Genetic and Morphological Comparisons of Lesser Celandine (Ficaria Verna) Invasions Suggest Regionally Widespread Clonal and Sexual Reproduction

Kali Zoe Mattingly, Charles T. C. Day, Emily S. J. Rauschert, Aaron Tayal, Stephen M. Hovick. 2022. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7987-6061

Abstract

Both asexual and sexual reproduction can provide important keys to the success of invasive species. A species with the potential for both strategies is lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), a European native with multiple subspecies that have been introduced in North America as ornamentals and escaped cultivation. Although the genetic and morphological diversity of celandine has been studied in Europe, few studies have examined North American populations. We aimed to document genotypic and phenotypic diversity at a regional scale. We compared sequence-related amplied polymorphism (SRAP) genotypes of 64 individuals collected from Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, OH. We phenotyped 129 individuals from across the same regions and from Louisville, KY, measuring trait values in an outdoor common garden experiment. The SRAP markers were highly polymorphic and revealed surprising genetic diversity. Genetic and trait variation was structured across regions, but we also saw high variation within regions. Cleveland populations differed the most genetically and morphologically, with notably smaller owers. Of individuals that owered, many produced expanded achenes, and all regions had individuals that made asexual bulbils. Trait data suggested subspecies verna or cariiformis may be present in these regions. Their genetically admixed nature, along with achene production and a potential relationship between genetic diversity and the ability to produce achenes all support sexual reproduction. Sexual and asexual propagules may spread by different vectors, and our resistance analyses indicated water dispersal and habitat availability may contribute to genetic structure. These ndings suggest celandine may have substantial potential for further spread and for evolutionary change.

An adaptive dynamic model of a vigilance game among group foragers

John S. McAlister and Ian M.Hamilton. Journal of Theoretical Biology. Volume 538, 7 April 2022, 111030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2022.111030

Abstract

In group foraging animals, vigilance tends to decrease as group size increases. A forager in a group receives a vigilance benefit not only when it is being vigilant itself but also when a group mate is being vigilant. The many eyes hypothesis supposes that individuals exhibit lower vigilance in larger groups because of this. However, changes in safety resulting from the vigilance benefit conferred by group mates can change the decision to join or leave a group so as vigilance changes because of changes in group size, group size may also change in response to changes in vigilance. Additionally, individuals may have poor information about the vigilance strategies of their neighbors. We present a game theoretical model of vigilance that incorporates dynamic group sizes and does not require behavioral monitoring of the vigilance strategies of others. For systems at equilibrium, maximum vigilance decreases with increased group size. Furthermore, by varying intraspecific competition we show an inverse relationship between group size and vigilance. Thus, we provide a mechanism in support of the many eyes hypothesis from an evolutionary game theory perspective and conclude that variation in intraspecific competition and its effect on group size may be responsible for the relationship.

A new framework for assessing the contributions of professionals in the natural sciences

Lauren A. Esposito, Marymegan Daly, Matthew K. Fujita, Jacob A. Gorneau, Giovanni Rapacciuolo, Luiz Rocha, Lauren Scheinberg, Jessica Ware,C orey K. Welch, Alison N. Young, Rayna C. Bell. 2022. Bulletin of the SSB. https://doi.org/10.18061/bssb.v1i1.8332

INTRODUCTION

The foundations of the natural sciences are intertwined with the histories of racism and colonialism, including the explicit distortion of scientific discoveries in the formulation and justification of racist theories of humanity as well as the biases and harmful actions that persist in our present-day workplaces (Haraway 1984; Graves Jr. 2004; Graves Jr. 2015; Das and Lowe 2018; Graves Jr. 2019; Davies et al. 2021; Cronin et al. 2021). Many individuals, institutions, and professional societies in the natural sciences are committed to implementing anti-racist actions and policies as the foundation of a future that is equitable and that truly reflects our values. Yet, the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion is undervalued and disproportionately falls to marginalized groups, further hindering their academic “success” under current metric systems. This inequity compounds the burden of the legacies of racism with the urgent need to dismantle them.

