M. Rantala, I. Jokinen, R. Kortet, A. Vainikka, J. Suhonen
Pheromones function not only as mate attractors, but they may also relay important information to prospective mates. It has been shown that vertebrates can distinguish, via olfactory mechanisms, major histocompatibility complex types in their prospective mates. However, whether pheromones can transmit information about immunocompetence is unknown. Here, we show that female mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) prefer pheromones from males with better immunocompetence, indicated by a faster encapsulation rate against a novel antigen, and higher levels of phenoloxidase in haemolymph. Thus, the present study indicates that pheromones could transmit information about male's parasite resistance ability and may work as a reliable sexual ornament for female choice.
{"title":"Do pheromones reveal male immunocompetence?","authors":"M. Rantala, I. Jokinen, R. Kortet, A. Vainikka, J. Suhonen","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2002.2056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2056","url":null,"abstract":"Pheromones function not only as mate attractors, but they may also relay important information to prospective mates. It has been shown that vertebrates can distinguish, via olfactory mechanisms, major histocompatibility complex types in their prospective mates. However, whether pheromones can transmit information about immunocompetence is unknown. Here, we show that female mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) prefer pheromones from males with better immunocompetence, indicated by a faster encapsulation rate against a novel antigen, and higher levels of phenoloxidase in haemolymph. Thus, the present study indicates that pheromones could transmit information about male's parasite resistance ability and may work as a reliable sexual ornament for female choice.","PeriodicalId":20585,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73705198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Non–indigenous species may be the most severe environmental threat the world now faces. Fishes, in particular, have been intentionally introduced worldwide and have commonly caused the local extinction of native fish. Despite their importance, the impact of introduced fishes on threatened populations of Pacific salmon has never been systemically examined. Here, we take advantage of several unique datasets from the Columbia River Basin to address the impact of non–indigenous brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, on threatened spring/summer–run chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. More than 41 000 juvenile chinook were individually marked, and their survival in streams without brook trout was nearly double the survival in streams with brook trout. Furthermore, when brook trout were absent, habitat quality was positively associated with chinook survival, but when brook trout were present no relationship between chinook survival and habitat quality was evident. The difference in juvenile chinook survival between sites with, and without, brook trout would increase population growth rate (λ) by ca. 2.5%. This increase in λ would be sufficient to reverse the negative population growth observed in many chinook populations. Because many of the populations we investigated occur in wilderness areas, their habitat has been considered pristine; however, our results emphasize that non–indigenous species are present and may have a dramatic impact, even in remote regions that otherwise appear pristine.
{"title":"Non–indigenous brook trout and the demise of Pacific salmon: a forgotten threat?","authors":"P. Levin, S. Achord, B. E. Feist, R. Zabel","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2002.2063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2063","url":null,"abstract":"Non–indigenous species may be the most severe environmental threat the world now faces. Fishes, in particular, have been intentionally introduced worldwide and have commonly caused the local extinction of native fish. Despite their importance, the impact of introduced fishes on threatened populations of Pacific salmon has never been systemically examined. Here, we take advantage of several unique datasets from the Columbia River Basin to address the impact of non–indigenous brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, on threatened spring/summer–run chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. More than 41 000 juvenile chinook were individually marked, and their survival in streams without brook trout was nearly double the survival in streams with brook trout. Furthermore, when brook trout were absent, habitat quality was positively associated with chinook survival, but when brook trout were present no relationship between chinook survival and habitat quality was evident. The difference in juvenile chinook survival between sites with, and without, brook trout would increase population growth rate (λ) by ca. 2.5%. This increase in λ would be sufficient to reverse the negative population growth observed in many chinook populations. Because many of the populations we investigated occur in wilderness areas, their habitat has been considered pristine; however, our results emphasize that non–indigenous species are present and may have a dramatic impact, even in remote regions that otherwise appear pristine.","PeriodicalId":20585,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75864737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The increase in species richness from the poles to the Equator has been observed in numerous terrestrial and aquatic taxa. A number of different hypotheses have been put forward as explanations for this trend, e.g. area and energy availability. However, whether these hypotheses apply to large spatial scales in marine environments remains unclear. The present study shows a clear latitudinal gradient from high to low latitude (from 80° N to 70° S) in marine species richness for 6643 species (fishes and invertebrates) in 10 different taxa dwelling in benthic and pelagic habitats on both sides of the Atlantic. The patterns in benthic taxa are strongly influenced by coastal hydrographic processes, with marked peaks and troughs, and consequently the gradients are not symmetric along both Atlantic sides. Pelagic taxa show a plateau–shaped distribution and the influence from coastal events on gradients could not be demonstrated. The relationships between species richness and different environmental factors indicate that area size does not explain the latitudinal pattern in benthic species richness on a large spatial scale. Sea–surface temperature (positive relationship) is the best predictor of this pattern for benthic species, and nitrate concentration (negative relationship) is the best predictor for pelagic species. The results call into question the existence of a single primary cause that would explain the pattern in marine species richness on a large spatial scale.
