The expression of pre- and postcopulatory sexually selected traits reflects levels of dietary stress in guppies

Environmental and ecological conditions can shape the evolution of life history traits in many animals. Among such factors, food or nutrition availability can play an important evolutionary role in moderating an animal's life history traits, particularly sexually selected traits. Here, we test whether diet quantity and/or composition in the form of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (here termed 'n3LC') influence the expression of pre- and postcopulatory traits in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), a livebearing poeciliid fish. We assigned males haphazardly to one of two experimental diets supplemented with n3LC, and each of these diet treatments was further divided into two diet 'quantity' treatments. Our experimental design therefore explored the main and interacting effects of two factors (n3LC content and diet quantity) on the expression of precopulatory (sexual behaviour and sexual ornamentation, including the size, number and spectral properties of colour spots) and postcopulatory (the velocity, viability, number and length of sperm) sexually selected traits. Our study revealed that diet quantity had significant effects on most of the pre- and postcopulatory traits, while n3LC manipulation had a significant effect on sperm traits and in particular on sperm viability. Our analyses also revealed interacting effects of diet quantity and n3LC levels on courtship displays, and the area of orange and iridescent colour spots in the males' colour patterns. We also confirmed that our dietary manipulations of n3LC resulted in the differential uptake of n3LC in body and testes tissues in the different n3LC groups. This study reveals the effects of diet quantity and n3LC on behavioural, ornamental and ejaculate traits in P. reticulata and underscores the likely role that diet plays in maintaining the high variability in these condition-dependent sexual traits.

Protected species use of a coastal marine migratory corridor connecting marine protected areas

The establishment of protected corridors linking the breeding and foraging grounds of many migratory species remains deficient, particularly in the world's oceans. For example, Australia has recently established a network of Commonwealth Marine Reserves, supplementing existing State reserves, to protect a wide range of resident and migratory marine species; however, the routes used by mobile species to access these sites are often unknown. The flatback marine turtle (Natator depressus) is endemic to the continental shelf of Australia, yet information is not available about how this species uses the marine area. We used a geospatial approach to delineate a coastal corridor from 73 adult female flatback postnesting migratory tracks from four rookeries along the north-west coast of Australia. A core corridor of 1,150 km length and 30,800 km2 area was defined, of which 52 % fell within 11 reserves, leaving 48 % (of equivalent size to several Commonwealth Reserves) of the corridor outside of the reserve network. Despite limited data being available for other marine wildlife in this region, humpback whale migratory tracks overlapped with 96 % of the core corridor, while the tracks of three other species overlapped by 5-10 % (blue whales, olive ridley turtles, whale sharks). The overlap in the distribution ranges of at least 20 other marine vertebrates (dugong, cetaceans, marine turtles, sea snakes, crocodiles, sharks) with the corridor also imply potential use. In conclusion, this study provides valuable information towards proposing new locations requiring protection, as well as identifying high-priority network linkages between existing marine protected areas. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Ontogeny of long distance migration

The movements of some long-distance migrants are driven by innate compass headings that they follow on their first migrations (e.g., some birds and insects), while the movements of other first-time migrants are learned by following more experienced conspecifics (e.g., baleen whales). However, the overall roles of innate, learned, and social behaviors in driving migration goals in many taxa are poorly understood. To look for evidence of whether migration routes are innate or learned for sea turtles, here for 42 sites around the world we compare the migration routes of >400 satellite-tracked adults of multiple species of sea turtle with ∼45 000 Lagrangian hatchling turtle drift scenarios. In so doing, we show that the migration routes of adult turtles are strongly related to hatchling drift patterns, implying that adult migration goals are learned through their past experiences dispersing with ocean currents. The diverse migration destinations of adults consistently reflected the diversity in sites they would have encountered as drifting hatchlings. Our findings reveal how a simple mechanism, juvenile passive drift, can explain the ontogeny of some of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom and ensure that adults find suitable foraging sites.

Investment in sensory structures, testis size, and wing coloration in males of a diurnal moth species: trade-offs or correlated growth?

