Do reef corals age?

Hydra is emerging as a model organism for studies of ageing in early metazoan animals, but reef corals offer an equally ancient evolutionary perspective as well as several advantages, not least being the hard exoskeleton which provides a rich fossil record as well as a record of growth and means of ageing of individual coral polyps. Reef corals are also widely regarded as potentially immortal at the level of the asexual lineage and are assumed not to undergo an intrinsic ageing process. However, putative molecular indicators of ageing have recently been detected in reef corals. While many of the large massive coral species attain considerable ages (>600 years) there are other much shorter‐lived species where older members of some populations show catastrophic mortality, compared to juveniles, under environmental stress. Other studies suggestive of ageing include those demonstrating decreased reproduction, increased susceptibility to oxidative stress and disease, reduced regeneration potential and declining growth rate in mature colonies. This review aims to promote interest and research in reef coral ageing, both as a useful model for the early evolution of ageing and as a factor in studies of ecological impacts on reef systems in light of the enhanced effects of environmental stress on ageing in other organisms.     

Unbiased sex ratios among the Barí: An evolutionary interpretation

We examine whether among the Barí sex ratios at birth or later ages deviate from the value of one expected by chance. We find no significant bias toward sons or daughters. We also examine whether the costs and benefits associated with sons and daughters are similar or if one sex is more expensive than the other. We contrast our results with predictions derived from Fisher's and the Trivers-Willard hypotheses on sex ratios.     

Density regulation in toad populations (Epidalea calamita,Bufotes viridis) by differential winter survival of juveniles

The size of amphibian populations varies considerably between years, so that systematic trends in dynamics are difficult to detect. Informed conservation management of presumably declining populations requires the identification of the most sensitive life stage. In temperate-zone anurans there is growing evidence that juveniles hibernating for the first time suffer from substantial winter losses. In two syntopic toads (Epidalea calamita, Bufotes viridis) we monitored survival of such juveniles during four consecutive winters in the natural habitat and in four temperature treatments (3°, 5 °C, 10°/15 °C or 20 °C, natural light-dark cycle) in temperature-controlled chambers during winter. Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that (1) winter mortality of juvenile toads which hibernate for the first time in their life is an important component of population dynamics, and that (2) mortality rates differed between the two species. Parameters quantified were size-dependent winter mortality and body condition of pre- and post-hibernating juveniles. Field data provided evidence for the important role of winter mortality of first-hibernators in population dynamics. Choice of hibernacula differed in E. calamita between small and medium-sized individuals and also between the two species suggesting distinct mortality risks. The inability of small E. calamita to reach frost-proof hibernacula by burrowing, and the exposure of small B. viridis to predators are the most probable causes of size-assortative winter mortality. In conclusion, E. calamita juveniles may benefit from rising average winter temperatures in the future by decreased risk of freezing to death, whereas predator-caused winter mortality of B. viridis juveniles will also depend on the effects of climate warming on predator phenology.     

The regulation of mortality and fecundity in Schistosoma mattheei following a single experimental infection in sheep.

The regulation of mortality and fecundity of Schistosoma mattheei in sheep was examined using a series of mathematical models applied to data culled from the literature. Parasite mortality (μ) was found to be an increasing linear function of the magnitude of the initial infection over the ranges of doses examined (200–91, 000 cercariae) where μ = 9.78 × 10⁻³ + 3.476 × 10^−7* infection dose. Parasite fecundity (λ) was found to be inversely related to the duration of the infection. The best fit model for parasite fecundity was one in which fecundity decreased exponentially with time since initial infection, λ = λ₀e^−δ1−r. There was no evidence for density-dependent regulation of fecundity.     