{"title":"Large–scale species–richness gradients in the Atlantic Ocean","authors":"E. Macpherson","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2002.2091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2091","url":null,"abstract":"The increase in species richness from the poles to the Equator has been observed in numerous terrestrial and aquatic taxa. A number of different hypotheses have been put forward as explanations for this trend, e.g. area and energy availability. However, whether these hypotheses apply to large spatial scales in marine environments remains unclear. The present study shows a clear latitudinal gradient from high to low latitude (from 80° N to 70° S) in marine species richness for 6643 species (fishes and invertebrates) in 10 different taxa dwelling in benthic and pelagic habitats on both sides of the Atlantic. The patterns in benthic taxa are strongly influenced by coastal hydrographic processes, with marked peaks and troughs, and consequently the gradients are not symmetric along both Atlantic sides. Pelagic taxa show a plateau–shaped distribution and the influence from coastal events on gradients could not be demonstrated. The relationships between species richness and different environmental factors indicate that area size does not explain the latitudinal pattern in benthic species richness on a large spatial scale. Sea–surface temperature (positive relationship) is the best predictor of this pattern for benthic species, and nitrate concentration (negative relationship) is the best predictor for pelagic species. The results call into question the existence of a single primary cause that would explain the pattern in marine species richness on a large spatial scale.","PeriodicalId":20585,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86864013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Although it is widely thought to influence ecosystem processes, there is little consensus on an appropriate measure of functional diversity. The two major perspectives, to date, are to assume that every species is functionally unique, or to assume that some species are functionally identical, such that functional groups exist. Using a continuous measure of functional diversity (FD) derived from the quantitative functional traits of species, we show that the loss of functional diversity from six natural assemblages was rapid compared with rates of loss from comparable simulated assemblages. Loss of FD occurred faster than loss of functional–group diversity in four of the six natural assemblages. Patterns of functional–group diversity loss depended on the number of functional groups and the number of species in an assemblage. Extinctions that occurred first for species with particular traits (e.g. low leaf nitrogen concentration, deep roots and large body size) caused greater loss of FD than expected by chance in four of the six natural assemblages. In two real assemblages, these trait–dependent extinctions had more severe effects on FD than our simulated worst–case extinction scenario. These data suggest that conserving a large proportion of the functional traits of species requires conserving a large proportion of all species.
