Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Sudden collapse of a mesopredator reveals its complementary role in mediating rocky reef regime shifts
While changes in the abundance of keystone predators can have cascading effects resulting in regime shifts, the role of mesopredators in these processes remains underexplored. We conducted annual surveys of rocky reef communities that varied in the recovery of a keystone predator (sea otter, Enhydra lutris) and the mass mortality of a mesopredator (sunflower sea star, Pycnopodia helianthoides) due to an infectious wasting disease. By fitting a population model to empirical data, we show that sea otters had the greatest impact on the mortality of large sea urchins, but that Pycnopodia decline corresponded to a 311% increase...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 25, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Burt, J. M., Tinker, M. T., Okamoto, D. K., Demes, K. W., Holmes, K., Salomon, A. K. Tags: ecology Source Type: research

Low dose of neonicotinoid insecticide reduces foraging motivation of bumblebees
Widespread use of neonicotinoid insecticides, such as imidacloprid, is often associated with diminishing populations of bees; this loss of pollinators presents a concern for food security and may cause unpredictable changes in ecological networks. However, little is known about the potential behavioural mechanisms behind the neonicotinoid-associated pollinator decline. We quantified the effects of low-dose (1 ppb) imidacloprid exposure on the foraging behaviour of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). Individual bumblebees were released into a flight arena containing three patches of robotic flowers whose colour (yellow, orange,...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 25, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Lämsä, J., Kuusela, E., Tuomi, J., Juntunen, S., Watts, P. C. Tags: behaviour, ecology, environmental science Global change and conservation Source Type: research

Predator macroevolution drives trophic cascades and ecosystem functioning
Biologists now recognize that ecology can drive evolution, and that evolution in turn produces ecological patterns. I extend this thinking to include longer time scales, suggesting that macroevolutionary transitions can create phenotypic differences among species, which then have predictable impacts on species interactions, community assembly and ecosystem functioning. Repeated speciation can exacerbate these patterns by creating communities with similar phenotypes and hence ecological impacts. Here, I use several experiments to test these ideas in dragonfly larvae that occupy ponds with fish, ponds without fish, or both. ...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 25, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Start, D. Tags: behaviour, ecology, evolution Source Type: research

Admixture of hybrid swarms of native and introduced lizards in cities is determined by the cityscape structure and invasion history
Introductions of non-native lineages increase opportunities for hybridization. Non-native lineages of the common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis, are frequently introduced in cities where they hybridize with native populations. We aimed at unravelling the invasion history and admixture of native and non-native wall lizards in four German cities using citywide, comprehensive sampling. We barcoded and genotyped 826 lizards and tested if gene flow in populations composed of admixed native and introduced lineages is facilitated by similar environmental factors to those in native populations by comparing fine-scale landscape gene...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 25, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Beninde, J., Feldmeier, S., Veith, M., Hochkirch, A. Tags: genetics, ecology, evolution Special feature Source Type: research

Has adaptation occurred in males and females since separate sexes evolved in the plant Silene latifolia?
We describe evidence that a dioecious plant species with recently evolved dioecy, Silene latifolia, has undergone adaptive changes that improve functioning in females, in addition to changes that are probably pleiotropic effects of male sterility. The results suggest pervasive adaptations as soon as males and females evolve from their cosexual ancestor. (Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 25, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Zemp, N., Widmer, A., Charlesworth, D. Tags: genetics, developmental biology, evolution Source Type: research

Heaviside's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii) relax acoustic crypsis to increase communication range
The costs of predation may exert significant pressure on the mode of communication used by an animal, and many species balance the benefits of communication (e.g. mate attraction) against the potential risk of predation. Four groups of toothed whales have independently evolved narrowband high-frequency (NBHF) echolocation signals. These signals help NBHF species avoid predation through acoustic crypsis by echolocating and communicating at frequencies inaudible to predators such as mammal-eating killer whales. Heaviside's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii) are thought to exclusively produce NBHF echolocation clicks with ...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 18, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Martin, M. J., Gridley, T., Elwen, S. H., Jensen, F. H. Tags: behaviour, ecology, evolution Source Type: research

Senescence impacts reproduction and maternal investment in bottlenose dolphins
Reproductive senescence is evident across many mammalian species. An emerging perspective considers components of reproductive senescence as evolutionarily distinct phenomena: fertility senescence and maternal-effect senescence. While fertility senescence is regarded as the ageing of reproductive physiology, maternal-effect senescence pertains to the declining capacity to provision and rear surviving offspring due to age. Both contribute to reproductive failure in utero making it difficult to differentiate between the two prenatally in the wild. We investigated both components in a long-lived mammal with prolonged maternal...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 18, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Karniski, C., Krzyszczyk, E., Mann, J. Tags: behaviour, evolution Source Type: research

Contrasting the effects of natural selection, genetic drift and gene flow on urban evolution in white clover (Trifolium repens)
We examined the relative roles of natural selection, genetic drift and gene flow in influencing the evolution of white clover (Trifolium repens), which thrives in urban and rural areas. Trifolium repens exhibits a Mendelian polymorphism for the production of hydrogen cyanide (HCN), a potent antiherbivore defence. We quantified the relative frequency of HCN in 490 populations sampled along urban–rural transects in 20 cities. We also characterized genetic variation within 120 populations in eight cities using 16 microsatellite loci. HCN frequency increased by 0.6% for every kilometre from an urban centre, and the stren...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 18, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Johnson, M. T. J., Prashad, C. M., Lavoignat, M., Saini, H. S. Tags: ecology, environmental science, evolution Special feature Source Type: research