For dioecious animals, reproductive success typically involves an exchange between the sexes of signals that provide information about mate location and quality. Typically, the elaborate, secondary sexual ornaments of males signal their quality, while females may signal their location and receptivity. In theory, the receptor structures that receive the latter signals may also become elaborate or enlarged in a way that ultimately functions to enhance mating success through improved mate location. The large, elaborate antennae of many male moths are one such sensory structure, and eye size may also be important in diurnal moths. Investment in these traits may be costly, resulting in trade-offs among different traits associated with mate location. For polyandrous species, such trade-offs may also include traits associated with paternity success, such as larger testes. Conversely, we would not expect this to be the case for monandrous species, where sperm competition is unlikely. We investigated these ideas by evaluating the relationship between investment in sensory structures (antennae, eye), testis, and a putative warning signal (orange hindwing patch) in field-caught males of the monandrous diurnal painted apple moth Teia anartoides (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) in southeastern Australia. As predicted for a monandrous species, we found no evidence that male moths with larger sensory structures had reduced investment in testis size. However, contrary to expectation, investment in sensory structures was correlated: males with relatively larger antennae also had relatively larger eyes. Intriguingly, also, the size of male orange hindwing patches was positively correlated with testis size.

Re-framing values for a World Heritage future: what type of icon will K'gari-Fraser Island become?

K’gari-Fraser Island, the world's largest barrier sand island, is at the crossroads of World Heritage status, due to destructive environmental use in concert with climate change. Will K’gari-Fraser Island exemplify innovative, adaptive management or become just another degraded recreational facility? We synthesize the likely impact of human pressures and predicted consequences on the values of this island. World-renown natural beauty and ongoing biological and geological processes in coastal, wetland, heathland and rainforest environments, all contribute to its World Heritage status. The impact of hundreds of thousands of annual visitors is increasing on the island's biodiversity, cultural connections, ecological functions and environmental values. Maintaining World Heritage values will necessitate the re-framing of values to integrate socioeconomic factors in management and reduce extractive forms of tourism. Environmentally sound, systematic conservation planning that achieves social equity is urgently needed to rectify historical mistakes and update current management practices. Characterizing and sustaining biological refugia will be important to retain biodiversity in areas that are less visited. The development of a coherent approach to interpretation concerning history, access and values is required to encourage a more sympathetic use of this World Heritage environment. Alternatively, ongoing attrition of the islands values by increased levels of destructive use is inevitable.

Testing the interactive effects of carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids on ejaculate traits in the guppy Poecilia reticulata (Pisces: Poeciliidae)

Using the polyandrous livebearing guppy Poecilia reticulata, this study revealed no main effects of carotenoids in the diet on ejaculate traits, but significant main effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on sperm viability and weak but significant interacting effects of both nutrients on sperm length. Collectively, these findings not only add evidence that PUFAs are critical determinants of sperm quality, but also provide tentative evidence that for some traits these effects may be moderated by carotenoid intake.

The mothematics of female pheromone signaling: strategies for aging virgins

Although females rarely experience strong mate limitation, delays or lifelong problems of mate acquisition are detrimental to female fitness. In systems where males search for females via pheromone plumes, it is often difficult to assess whether female signaling is costly. Direct costs include the energetics of pheromone production and attention from unwanted eavesdroppers, such as parasites, parasitoids, and predators. Suboptimal outcomes are also possible from too many or too few mating events or near-simultaneous arrival of males who make unwanted mating attempts (even if successfully thwarted). We show that, in theory, even small costs can lead to a scenario where young females signal less intensely (lower pheromone concentration and/or shorter time spent signaling) and increase signaling effort only as they age and gather evidence (while still virgin) on whether sperm limitation threatens their reproductive success. Our synthesis of the empirical data available on Lepidoptera supports this prediction for one frequently reported component of signaling-time spent calling (often reported as the time of onset of calling at night)-but not for another, pheromone titer. This difference is explicable under the plausible but currently untested assumption that signaling earlier than other females each night is a more reliable way of increasing the probability of acquiring at least one mate than producing a more concentrated pheromone plume.

A colostrum trypsin inhibitor gene expressed in the Cape fur seal mammary gland during lactation