{"title":"Extinction and the loss of functional diversity","authors":"O. Petchey, K. Gaston","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2002.2073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2073","url":null,"abstract":"Although it is widely thought to influence ecosystem processes, there is little consensus on an appropriate measure of functional diversity. The two major perspectives, to date, are to assume that every species is functionally unique, or to assume that some species are functionally identical, such that functional groups exist. Using a continuous measure of functional diversity (FD) derived from the quantitative functional traits of species, we show that the loss of functional diversity from six natural assemblages was rapid compared with rates of loss from comparable simulated assemblages. Loss of FD occurred faster than loss of functional–group diversity in four of the six natural assemblages. Patterns of functional–group diversity loss depended on the number of functional groups and the number of species in an assemblage. Extinctions that occurred first for species with particular traits (e.g. low leaf nitrogen concentration, deep roots and large body size) caused greater loss of FD than expected by chance in four of the six natural assemblages. In two real assemblages, these trait–dependent extinctions had more severe effects on FD than our simulated worst–case extinction scenario. These data suggest that conserving a large proportion of the functional traits of species requires conserving a large proportion of all species.","PeriodicalId":20585,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87812494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
D. Gower, A. Kupfer, O. Oommen, W. Himstedt, R. Nussbaum, S. Loader, B. Presswell, H. Müller, S. B. Krishna, R. Boistel, M. Wilkinson
Recent molecular phylogenetic studies indicate that the rafting Indian plate harboured several isolated vertebrate lineages between ca. 130 and 56 Myr ago that dispersed and diversified ‘out of Indi’ following accretion with Eurasia. A single family of the amphibian order Gymnophiona, the Ichthyophiidae, presently occurs on the Indian plate and across much of South East Asia. Ichthyophiid phylogeny is investigated in order to test competing out of India and out of South East Asia hypotheses for their distribution. Partial sequences of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA and cytochrome b genes for 20 ichthyophiids and proximate outgroups were assembled. Parsimony, maximum–likelihood and distance analyses all recover optimum trees in which uraeotyphlids plus Ichthyophis cf. malabarensis are the sister taxa to all other Ichthyophis, among which the South East Asian taxa are monophyletic. Tree topology and branch lengths indicate that the Indian lineages are more basal and older, and thus are more consistent with the hypothesis that ichthyophiids dispersed from the Indian subcontinent into South East Asia. The estimated relationships also support monophyly of Sri Lankan Ichthyophis, and non–monophyly of striped and unstriped Ichthyophis species groups. Mitochondrial DNA sequences provide evidence that should assist current problematic areas of caecilian taxonomy.
{"title":"A molecular phylogeny of ichthyophiid caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae): out of India or out of South East Asia?","authors":"D. Gower, A. Kupfer, O. Oommen, W. Himstedt, R. Nussbaum, S. Loader, B. Presswell, H. Müller, S. B. Krishna, R. Boistel, M. Wilkinson","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2002.2050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2050","url":null,"abstract":"Recent molecular phylogenetic studies indicate that the rafting Indian plate harboured several isolated vertebrate lineages between ca. 130 and 56 Myr ago that dispersed and diversified ‘out of Indi’ following accretion with Eurasia. A single family of the amphibian order Gymnophiona, the Ichthyophiidae, presently occurs on the Indian plate and across much of South East Asia. Ichthyophiid phylogeny is investigated in order to test competing out of India and out of South East Asia hypotheses for their distribution. Partial sequences of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA and cytochrome b genes for 20 ichthyophiids and proximate outgroups were assembled. Parsimony, maximum–likelihood and distance analyses all recover optimum trees in which uraeotyphlids plus Ichthyophis cf. malabarensis are the sister taxa to all other Ichthyophis, among which the South East Asian taxa are monophyletic. Tree topology and branch lengths indicate that the Indian lineages are more basal and older, and thus are more consistent with the hypothesis that ichthyophiids dispersed from the Indian subcontinent into South East Asia. The estimated relationships also support monophyly of Sri Lankan Ichthyophis, and non–monophyly of striped and unstriped Ichthyophis species groups. Mitochondrial DNA sequences provide evidence that should assist current problematic areas of caecilian taxonomy.","PeriodicalId":20585,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73820429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Although the recovery of terrestrial communities shattered by the massive eruption of Krakatau in 1883 has been well chronicled, the fate of marine populations has been largely ignored. We examined patterns of genetic diversity in populations of two coral reef–dwelling mantis shrimp, Haptosquilla pulchella and Haptosquilla glyptocercus (Stomatopoda: Protosquillidae) , on the islands of Anak Krakatau and Rakata. Genetic surveys of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c (subunit 1) in these populations revealed remarkably high levels of haplotypic and nucleotide diversity that were comparable with undisturbed populations throughout the Indo–Pacific. Recolonization and rapid recovery of genetic diversity in the Krakatau populations indicates that larval dispersal from multiple and diverse source populations contributes substantially to the demographics of local populations over intermediate temporal (tens to hundreds of years) and spatial scales (tens to hundreds of kilometres). Natural experiments such as Krakatau provide an excellent mechanism to investigate marine larval dispersal and connectivity. Results from stomatopods indicate that marine reserves should be spaced no more than 50–100 km apart to facilitate ecological connectivity via larval dispersal.
