloid production, are likely to influence sheep dynamics. Future research should consider the interactive effects of forage toxicity, quantity, and nutritional content.
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| 50. |
- Wassgren, A.-B., et al.
(författare)
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Sex Pheromone of the Pine Sawfly Macrodiprion nemoralis (Hymenoptera : Diprionidae) : Identification of (2S,3R,7R,9S)-3,7,9-Trimethyl-2-tridecanol as the Precursor for the Active Pheromone Acetate
- 2000
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Ingår i: Die Naturwissenschaften. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-1042 .- 1432-1904. ; 87:1, s. 24-29
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The main component of the sex pheromone precursor in females of Macrodiprion nemoralis was identified as a threo-3,7,9-trimethyl-2-tridecanol isomer, approximately 800 pg per female, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Comparison of mass spectrometric ion chromatograms showed that the natural compound in the female extract has the same retention time and mass spectrum as one of the two synthetic threo peaks. The acetate of the synthetic 16-isomer mixture caught a large number of males in the field, confirming the structure of the active pheromone. Comparison of gas chromatograms of the natural female extract with the eight synthetic threo stereoisomers showed that the pheromone is the (2S,3R,7R,9S)-stereoisomer of 3,7,9-trimethyl-2-tridecyl acetate.
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