The use of fluctuating asymmetry as a measure of farming practice effects in rodents: A species-specific response

Coda, José; Gomez, María Daniela; Martínez, Juan José; Steinmann, Andrea R.; Priotto, José

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.06.018

Cited by 23 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…However, attempts to use phenotypic abnormalities (especially asymmetry) as a fitness proxy to measure population health have met with mixed success 16 , 19 , 23 – 26 . Variation in phenotypic traits is a complex result of genetic and epigenetic factors, maternal effects and developmental environments, as well as interactions between these processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The causes and ecological correlates of head scale asymmetry and fragmentation in a tropical snake

Brown

Madsen

Dubey

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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The challenge of identifying the proximate causes and ecological consequences of phenotypic variation can be facilitated by studying traits that are usually but not always bilaterally symmetrical; deviations from symmetry likely reflect disrupted embryogenesis. Based on a 19-year mark-recapture study of >1300 slatey-grey snakes (Stegonotus cucullatus) in tropical Australia, and incubation of >700 eggs, we document developmental and ecological correlates of two morphological traits: asymmetry and fragmentation of head scales. Asymmetry was directional (more scales on the left side) and was higher in individuals with lower heterozygosity, but was not heritable. In contrast, fragmentation was heritable and was higher in females than males. Both scale asymmetry and fragmentation were increased by rapid embryogenesis but were not affected by hydric conditions during incubation. Snakes with asymmetry and fragmentation exhibited slightly lower survival and increased (sex-specific) movements, and females with more scale fragmentation produced smaller eggs. Counterintuitively, snakes with more asymmetry had higher growth rates (possibly reflecting trade-offs with other traits), and snakes with more fragmentation had fewer parasites (possibly due to lower feeding rates). Our data paint an unusually detailed picture of the complex genetic and environmental factors that, by disrupting early embryonic development, generate variations in morphology that have detectable correlations with ecological performance.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The causes and ecological correlates of head scale asymmetry and fragmentation in a tropical snake

Brown

Madsen

Dubey

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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“…Small-rodent species utilize microhabitats for survival and reproduction based on requirements such as food, water, den, shelter, and space; these habitat requirements are species-specific (Mallegowda et al, 2015;Coda et al, 2016). Microhabitat occupancies may therefore differ among sympatric species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cascade effects of slope gradient on ground vegetation and small-rodent populations in a forest ecosystem

et al. 2020

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In this study, we set out to determine the cascade effects of slope gradient on ground vegetation and small-rodent populations in a forest ecosystem. We focused on two forest-dwelling small rodents with different habitat requirements, the striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius (preferring dense ground vegetation) and the Korean field mouse A. peninsulae (dense forest and woodland). The study area comprised natural deciduous forests and Japanese larch Larix kaempferi plantations in South Korea. The abundance of A. agrarius but not that of A. peninsulae was related to slope gradient. There was a negative effect of slope gradient on ground vegetation coverage and a positive effect of ground vegetation on A. agrarius populations. Our results highlight that the population of A. agrarius was indirectly influenced by the negative effects of slope gradient on ground vegetation. Slope gradient can, therefore, be a limiting factor in the microhabitats occupied by small rodents. This study reveals a critical role for slope gradient since it can modify not only microhabitat conditions, but also small-rodent populations, and this finding can contribute to improved microhabitat management.

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“…Morphological assessment of the state of living organisms which is based on fluctuating asymmetry is one of the commonly used methods for ecological monitoring by both national and foreign scientists (Zakharov, 1987;Gileva & Kosareva, 1994;Zakharov et al, 2000;Gileva & Nokhrin, 2001;Vasil'ev, 2005;Gileva et al, 2007;Vasil'eva et al, 2003;Yalkovskaya et al, 2016;Pankakoski et al, 1992;Markowski, 1993;Graham et al, 2000;Oleksyk et al, 2004;Veličković, 2004;Vishalakshi & Singh, 2008;Allenbach, 2011;Coda et al, 2016Coda et al, , 2017Benítez et al, 2018). The assessment of the state of animal populations is essential in itself as a parameter of biodiversity (Ryadinskaya & Kokhonov, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differentiation degree and developmental stability of Chionomys gud (Rodentia: Cricetidae) by nonmetric cranial traits

Tembotova¹,

Amshokova²,

Kononenko³

2020

Nat. Conserv. Res.

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The work describes the results of assessing developmental stability and the degree of differentiation in Chionomys gud within Protected Areas of the Central and Western Caucasus. We characterised developmental stability in Chionomys gud in different eco-geographical conditions by means of fluctuating asymmetry levels (FA nm) in a series of cranium phenes in four geographical populations. Thus we estimated the effect of environmental factors on FA nm levels. We registered the highest FA nm value for the sample from middle mountains of the Central Caucasus, i.e. the vicinities of the village Elbrus. The environment conditions of the given sample were the most stressful for the species (annual average temperature below 5°C and annual average precipitation below 1000 mm). Two-way ANOVA for factors «annual average temperature» and «annual average precipitation» verified a correlation between FA nm levels and complex effects of the two climatic factors. We evaluated the levels of interpopulation phenetic distances by the analysis of frequencies of phenes of nonmetric cranial traits in Chionomys gud populations. Maximum phenetic distances were revealed between geographically distant (over 300 km) populations of the Central and Western Caucasus. The degree of morphological differentiation of the samples from the Central Caucasus, which are apart at the absolute distance of 20-60 km, was less pronounced. Our results suggest that the level of phenetic distances is determined not only by the effect of territorial isolation, but also by climatic peculiarities of a particular locality.

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The use of fluctuating asymmetry as a measure of farming practice effects in rodents: A species-specific response

Cited by 23 publications

References 52 publications

The causes and ecological correlates of head scale asymmetry and fragmentation in a tropical snake

The causes and ecological correlates of head scale asymmetry and fragmentation in a tropical snake

Cascade effects of slope gradient on ground vegetation and small-rodent populations in a forest ecosystem

Differentiation degree and developmental stability of Chionomys gud (Rodentia: Cricetidae) by nonmetric cranial traits

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