{"title":"Rapid recovery of genetic diversity of stomatopod populations on Krakatau: temporal and spatial scales of marine larval dispersal","authors":"P. Barber, M. K. Moosa, S. Palumbi","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2002.2026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2026","url":null,"abstract":"Although the recovery of terrestrial communities shattered by the massive eruption of Krakatau in 1883 has been well chronicled, the fate of marine populations has been largely ignored. We examined patterns of genetic diversity in populations of two coral reef–dwelling mantis shrimp, Haptosquilla pulchella and Haptosquilla glyptocercus (Stomatopoda: Protosquillidae) , on the islands of Anak Krakatau and Rakata. Genetic surveys of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c (subunit 1) in these populations revealed remarkably high levels of haplotypic and nucleotide diversity that were comparable with undisturbed populations throughout the Indo–Pacific. Recolonization and rapid recovery of genetic diversity in the Krakatau populations indicates that larval dispersal from multiple and diverse source populations contributes substantially to the demographics of local populations over intermediate temporal (tens to hundreds of years) and spatial scales (tens to hundreds of kilometres). Natural experiments such as Krakatau provide an excellent mechanism to investigate marine larval dispersal and connectivity. Results from stomatopods indicate that marine reserves should be spaced no more than 50–100 km apart to facilitate ecological connectivity via larval dispersal.","PeriodicalId":20585,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86547265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Reproductive effort in female ungulates originates from gestation and lactation and has been studied extensively; however, no comparable studies of reproductive effort in males (due to fighting for access to mates) have, to our knowledge, previously been reported. Here, we report on weight loss of male red deer during the annual mating season—a direct measure of male reproductive effort (or somatic reproductive costs). The ‘terminal investmen’ hypothesis predicts that reproductive effort should increase with age, given that costs remain stable. We also propose the ‘mating strategy–effort’ hypothesis, which predicts that reproductive effort peaks in prime–aged males, since they are most often the harem holders. Consistent with the mating strategy–effort hypothesis, relative weight loss during the rutting season peaked at prime age and was lower in younger and senescent males. Weight loss during the rut was relatively smaller as density increased and more so for older males. This is probably primarily due to males (particularly senescent males) starting their rut in poorer condition at high density. The pattern of reproductive effort in males with regard to age and density therefore differs markedly from the pattern reported for females.
