Search results for " niche"

Geographic Distribution and Niche Divergence of Two Stinkbugs,Parastrachia japonensisandParastrachia nagaensis

2014

Parastrachiidae is a small stinkbug family containing only one genus and two species, Parastrachia japonensis (Scott) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomoidea) and Parastrachia nagaensis Distant. The geographic distribution of the genus has been poorly studied. Niche conservatism refers to that idea that closely related species are more ecologically similar than would be expected, whereas niche divergence predicts they occupy distinct niche spaces. The existence of only two species within one genus suggests niche conservatism or differentiation might exist among them. Herein, the distribution of the genus was mapped, potential distributions were predicted using ecological niche modeling, and …

Primary identities in the lower Omo valley: migration, cataclysm, conflict and amalgamation, 1750–1910

2011

This article applies the notion of primary identity to explore the emergence of ethnic identities in the southern-most tract of the lower Omo valley. Current identities here are the result of two correlated patterns of movement that have occurred over the past 150 years: migration to the valley by organised pastoralists and scattered groups, and a general movement down the river and into the Omo delta, where the ecological niche generated by the regular flooding of the Omo River provided a rich variety of livelihood alternatives. The major migrations reported here were connected to great population movements that occurred in East Africa from the nineteenth century, often provoked by catacly…

Responses to Developmental Temperature Fluctuation in Life History Traits of Five Drosophila Species (Diptera: Drosophilidae) from Different Thermal …

2021

Simple Summary Most laboratory experiments on insects to date have been conducted using constant temperature settings. Even when the purpose of the study was to investigate effects of temperature, insects have mostly been kept at different but constant temperatures ignoring natural variation in temperature. Here we investigated effects of simple daily temperature fluctuation (22.5/27.5 °C and 20/30 °C) on some development characteristics in five species of fruit flies (Drosophila) originating from areas with different temperature profiles. We demonstrated how species of the same genus can show substantial differences when developing at fluctuating temperatures not always predictable by deve…

Human adult periodontal ligament-derived cells integrate and differentiate after implantation into the adult mammalian brain.

2013

Previous studies suggest that neural crest (NC)-derived stem cells may reside in NC derivatives including the human periodontal ligament (hPDL). The isolation and manipulation of autologous NC-derived cells could be an accessible source of adult neural stem cells for their use in cell replacement and gene transfer to the diseased central nervous system. In this study, we examined the expression of NC markers and neural differentiation potential of hPDL-derived cells both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro we found that hPDL-derived cells expressed stem cell markers (Oct3/4, Nestin, Sox2, and Musashi-1) and a subset of NC cell markers (Slug, p75(NTR), Twist, and Sox9). hPDL-derived cells differe…

Sapotrophical development of fusarium graminearum : respective role of different natural habitats of the fungus in the wheat infectious process in Bu…

2012

Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), mainly caused by the fungal species Fusarium graminearum, is one of the most important disease altering wheat crops in Burgundy. Moreover the plant-pathogen interaction leads to the production of mycotoxins potentially toxic for humans and animals.The only alternative to date to prevent the development of the disease is to control the saprotrophic development of F. graminearum in its natural habitat, i.e. weeds, soil and crops residues. Due to the trend of reduced tillage, special attention should be paid to the role of crop residues in the survival and development of F. graminearum.Two approaches were chosen to better understand the saprotrophic development of F…

Multiproxy dietary trait reconstruction in Pleistocene Hippopotamidae from the Mediterranean islands

2019

Abstract Geographically isolated insular species face energetic restrictions and commonly evolve adaptations that distinguish them from their mainland ancestors. During the Pleistocene, several Mediterranean islands were inhabited by now extinct Hippopotamidae. They underwent diverse changes in locomotion, dentition and body size. Based on these differences, it is supposed that they occupied different ecological niches depending on their respective faunal complexes and available resources. In this paper, we assess the paleoecology of dwarfed hippopotami from Crete, Malta, Sicily and Cyprus using a novel dental multiproxy approach. We applied dental topography analysis (SAGA-GIS) to measure …

2015

Insects encounter a vast repertoire of chemicals in their natural environment, which can signal positive stimuli like the presence of a food source, a potential mate, or a suitable oviposition site as well as negative stimuli such as competitors, predators, or toxic substances reflecting danger. The presence of specialized chemoreceptors like taste and olfactory receptors allow animals to detect chemicals at short and long distances and accordingly, trigger proper behaviors towards these stimuli. Since the first description of olfactory and taste receptors in Drosophila fifteen years ago, our knowledge on the identity, properties, and function of specific chemoreceptors has increased expone…

Invasion biology in non‐free‐living species: interactions between abiotic (climatic) and biotic (host availability) factors in geographical space in …

2013

In invasion processes, both abiotic and biotic factors are considered essential, but the latter are usually disregarded when modeling the potential spread of exotic species. In the framework of set theory, interactions between biotic (B), abiotic (A), and movement-related (M) factors in the geographical space can be hypothesized with BAM diagrams and tested using ecological niche models (ENMs) to estimate A and B areas. The main aim of our survey was to evaluate the interactions between abiotic (climatic) and biotic (host availability) factors in geographical space for exotic symbionts (i.e., non-free-living species), using ENM techniques combined with a BAM framework and using exotic Entoc…

The Ecology of Ostracoda Across Levels of Biological Organisation from Individual to Ecosystem

2012

Abstract Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic applications of fossil ostracods rely on a uniformitarian approach underpinned by knowledge of the biology and ecology of living species. This review reveals that in recent decades, major advances have been made in the understanding of species’ abiotic niches in relation to their preferences for different water chemistries and temperatures. However, the underlying ecophysiological mechanisms for such preferences are still largely unknown. Only a few works analyse in detail aspects of population growth or species interactions (competition, predation) in the framework of classical ecological theories. Similarly, the role of Ostracoda in the asse…

Interspecific Social Learning: Novel Preference Can Be Acquired from a Competing Species

2007

SummaryNongenetic transmission of behavioral traits via social learning allows local traditions in humans, and, controversially, in other animals [1–4]. Social learning is usually studied as an intraspecific phenomenon (but see [5–7]). However, other species with some overlap in ecology can be more than merely potential competitors: prior settlement and longer residence can render them preferable sources of information [8]. Socially induced acquisition of choices or preferences capitalizes upon the knowledge of presumably better-informed individuals [9] and should be adaptive under many natural circumstances [10, 11]. Here we show with a field experiment that females of two migrant flycatch…