Laboratory Studies with Rodents: Facts or Artifacts?

Wolff, Jerry O.

doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053[0421:lswrfo]2.0.co;2

Cited by 67 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 45 publications

(49 reference statements)

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“…The ecological literature contains many examples in which robust results in artificial settings do not represent the situation in nature. Usual explanations include artifacts of treatment conditions (Peterson andBlack 1994, Polis et al 1998), inadequate representation of processes operating on different spatial or temporal scales (Underwood 1998, Debinski andHolt 2000), incorrect assumptions about the equilibrium nature of the system (Chesson 1986), and the notorious context dependence of animal behavior (Wolff 2003). All these problems could apply to experiments on amphibian responses to predators and competitors.…”

Section: The Relevance Of Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural variation in morphology of larval amphibians: Phenotypic plasticity in nature?

Buskirk

2009

Ecological Monographs

104

107

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Phenotypic plasticity has been studied intensively in experimental settings but infrequently in nature, and therefore the relevance of experimental findings is poorly known. This is especially true for morphological plasticity in amphibian larvae induced by predators and competitors. This paper describes a seven-year survey of head and tail shape in eight species of anuran and newt larvae in northern Switzerland, involving 6824 individual larvae and 59 ponds. I tested relationships between geometric measures of size and shape and five habitat gradients: pond permanence, cover by forest canopy and aquatic vegetation, and the densities of predators and competitors. Responses to competitors and predators were often similar to those reported in experiments. High competitor density was associated with small size and a large head in newt larvae, a long or deep head/body in anuran larvae, and a short or shallow tail in newts and some tadpoles. High predator density was correlated with a deep tail fin and tail muscle in many species. In anurans, the change in shape between low-and highpredator ponds in nature closely paralleled the plastic response to nonlethal predators in mesocosm experiments. The survey revealed many previously undescribed relationships between morphology and the other habitat features. Several species had relatively large tails in ponds that were shaded or thickly vegetated. Associations between year-to-year changes in shape and habitat within ponds implicated phenotypic plasticity rather than genetic population divergence, at least in anurans. These results inspire confidence in the relevance of experiments and highlight many new patterns that will merit further study. Abstract. Phenotypic plasticity has been studied intensively in experimental settings but infrequently in nature, and therefore the relevance of experimental findings is poorly known. This is especially true for morphological plasticity in amphibian larvae induced by predators and competitors. This paper describes a seven-year survey of head and tail shape in eight species of anuran and newt larvae in northern Switzerland, involving 6824 individual larvae and 59 ponds. I tested relationships between geometric measures of size and shape and five habitat gradients: pond permanence, cover by forest canopy and aquatic vegetation, and the densities of predators and competitors. Responses to competitors and predators were often similar to those reported in experiments. High competitor density was associated with small size and a large head in newt larvae, a long or deep head/body in anuran larvae, and a short or shallow tail in newts and some tadpoles. High predator density was correlated with a deep tail fin and tail muscle in many species. In anurans, the change in shape between low-and highpredator ponds in nature closely paralleled the plastic response to nonlethal predators in mesocosm experiments. The survey revealed many previously undescribed relationships between morphology and the other habitat features. Several species h...

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Section: The Relevance Of Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural variation in morphology of larval amphibians: Phenotypic plasticity in nature?

Buskirk

2009

Ecological Monographs

104

107

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“…Whether changes in the response to pups also vary in natural populations is unknown. Although comparison between data from free-living and laboratory animals is important to understand the biology of the behavior studied (Wolff, 2003), data about incidence of infanticidal behavior in free-living animals is difficult to obtain. However, since about 50% of all breeding units receive eventual visits from unrelated females (McGuire, Pizzuto, & Getz, 1990;Getz & Hofmann, 1986), there are opportunities for the occurrence of infanticidal behavior when mothers are not present in the nest.…”

Section: Affiliative Testmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability in “spontaneous” maternal behavior is associated with anxiety-like behavior and affiliation in Naïve juvenile and adult female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

Olazábal

Young

2005

Dev. Psychobiol.

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Juvenile female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are spontaneously maternal, while virgin adult females show significant variability in their response to first pup exposure, ranging from infanticidal to full maternal behavior. In the present study, we investigated whether differences in anxiety-like behavior and affiliation are associated with juvenile-adult and adult individual differences in the response to pups. Forty juvenile (19-20 days) and 42 adult (60-90 days) female prairie voles were exposed to pups for the first time and tested for maternal behavior, anxiety-like behavior (elevated plus maze, open field), and affiliation toward age-matched, same sex conspecifics. Juveniles displayed less anxiety-like behavior, were more affiliative to unfamiliar conspecifics, and interacted with pups more positively than adults. Adults that displayed maternal behavior spent less time immobile, made more crosses through the center of the open field arena, and were more affiliative than adults that attacked the pups. This suggests that lower locomotion or exploration in a novel environment and poor affiliative behavior are negatively associated with maternal responsiveness in female prairie voles.

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“…Such multimodal sensory integration is a challenging area of research and more accurately reflects natural situations in which animals receive information on different sensory channels. Neuro-ethological and other studies on mechanisms of USV production could benefit by considering more ecological contexts, as some behavioural paradigms developed in the laboratory are non-existent in the wild (Wolff, 2003).…”

Section: Conclusion: Potential Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%