Mesocyclops longisetus effects on survivorship of Aedes aegypti immature stages in car tyres

Abstract .The effect of the introduction of the entomophagous copepod Mesocyclops longisetus (Acuacultura F.C.B. strain) on the survival of Aedes aegypti immature stages in car tyres was evaluated under semi-natural conditions in the municipality of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Life tables were constructed for the immature stages of the mosquito in the presence and absence of M. longisetus , and the survival data were compared using log–linear models. The data set was adjusted using the GLIM statistical package and the quality of adjustment was evaluated with a chi-squared test . Survivorship curves were constructed for each treatment.
In the absence of M. longisetus , the survivorship of Ae. aegypti immature stages averaged 9%. The highest mortality rate was observed during the fourth larval instar (54%) and the resulting survival pattern corresponded to a type II survivorship curve. The mortality rate of Ae. aegypti first-instar larvae (fifty per tyre) increased more than 200-fold in the presence of M. longisetus (twenty per tyre) and the highest mortality was during the first two larval instars, where it reached 98.9%, with a resulting survivorship of 0.2%. Overall mortality was sixfold greater in the presence of the copepod than in its absence. The survival pattern of immature stages of Ae. aegypti in the presence of the copepod corresponded to a type III survivorship curve. As M. longisetus was so effective against Ae. aegypti immature stages in tyres under semi-natural conditions, its long-term effectiveness should be evaluated under socially and ecologically realistic field conditions in Mexico.     

Autumnal moth – why autumnal?

1. As for some other spring‐feeding moths, adult flight of Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) occurs in late autumn. Late‐season flight is a result of a prolonged pupal period. Potential evolutionary explanations for this phenological pattern are evaluated. 2. In a laboratory rearing, there was a weak correlation between pupation date and the time of adult emergence. A substantial genetic difference in pupal period was found between two geographic populations. Adaptive evolution of eclosion time can thus be expected. 3. Metabolic costs of a prolonged pupal period were found to be moderate but still of some ecological significance. Pupal mortality is likely to form the main cost of the prolonged pupal period. 4. Mortality rates of adults, exposed in the field, showed a declining temporal trend from late summer to normal eclosion time in autumn. Lower predation pressure on adults may constitute the decisive selective advantage of late‐season flight. It is suggested that ants, not birds, were the main predators responsible for the temporal trend. 5. Egg mortality was estimated to be low; it is thus unlikely that the late adult period is selected for to reduce the time during which eggs are exposed to predators. 6. In a laboratory experiment, oviposition success was maximal at the time of actual flight peak of E. autumnata, however penalties resulting from sub‐optimal timing of oviposition remained limited.     

Estimating cladoceran birth rate: use of the egg age distribution to estimate mortality of ovigerous females and eggs

The birth rate of natural cladoceran populations can change rapidly (during 2–3 days), reflecting rapid changes in their environment. If the egg ratio is calculated on the basis of egg age distribution, the birth rate can be estimated at short sampling intervals (shorter than egg stage duration) by modified Paloheimo's (1974) formula. When female size structure and age of eggs in clutches at the beginning and the end of a sampling interval are known, death rates of ovigerous females and eggs in separate size classes can be determined and incorporated in birth rate estimates. All these methods have been employed using the data on the population of Diaphanosoma brahyurum from the lake Obsterno (North-Western Belarus) in July–August, 1992. The birth rate values computed by the proposed methods and Poloheimo's formula differed significantly in many cases. The accuracy of birth rate estimations from various calculation methods was tested using a computer simulation. The model contains the essential features of cladoceran life history: distinct egg, juvenile and adult stages, development of eggs and reproduction. The population was divided into 25 age classes, each of 1 day duration. Durations of the egg, juvenile and adult stages were set at 3, 6 and 20 days, respectively. The embryogenesis was divided into three egg stages, each of 1 day duration. Survivorship was set from 0.2 up to 1.0 for each age class. The survivorship and brood size were changed through each of five time intervals (days) that allowed to simulate an increase or reduction of population density. Fecundity, survivorship and egg stage duration remained constant during each of 5 days that assumed stability of an environment (this does not occur in nature). Nevertheless, the egg ratio, proportion of juveniles and birth rates were variable even under these circumstances. Computer simulations showed that Poloheimo's formula evaluates birth rate with the relative error of 62% and usually overestimates its values. We propose methods to decrease errors of birth rate estimations by 3.5–5.5 times.     

Model life tables for the larger old world monkeys

Mortality statistics for 25 populations of the larger Old World monkeys (members of the subfamily Cercopithecinae) were evaluated with a competing hazard model of mortality. The best eight of these life tables were combined to generate a standard model life table representative of the mortality patterns of these primates. Two applications of the standard model to smooth, graduate, and compare life tables based on limited and defective data are presented.