Sustained effects of prior red light on pupil diameter and vigilance during subsequent darkness
Environmental light can exert potent effects on physiology and behaviour, including pupil size, vigilance and sleep. Previous work showed that these non-image forming effects can last long beyond discontinuation of short-wavelength light exposure. The possible functional effects after switching off long-wavelength light, however, have been insufficiently characterized. In a series of controlled experiments in healthy adult volunteers, we evaluated the effects of five minutes of intense red light on physiology and performance during subsequent darkness. As compared to prior darkness, prior red light induced a subsequent sus...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 18, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: van der Meijden, W. P., te Lindert, B. H. W., Ramautar, J. R., Wei, Y., Coppens, J. E., Kamermans, M., Cajochen, C., Bourgin, P., Van Someren, E. J. W. Tags: neuroscience, cognition Neuroscience and cognition Source Type: research

Proteomic evidence of dietary sources in ancient dental calculus
This study demonstrates that proteomic approaches can robustly identify foodstuffs in the archaeological record that are typically under-represented due to their poor macroscopic preservation. (Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 18, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Hendy, J., Warinner, C., Bouwman, A., Collins, M. J., Fiddyment, S., Fischer, R., Hagan, R., Hofman, C. A., Holst, M., Chaves, E., Klaus, L., Larson, G., Mackie, M., McGrath, K., Mundorff, A. Z., Radini, A., Rao, H., Trachsel, C., Velsko, I. M., Speller, Tags: molecular biology, palaeontology Palaeobiology Source Type: research

Genomic variation underlying complex life-history traits revealed by genome sequencing in Chinook salmon
A broad portfolio of phenotypic diversity in natural organisms can buffer against exploitation and increase species persistence in disturbed ecosystems. The study of genomic variation that accounts for ecological and evolutionary adaptation can represent a powerful approach to extend understanding of phenotypic variation in nature. Here we present a chromosome-level reference genome assembly for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha; 2.36 Gb) that enabled association mapping of life-history variation and phenotypic traits for this species. Whole-genome re-sequencing of populations with distinct life-history traits provi...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 18, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Narum, S. R., Di Genova, A., Micheletti, S. J., Maass, A. Tags: genomics, ecology, evolution Genetics and genomics Source Type: research

The Palaeozoic colonization of the water column and the rise of global nekton
The colonization of the water column is among the most important transformations in the evolution of animal life and global ecosystems. The Devonian nekton revolution has been identified as a major macroevolutionary event signifying the rapid occupation of the water column by independent radiations of swimming animals. Using new data, an expanded taxonomic coverage, sample standardization and increased ecological resolution, we analysed patterns of nektonization during the Palaeozoic. We find that nekton and eunekton were well established prior to the Devonian and did not diversify dramatically during any Palaeozoic interv...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 18, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Whalen, C. D., Briggs, D. E. G. Tags: palaeontology, ecology, evolution Palaeobiology Source Type: research

Timing of perineuronal net development in the zebra finch song control system correlates with developmental song learning
The appearance of perineuronal nets (PNNs) represents one of the mechanisms that contribute to the closing of sensitive periods for neural plasticity. This relationship has mostly been studied in the ocular dominance model in rodents. Previous studies also indicated that PNN might control neural plasticity in the song control system of songbirds. To further elucidate this relationship, we quantified PNN expression and their localization around parvalbumin interneurons at key time-points during ontogeny in both male and female zebra finches, and correlated these data with the well-described development of song in this speci...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 18, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Cornez, G., Jonckers, E., ter Haar, S. M., Van der Linden, A., Cornil, C. A., Balthazart, J. Tags: neuroscience, behaviour, developmental biology Neuroscience and cognition Source Type: research

Gamete-mediated mate choice: towards a more inclusive view of sexual selection
‘Sperm competition’—where ejaculates from two or more males compete for fertilization—and ‘cryptic female choice’—where females bias this contest to suit their reproductive interests—are now part of the everyday lexicon of sexual selection. Yet the physiological processes that underlie these post-ejaculatory episodes of sexual selection remain largely enigmatic. In this review, we focus on a range of post-ejaculatory cellular- and molecular-level processes, known to be fundamental for fertilization across most (if not all) sexually reproducing species, and point to their puta...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 18, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Kekäläinen, J., Evans, J. P. Tags: behaviour, ecology, evolution Review articles Source Type: research

Temperature is a poor proxy for synergistic climate forcing of plankton evolution
Changes in biodiversity at all levels from molecules to ecosystems are often linked to climate change, which is widely represented univariately by temperature. A global environmental driving mechanism of biodiversity dynamics is thus implied by the strong correlation between temperature proxies and diversity patterns in a wide variety of fauna and flora. Yet climate consists of many interacting variables. Species probably respond to the entire climate system as opposed to its individual facets. Here, we examine ecological and morphological traits of 12 633 individuals of two species of planktonic foraminifera with similar ...
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences - July 18, 2018 Category: Biology Authors: Brombacher, A., Wilson, P. A., Bailey, I., Ezard, T. H. G. Tags: palaeontology, environmental science, evolution Palaeobiology Source Type: research