The colostrum trypsin inhibitor (CTI) gene and transcript were cloned from the Cape fur seal mammary gland and CTI identified by in silico analysis of the Pacific walrus and polar bear genomes (Order Carnivora), and in marine and terrestrial mammals of the Orders Cetartiodactyla (yak, whales, camel) and Perissodactyla (white rhinoceros). Unexpectedly, Weddell seal CTI was predicted to be a pseudogene. Cape fur seal CTI was expressed in the mammary gland of a pregnant multiparous seal, but not in a seal in its first pregnancy. While bovine CTI is expressed for 24-48h postpartum (pp) and secreted in colostrum only, Cape fur seal CTI was detected for at least 2-3months pp while the mother was suckling its young on-shore. Furthermore, CTI was expressed in the mammary gland of only one of the lactating seals that was foraging at-sea. The expression of β-casein (CSN2) and β-lactoglobulin II (LGB2), but not CTI in the second lactating seal foraging at-sea suggested that CTI may be intermittently expressed during lactation. Cape fur seal and walrus CTI encode putative small, secreted, N-glycosylated proteins with a single Kunitz/bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) domain indicative of serine protease inhibition. Mature Cape fur seal CTI shares 92% sequence identity with Pacific walrus CTI, but only 35% identity with BPTI. Structural homology modelling of Cape fur seal CTI and Pacific walrus trypsin based on the model of the second Kunitz domain of human tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) and porcine trypsin (Protein Data Bank: 1TFX) confirmed that CTI inhibits trypsin in a canonical fashion. Therefore, pinniped CTI may be critical for preventing the proteolytic degradation of immunoglobulins that are passively transferred from mother to young via colostrum and milk.

Disentangling the cause of a catastrophic population decline in a large marine mammal

Considerable uncertainties often surround the causes of long-term changes in population abundance. One striking example is the precipitous decline of southern sea lions (SSL; Otariaflavescens) at the Falkland Islands, from 80 555 pups in the mid 1930s to just 5506 pups in 1965. Despite an increase in SSL abundance over the past two decades, the population has not recovered, with the number of pups born in 2014 (minimum 4443 pups) less than 6% of the 1930s estimate. The order-of-magnitude decline is primarily attributed to commercial sealing in Argentina. Here, we test this established paradigm and alternative hypotheses by assessing (1) commercial sealing at the Falkland Islands, (2) winter migration of SSL from the Falkland Islands to Argentina, (3) whether the number of SSL in Argentina could have sustained the reported level of exploitation, and (4) environmental change. The most parsimonious hypothesis explaining the SSL population decline was environmental change. Specifically, analysis of 160 years of winter sea surface temperatures revealed marked changes, including a period of warming between 1930 and 1950 that was consistent with the period of SSL decline. Sea surface temperature changes likely influenced the distribution or availability of SSL prey and impacted its population dynamics. We suggest that historical harvesting may not always be the "smoking gun" as is often purported. Rather, our conclusions support the growing evidence for bottom-up forcing on the abundance of species at lower trophic levels (e.g., plankton and fish) and resulting impacts on higher trophic levels across a broad range of ecosystems.

Morfologia do cromossomo Y, função gonadal e extragonadal em touros de raças sintéticas com alterações na qualidade do sêmen

O motivo deste estudo foi o percentual elevado de descarte de touros por alterações reprodutivas, precisamente qualidade de sêmen, que se apresenta em determinados sistemas produtivos nos quais estão inseridas as raças sintéticas. Através de cinco experimentos foi permitido observar o comportamento da espermatogênese de touros de raças sintéticas do nível cromossômico ao funcional do epitélio seminífero. O experimento I, avaliou por seis meses as características seminais de 12 touros, seis de uma raça pura e seis de uma sintética, contendo em cada grupo touros aptos e inaptos a reprodução classificados por qualidade de sêmen. Os animais do grupo sintético não apresentaram recuperação das características seminais durante o período de avaliação, como os puros, indicando um quadro degenerativo permanente neste conjunto de indivíduos. O experimento II buscou identificar uma relação entre a morfologia do cromossomo Y e tipos de cruzamentos, com a qualidade seminal de touros de duas raças sintéticas, Braford e Brangus-Ibagé. A relação da morfologia do Y com a condição reprodutiva não foi comprovada, no entanto considerando os tipos de cruzamentos para obtenção de touros 3/8, os cruzamentos que utilizam fêmea ¼ com macho ½ sangue filho de Nelore proporcionam um maior percentual de animais considerados inaptos ao exame de sêmen. Este experimento sugere medidas práticas para evitar o cruzamento que traz maiores prejuízos econômicos. O experimento III foi proposto para a avaliar a intensidade de redução de células espermáticas anômalas ao longo do epidídimo em touros de uma raça sintética. A redução da freqüência de gota citoplasmática proximal foi distinta entre os grupos de touros classificados quanto a morfologia espermática e entre as regiões do epidídimo, sendo portanto um indicador sensível da qualidade espermática e classificação da fertilidade potencial de animais de raças híbridas. O experimento IV avaliou a freqüência dos túbulos seminíferos nos diferentes estádios do ciclo espermatogênico em touros de duas raças sintéticas. Nas fases iniciais do ciclo espermatogênico, todos os touros apresentam gametogênese semelhante. Nas fases em que ocorrem as divisões meióticas, os touros inaptos apresentaram maior freqüência e a na fase de maturação das espermátides os touros aptos apresentaram maior freqüência. Estes resultados indicam que nos touros inaptos ocorre um bloqueio na fase das meioses, diminuindo a freqüência dos estádios de maturação das espermátides. O experimento V identificou a expressão diferencial de um fator de crescimento (transforming growth factor alpha- TGFα) no epitélio seminífero de touros Braford e Brangus-Ibagé, aptos e inaptos à reprodução, e também avaliou a freqüência de células de Sertoli nestes animais, como um estudo inicial do controle parácrino da espermatogênese. A maior freqüência da expressão de TGFα foi observada nos estádios I e III, e também na raça Brangus-Ibagé. O número médio das células de Sertoli foi semelhante entre estádios e raças dos touros. Em todos experimentos em que as raças Braford e Brangus-Ibagé foram confrontadas, os resultados obtidos foram diferentes. As maiores freqüências de alterações na qualidade seminal não podem ser extrapoladas para todas as raças sintéticas, cabendo a prerrogativa para cada raça de um estudo específico e ajustado às suas condições de criação.