Nutrient enrichment intensifies the effects of warming on metabolic balance of stream ecosystems

Wyatt F. Cross, James M. Hood, Jonathan P. Benstead, Alexander D. Huryn, Jill R. Welter, Gísli M. Gíslason, Jon S. Ólafsson. Limnology and Oceanography Letters 2022.doi: 10.1002/lol2.10244
https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/lol2.10244

Abstract

Climate warming and eutrophication are leading drivers of environmental change, and both are likely to alter the role of freshwaters in the global carbon cycle. Recent studies demonstrate that warming of streams can increase freshwater contributions of CO2 to the atmosphere, yet little is known about how such contributions are modulated by the identity or supply of limiting nutrients. We quantified responses of ecosystem metabo- lism and metabolic balance to whole-stream enrichments of either nitrogen or phosphorus across a 5C range of ambient temperature. We show that nutrient enrichment drove large reductions in net ecosystem produc- tion, and interactions with temperature amplified these effects in warm N-enriched streams. Partitioning of autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration revealed that these responses were driven by increased respiration of microbial heterotrophs. Our study provides direct experimental evidence that warming-induced increases in CO2 emissions to the atmosphere are likely intensified in stream ecosystems subject to eutrophication.

The impacts of transfer learning, phylogenetic distance, and sample size on big-data bioacoustics

Kaiya L. Provost, Jiaying Yang, Bryan C. Carstens. 2022. bioRxiv 2022.02.24.481827; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.24.481827

Abstract

Vocalizations in animals, particularly birds, are critically important behaviors that influence their reproductive fitness, but automatically extracting vocalization data from existing large databases has only recently gained traction and has yet to be evaluated with respect to accuracy of different approaches. Here, we use a recently-published machine learning framework to extract syllables from six bird species ranging in their phylogenetic relatedness from 1–85 million years, comparing how phylogenetic relatedness impacts accuracy as well as the utility of applying trained models to novel species. Model performance is best on conspecifics, with accuracy progressively decreasing as phylogenetic distance increases between taxa; however, using models trained on multiple distantly related species can recover the lost accuracy. When planning big-data bioacoustics studies, care must be taken in sample design to maximize sample size and minimize human labor without sacrificing accuracy.

Antibacterial effects of propolis and brood comb extracts on the causative agent of European Foulbrood (Melissococcus plutonius) in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

Stephanie K. Murray, Colin M. Kurkul, Andrew J. Mularo, Vanessa L. Hale, Rachelle M. M. Adams, Reed M. Johnson. 2022. bioRxiv 2022.02.21.481376; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.21.481376

Abstract

Among a long list of parasites and pathogens that threaten the European honey bee (Apis mellifera), European Foulbrood (EFB) has become an urgent apiary disease, as epidemic outbreaks are becoming increasingly common. EFB is a bacterial disease of larval honey bees, caused by a gram-positive, anaerobic bacterium, Melissococcus plutonius. The most effective current treatment for EFB, oxytetracycline hydrochloride, can disrupt the bee microbiome, cause bee mortality and residues may persist in honey harvested for human consumption. In this study, we explore the efficacy of more sustainable bee-derived solutions, including propolis, honey comb and brood comb ethanol extracts. Using a series of dilutions of these extracts, we determined the minimum inhibitory concertation (MIC) of each bee-derived product on M. plutonius, as well as two model bacterial species, Staphylococcus saprophyticus (gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (gram-negative). Overall, we found that propolis extract was most effective at inhibiting growth of gram-positive bacteria, and that M. plutonious was also susceptible to honey comb (MIC = 16.00 mg/mL) and brood comb (MIC = 45.33 mg/mL) extracts, but at much higher concentrations than that of propolis (MIC = 1.14 mg/mL).