{"title":"Age– and density–dependent reproductive effort in male red deer","authors":"N. Yoccoz, A. Mysterud, R. Langvatn, N. Stenseth","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2002.2047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2047","url":null,"abstract":"Reproductive effort in female ungulates originates from gestation and lactation and has been studied extensively; however, no comparable studies of reproductive effort in males (due to fighting for access to mates) have, to our knowledge, previously been reported. Here, we report on weight loss of male red deer during the annual mating season—a direct measure of male reproductive effort (or somatic reproductive costs). The ‘terminal investmen’ hypothesis predicts that reproductive effort should increase with age, given that costs remain stable. We also propose the ‘mating strategy–effort’ hypothesis, which predicts that reproductive effort peaks in prime–aged males, since they are most often the harem holders. Consistent with the mating strategy–effort hypothesis, relative weight loss during the rutting season peaked at prime age and was lower in younger and senescent males. Weight loss during the rut was relatively smaller as density increased and more so for older males. This is probably primarily due to males (particularly senescent males) starting their rut in poorer condition at high density. The pattern of reproductive effort in males with regard to age and density therefore differs markedly from the pattern reported for females.","PeriodicalId":20585,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73964838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. Villesen, T. Murakami, T. Schultz, obus J. Boomsma
Obligate mating of females (queens) with multiple males has evolved only rarely in social Hymenoptera (ants, social bees, social wasps) and for reasons that are fundamentally different from those underlying multiple mating in other animals. The monophyletic tribe of ‘attin’) fungus–growing ants is known to include evolutionarily derived genera with obligate multiple mating (the Acromyrmex and Atta leafcutter ants) as well as phylogenetically basal genera with exclusively single mating (e.g. Apterostigma, Cyphomyrmex, Myrmicocrypta). All attine genera share the unique characteristic of obligate dependence on symbiotic fungus gardens for food, but the sophistication of this symbiosis differs considerably across genera. The lower attine genera generally have small, short–lived colonies and relatively non–specialized fungal symbionts (capable of living independently of their ant hosts), whereas the four evolutionarily derived higher attine genera have highly specialized, long–term clonal symbionts. In this paper, we investigate whether the transition from single to multiple mating occurred relatively recently in the evolution of the attine ants, in conjunction with the novel herbivorous ‘leafcutte’ niche acquired by the common ancestor of Acromyrmex and Atta, or earlier, at the transition to rearing specialized long–term clonal fungi in the common ancestor of the larger group of higher attines that also includes the genera Trachymyrmex and Sericomyrmex. We use DNA microsatellite analysis to provide unambiguous evidence for a single, late and abrupt evolutionary transition from exclusively single to obligatory multiple mating. This transition is historically correlated with other evolutionary innovations, including the extensive use of fresh vegetation as substrate for the fungus garden, a massive increase in mature colony size and morphological differentiation of the worker caste.
{"title":"Identifying the transition between single and multiple mating of queens in fungus-growing ants","authors":"P. Villesen, T. Murakami, T. Schultz, obus J. Boomsma","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2002.2044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2044","url":null,"abstract":"Obligate mating of females (queens) with multiple males has evolved only rarely in social Hymenoptera (ants, social bees, social wasps) and for reasons that are fundamentally different from those underlying multiple mating in other animals. The monophyletic tribe of ‘attin’) fungus–growing ants is known to include evolutionarily derived genera with obligate multiple mating (the Acromyrmex and Atta leafcutter ants) as well as phylogenetically basal genera with exclusively single mating (e.g. Apterostigma, Cyphomyrmex, Myrmicocrypta). All attine genera share the unique characteristic of obligate dependence on symbiotic fungus gardens for food, but the sophistication of this symbiosis differs considerably across genera. The lower attine genera generally have small, short–lived colonies and relatively non–specialized fungal symbionts (capable of living independently of their ant hosts), whereas the four evolutionarily derived higher attine genera have highly specialized, long–term clonal symbionts. In this paper, we investigate whether the transition from single to multiple mating occurred relatively recently in the evolution of the attine ants, in conjunction with the novel herbivorous ‘leafcutte’ niche acquired by the common ancestor of Acromyrmex and Atta, or earlier, at the transition to rearing specialized long–term clonal fungi in the common ancestor of the larger group of higher attines that also includes the genera Trachymyrmex and Sericomyrmex. We use DNA microsatellite analysis to provide unambiguous evidence for a single, late and abrupt evolutionary transition from exclusively single to obligatory multiple mating. This transition is historically correlated with other evolutionary innovations, including the extensive use of fresh vegetation as substrate for the fungus garden, a massive increase in mature colony size and morphological differentiation of the worker caste.","PeriodicalId":20585,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83912404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
According to the LATER model (linear approach to thresholds with ergodic rate), the latency of a single saccade in response to target appearance can be understood as a decision process, which is subject to (i) variations in the rate of (visual) information processing; and (ii) the threshold for the decision. We tested whether the LATER model can also be applied to the sequences of saccades in a multiple fixation search, during which latencies of second and subsequent saccades are typically shorter than that of the initial saccade. We found that the distributions of the reciprocal latencies for later saccades, unlike those of the first saccade, are highly asymmetrical, much like a gamma distribution. This suggests that the normal distribution of the rate r, which the LATER model assumes, is not appropriate to describe the rate distributions of subsequent saccades in a scanning sequence. By contrast, the gamma distribution is also appropriate to describe the distribution of reciprocal latencies for the first saccade. The change of the gamma distribution parameters as a function of the ordinal number of the saccade suggests a lowering of the threshold for second and later saccades, as well as a reduction in the number of target elements analysed.
