Does resource availability affect offspring begging and parental provisioning in a partially begging species?

In species where parents repeatedly provide their offspring with food, the offspring often communicate their need to the parents. Burying beetles, which breed on a wide size range of carcasses of small vertebrates, are interesting model systems to test theories on begging, because the larvae show partial begging, that is, they obtain food through both signalling to their parents (begging) and feeding directly from the carcass. We manipulated resource availability inNicrophorus vespilloides by providing parents with mouse carcasses spanning a wide size range, and allowing them to rear the larvae that hatched, so that both the amount of resources and the number of siblings varied. Time spent begging by each larva was strongly influenced by the time parents spent near the larvae. Brood size had a nonlinear effect on larval begging, with begging increasing with brood size for relatively smaller broods and decreasing again for larger broods. Carcass size and number of parents present had no effect on begging. Time spent provisioning the larvae by the parents was strongly associated with the time spent begging by each larva. Parents spent more time provisioning under biparental care than under uniparental care, while brood size and carcass size had no significant effect. These findings suggest that the larvae adjust their begging to the behaviour of their parents and the number of siblings, but not to the amount of resources. Furthermore, parents adjust the time spent provisioning to the average amount of begging by each larva in the brood, and not to the availability of resources.     

Coadaptation of offspring begging and parental provisioning: A role for prenatal maternal effects?

Recent studies on birds have shown that offspring begging and parental provisioning covary at the phenotypic level, which is thought to reflect genetic correlations. However, prenatal maternal factors, like yolk testosterone, may also facilitate parent-offspring coadaptation via their effects on offspring begging and development. In fact, maternal effects are thought to adjust offspring phenotype to the environmental conditions they will experience after birth, which are in turn strongly dependent on the levels of parental provisioning. Using cross-fostering experiments in canaries, we tested the role of maternal effects on parent-offspring coadaptation from two different approaches. First, we analyzed whether females deposit yolk testosterone in relation to their own or their partner's prospective parental provisioning, measured as the rate of parental feeding to foster nestlings. Second, we investigated whether females deposit yolk testosterone in relation to costs they incurred when raising a previous brood, as this likely impinges on their capacity to provide parental care in the near future. However, from the results of both experiments we have no evidence that canary females deposit yolk testosterone in order to match offspring begging to the levels of care they and/or their partners provide. We therefore found no evidence that yolk testosterone facilitates parent-offspring coadaptation. In addition, our results suggest that the functional consequences of yolk testosterone deposition may relate to hatching asynchrony since it primarily varied with egg laying order.     

Are parental care trade‐offs in shorebirds driven by parental investment or sexual selection?

Sexual selection, mating systems and parental behaviour are closely linked, although the exact nature of their relationship is controversial. The parental investment hypothesis (PIH) states that parental care disparity drives sexual selection intensity, because the sex providing less care competes for the sex that provides more. In contrast, the sexual selection hypothesis (SSH) asserts that more intense sexual selection on males leads to reduced male parental investment. We tested these hypotheses using directional phylogenetic comparative methods in shorebirds, which have an unusually diverse array of breeding systems. Changes in parental care and sexual selection intensity were tightly correlated, and we carried out three sets of analyses focusing on changes in male behaviour, female behaviour and in either sex. The results from the analyses were consistent with both PIH and SSH, although the patterns in male transition were sensitive to model values. We propose two explanations for these results. First, phylogenetic transitions may be idiosyncratic so that they depend on the ecological circumstances of individual species. Second, transitions in social traits, such as breeding systems, may be rapid and take place in ecological time, so directional phylogenetic methods that work through longer time scales may not infer accurately the timing and direction of all changes.     

Who Are the True Fans? Evidence from an Event-Related Potential Study

Fans of celebrities commonly exist in modern society. Researchers from social science have been concerned with this problem for years. Furthermore, such researchers have attempted to measure people’s involvement with celebrities in various ways. However, no study measured the degree of addiction to a specific celebrity at the neurological level. Therefore, the current study employed visually evoked event related potentials (ERPs) to examine people’s attitude toward celebrities by comparing different brain activities of fans and non-fans when they were shown a set of photos. These photos include a specific celebrity, a familiar person, a stranger and a butterfly. Furthermore, to examine the validity of the detected neural index, we also investigated the correlation between brain activity and the score of the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS), which was a questionnaire used to explore people’s attitude toward celebrities at behavioral level. Two groups of subjects were asked to complete an implicit task, i.e., to press a button when a picture of a butterfly appeared. Results revealed that fans showed significant positive N2 and P300 deflection when viewing the photos of their favorite celebrity, whereas in the non-fan group, the subjects only showed larger P300 amplitude as a response to the celebrity’s photos. Furthermore, a positive correlation between P300 amplitude elicited by the stimuli of a celebrity face and CAS scores was also observed. These findings indicated fan attitude to a specific celebrity can also be observed at the neurological level and suggested the potential utility of using ERP component as an index of fandom involvement.     