Testicular volume and reproductive status of Wild Callithrix jacchus

ARAÚJO, Arrilton ; SOUSA, Maria Bernardete Cordeiro . Testicular volume and reproductive status of Wild Callithrix jacchus. International Journal of Primatology, v.29, p.1355–1364, 2008. DOI 10.1007/s10764-008-9291-4

A microestrutura e o desenvolvimento dos órgãos genitais masculinos de preás (Galea spixii) criados em cativeiro

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influência da estação do ano nas características do sêmen e na concentração de hormônios em touros Nelore e Simental

Estudou-se a influência das quatro estações do ano nas características do sêmen e nas concentrações de testosterona e cortisol em touros. Cinco touros Nelore e cinco Simental entre 48 e 72 meses de idade, criados extensivamente, foram avaliados andrologicamente por meio de exames físicos das características morfológicas do sêmen e das concentrações séricas de testosterona e cortisol. Houve redução na motilidade e no vigor do sêmen no inverno (P<0,05) na raça Simental. Observou-se correlação (P<0,01) entre testosterona x motilidade (0,69) e testosterona x vigor (0,57) na raça Simental, e cortisol x motilidade (0,68) e cortisol x vigor (0,65) na raça Nelore. O efeito das estações do ano modificou a qualidade do sêmen com aumento da motilidade e vigor espermáticos na primavera e verão nos touros Simental. A concentração de cortisol diminuiu no outono nos touros Nelore.

Spermathecae of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus: a histological and histochemical view

Ucides cordatus is the most commercially, important mangrove crab in Brazil. In spite of its economic importance, there are few studies of its reproduction, in particular the female reproductive system. The present study describes the histology and histochemistry of the spermathecae of U. cordatus. Adult females were can lit monthly from July 2004 through June 2005, at Iguape, State of São Paulo. The crabs were anaesthetized, and their spermathecae removed and fixed in Davidson's fluid, following the histological routine for paraffin. The slides were stained with HE, xylidine Ponceau, PAS, alcian blue (pH 1.0 and 2.5), Sudan black B and picrosirius-haematoxylin. Histologically, the spermathecae possesses a capsule of conjunctive tissue, rich in collalgen fibres, which surrounds the secretory columnar epithelium. In the lumen, individual sperm packets are not observed; the spermatophores are intermixed with the seminal fluid and secretions of the spermathecae itself. A large proportion of the free spermatozoids and spermatophores are arranged in homogeneous masses in the proximal part of the spermathecae. The secretion produced by the columnar epithelium appears to promote the movement of the gametes to the fertilization chamber, in a ventral position, allowing fertilization of the oocytes. Histochemically, the secretion produced by the columnar epithelium was strongly positive for neutral polysaccharides, positive for acid polysaccharides, and weakly positive for proteins and lipids. Tills secretion forms a glycoprotein matrix which is associated with maintenance of the spermatophores, which can remain stored for long periods.

Feeding habits of the blue shark (Prionace glauca) off the coast of Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)