{"title":"The timing of sequences of saccades in visual search","authors":"E. Loon, I. Hooge, A. V. Berg","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2002.2062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2062","url":null,"abstract":"According to the LATER model (linear approach to thresholds with ergodic rate), the latency of a single saccade in response to target appearance can be understood as a decision process, which is subject to (i) variations in the rate of (visual) information processing; and (ii) the threshold for the decision. We tested whether the LATER model can also be applied to the sequences of saccades in a multiple fixation search, during which latencies of second and subsequent saccades are typically shorter than that of the initial saccade. We found that the distributions of the reciprocal latencies for later saccades, unlike those of the first saccade, are highly asymmetrical, much like a gamma distribution. This suggests that the normal distribution of the rate r, which the LATER model assumes, is not appropriate to describe the rate distributions of subsequent saccades in a scanning sequence. By contrast, the gamma distribution is also appropriate to describe the distribution of reciprocal latencies for the first saccade. The change of the gamma distribution parameters as a function of the ordinal number of the saccade suggests a lowering of the threshold for second and later saccades, as well as a reduction in the number of target elements analysed.","PeriodicalId":20585,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81666757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Certain orchids produce flowers that mimic the sex pheromones and appearance of female insects in order to attract males by sexual deception for the purpose of pollination. In a series of field experiments, we found that the sexually deceptive orchid, Chiloglottis trapeziformis, can have a negative impact on its wasp pollinator Neozeleboria cryptoides. Male and female wasps, however, were affected differently by the orchid's deceit because of their different roles in the mimicry system. Male wasps could not discriminate between the chemical cues of orchids and female wasps, a vital signal in long–range attraction. Males, however, learn to avoid areas containing orchids. This strategy has implications for females attempting to attract mates in areas occupied by orchids. Compared with circumstances when females were on their own, females in the presence of orchids elicited fewer male approaches and no copulation attempts. Females in a large orchid patch also elicited fewer male approaches than females in a small patch. The nature of the orchid's impact on its wasp pollinator indicates an arms race evolutionary scenario in this interaction between plant and pollinator.
{"title":"How an orchid harms its pollinator","authors":"B. B. Wong, F. Schiestl","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2002.2052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2052","url":null,"abstract":"Certain orchids produce flowers that mimic the sex pheromones and appearance of female insects in order to attract males by sexual deception for the purpose of pollination. In a series of field experiments, we found that the sexually deceptive orchid, Chiloglottis trapeziformis, can have a negative impact on its wasp pollinator Neozeleboria cryptoides. Male and female wasps, however, were affected differently by the orchid's deceit because of their different roles in the mimicry system. Male wasps could not discriminate between the chemical cues of orchids and female wasps, a vital signal in long–range attraction. Males, however, learn to avoid areas containing orchids. This strategy has implications for females attempting to attract mates in areas occupied by orchids. Compared with circumstances when females were on their own, females in the presence of orchids elicited fewer male approaches and no copulation attempts. Females in a large orchid patch also elicited fewer male approaches than females in a small patch. The nature of the orchid's impact on its wasp pollinator indicates an arms race evolutionary scenario in this interaction between plant and pollinator.","PeriodicalId":20585,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2002-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74799398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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