Is the Prunella (Lamiaceae) hybrid zone structured by an environmental gradient? Evidence from a reciprocaltransplant experiment

Hybrid zones may be structured by environmentally independent selection against intrinsically unfit hybrids (tension zone models), or by environmentally dependent fitness differences among parental species and hybrids (ecological selection-gradient models). A 30-m slope in a mountain grassland harbors a hybrid zone of the clonal perennials, Prunella grandiflora and P. vulgaris (Lamiaceae), with P. grandiflora in the upper, P. vulgaris in the lower, and both parental species and P. grandiflora × P. vulgaris Hybrids in a narrow middle part. We found gradients for soil depth and water content, and vegetation height and biomass along the slope. A reciprocal transplant experiment yielded crossing reaction norms for vegetative reproduction. Parental species were locally adapted to their home sites, while the three taxa did not differ in vegetative reproduction in the Hybrid transplant site. Local adaptation for vegetative reproduction of P. grandiflora was mediated through higher survival and that of P. vulgaris through higher ramet number, indicating adaptation of their clonal growth strategies (phalanx vs. guerrilla) to the different habitats. Hybrid performance was intermediate between that of the parental species in all three sites, although Hybrids flowered more often than the parental species in the Hybrid site. Our results support ecological selection-gradient rather than tension zone models.     

Are austerity measures really distressing? Evidence from Italy

Since 2007 financial recovery plans have been adopted by some Italian regions to contain the costs of the healthcare sector. It is legitimate to ask whether spending cuts associated with the austerity policy have had any effect on the health of the citizens. We examine the indirect impact of financial recovery plans on a broad set of health indicators, accounting for several dimensions of both physical and psychological diseases. We use an instrumental variable fixed-effects model to control for time-varying heterogeneity and to deal with the potential endogeneity of the enrolment in the austerity programme. We find that the Italian austerity policy Piano di Rientro resulted in unintended negative effects on several dimensions of health, hurting and potentially jeopardising the health of citizens.     

What Are the Main Drivers of the Bitcoin Price? Evidence from Wavelet Coherence Analysis

The Bitcoin has emerged as a fascinating phenomenon in the Financial markets. Without any central authority issuing the currency, the Bitcoin has been associated with controversy ever since its popularity, accompanied by increased public interest, reached high levels. Here, we contribute to the discussion by examining the potential drivers of Bitcoin prices, ranging from fundamental sources to speculative and technical ones, and we further study the potential influence of the Chinese market. The evolution of relationships is examined in both time and frequency domains utilizing the continuous wavelets framework, so that we not only comment on the development of the interconnections in time but also distinguish between short-term and long-term connections. We find that the Bitcoin forms a unique asset possessing properties of both a standard financial asset and a speculative one.     

Are rocky shore ecosystems affected by nutrient-enriched seawater? Some preliminary results from a mesocosm experiment

The response of rocky shore ecosystems to increased nutrient availability was examined in eight land-based mesocosms designed for hard-bottom littoral communities built at Marine Research Station Solbergstrand (Norway). The average seawater volume in each basin was 9 m³ with an average water residence time of about 2 h. A tidal regime resembling that in the fjord was maintained in the basins, and waves were generated regularly. NH₄NO₃ and H₃PO₄, at a constant molar NP ratio of 16:1, was added into 6 basins at concentrations 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 M DIN above the background DIN concentration during 1 1/2 years. Two mesocosms were kept as control treatment. Marine communities were introduced into the basins two years prior to the start of nutrient dosage. The effects of nutrient enrichment were few and only marginal during the first year of nutrient addition, while some effects became more obvious during the second year. The growth rate of the periphyton and fast-growing macroalgae communities was stimulated by nutrient enrichment, while the response was less evident among the perennial fucoids. The structure of the macroalgal communities, however, did not change during 16 months' measurements. In contrast, growth on artificial rock substrates during the same period of time revealed intensive growth of the fast-growing Ulva lactuca in high-dosed basins compared with low-dosed and control basins, which were dominated by the fucoid Fucus serratus. The fauna communities exhibited only a minor response to nutrient treatment. The common periwinkle Littorina littorea, however, appeared with increased abundance in the high-dosed basins. The total system metabolism tended to increase slightly, but not significantly, with increased nutrient loading.     

Are reward polymorphisms subject to frequency‐ and density‐dependent selection? Evidence from a monoecious species pollinated by deceit

Abstract Most deceit‐pollinated species involve floral dimorphisms characterized by the presence of rewarding male flowers and nonrewarding female flowers. It has been proposed that this polymorphism establishes the conditions for the action of frequency dependent selection (FDS). The tendency of foraging animals to aggregate in areas of high resource density suggests that pollination efficiency and fruit production may be positively influenced by flower density (density dependent selection, DDS). In this paper we offer a graphical model describing the effects of FDS and DDS on a monoecious species pollinated by deceit. We test the FDS and DDS assumptions and the predictions of the model using field observations and experimental populations of Begonia gracilis in which population sex ratio and flower density were controlled. We found a marked effect of both FDS and DDS on pollinator visitation, fruit‐set, and on the probability of female flowers to setting fruits. We conclude that these two types of selection have had a strong influence on the evolution of deceit‐pollinated species.     

Are zebra mussels restricted by toxicant levels in the River Meuse? a review

This paper questions if chemical barriers prevent the occurrence of benthic invertebrates in the river Meuse. To this purpose an ecotoxicological analysis is presented, using published observations on the zebra musselDreissena polymorpha, a tolerant species that maintains populations in the river. Zebra mussels collected or exposed at the Belgian-Dutch border contained high levels of several groups of toxicants, and mixture toxicity is likely to occur. A recently developed bio-assay, using the filtration rate of the zebra mussel, demonstrated strong inhibitory effects of water from the river Meuse. To determine which (combination of) toxicants cause such effects, laboratory experiments with toxicant mixtures were carried out. It was demonstrated that in a mixture of five metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd, Pb) the metals contributed to the toxicity of the mixture below the No Observed Effect Concentrations (NOEC) for these metals when tested individually. The average concentration of Cu, Zn and possibly Pb in Meuse water exceed the NOEC values for filtration rate. Thus, it seems likely that joint effects of different (groups of) toxicants in the river Meuse cause the overall toxicity of the water for the zebra mussel, explaining the marginal populations at the test site, while other river species are absent there. It is suggested that toxicants in the river Meuse restrict the recolonisation of the river by invertebrate species more sensitive than the zebra mussel. This will be studied using invertebrates of different sensitivities (molluscs, arthropods), enabling the assessment of toxicity at different stages of water quality improvement of the river Meuse.     

Maternal cholesterol levels during gestation: boon or bane for the offspring?

An increase in cholesterol levels is perceived during pregnancy and is considered as a normal adaptive response to the development of the fetus. In some pregnancies, excessive increase in total cholesterol with high levels of Low-Density Lipoprotein leads to maladaptation by the fetus to cholesterol demands, resulting in a pathological condition termed as maternal hypercholesterolemia (MH). MH is considered clinically irrelevant and therefore cholesterol levels are not routinely checked during pregnancy, as a consequence of which there is scarce information on its global prevalence in pregnant women. Studies have reported that MH during pregnancy can cause atherogenesis in adults emphasizing the concept of in utero programming of fetus. Moreover, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, obesity and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome are potential risk factors which strengthen combined pathologies in placenta and fetuses of mothers with MH. However, lack of conclusive evidence on cholesterol transport and underlying programming demand substantial research to develop population-based life style strategies for women in their childbearing years. The current review focuses on the mechanisms and outcomes of MH from existing epidemiological as well as experimental data and presents a detailed insight on this novel risk factor of cardiovascular diseases.

     

Is pathological metabolism in the parental organism responsible for defective and monstrous development of the offspring?

Ohne Zusammenfassung

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Is pathological metabolism in the parental organism responsible for defective and monstrous development of the offspring?

     

How Universal Are Preferences for Female Waist-to-Hip Ratios? Evidence from the Hadza of Tanzania

Female waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) has been proposed by evolutionary psychologists to be an important component of human male mate choice, because this trait is thought to provide a reliable cue to a woman's reproductive value. Based largely on work conducted in industrialized societies, the claim has been made that preferences for low WHR are culturally invariant. Presumably, the preferences evolved before the advent of agriculture, making foraging populations the best place to test the hypothesis. This was done with the Hadza of Tanzania, who were shown figures of females that varied by weight and waist-to-hip ratio. Low WHR was not preferred. Hadza men did not consider waist-to-hip ratio when expressing preferences for mates. Instead, they were most interested in the weight of potential partners. Research by others with subjects who practice swidden agriculture also revealed that low WHR was not preferred. The data from the Hadza coupled with the information derived from this horticultural group bring into question whether preferences for low WHR are culturally invariant.     

Are proteins made from a limited parts list?

Understanding the process of protein folding has been recognized as an important challenge for >70 years. It is, quintessentially, a thermodynamic problem and, arguably, thermodynamics is our most powerful discipline for understanding biological systems. Yet, despite all this, we still lack predictive understanding of protein folding. Is something missing from this picture?     

Are diel vertical migrations of European perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) early juveniles under direct control of light intensity? Evidence from a large field experiment

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Are inbred offspring less fit? Survival in a natural population of Mexican jays

The importance of inbreeding avoidance for the fitness of individualsis currently undergoing reevahation. Especially when the frequencyof inbreeding is low, it may be difficult to accumulate sufficientinformation. In a long-term study of the Mexican jay (Aphelocomaultamarina) in Arizona, we found inbreeding, as determined bypedigree, to be rare even though this species exhibits strongnatal philopatry and commonly lives in social groups of closerelatives. Brood sizes of inbred pairs were significantly lowerthan those of outbred pairs, suggesting hatching failure; butthere was no difference in die probability that one or moreyoung would fledge from a nest. Survival of inbred nestlingsto die next year was significantly lower than that of outbrednestlings.