Evolution of mate discrimination in a fish.
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Analysis of Variance↗
Biomedical subjects
Anne E Magurran
Publications and source records attributed to Anne E Magurran.
Ecology: linking species diversity and genetic diversity.
Although there is a great deal of interest in the biological diversity of species and of genes, it is only recently that researchers have begun to investigate the processes that exert parallel influences on these different levels of diversity.
Ecology↗
Safety in numbers? Shoaling behaviour of the Amazonian red-bellied piranha.
Red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) shoals have a fearsome reputation. However, the variety and abundance of piranha predators in the flooded forests of the Amazon in which they live indicate that an important reason for shoal formation may be predator defence. Experiments using wild-caught piranhas supported the hypothesis that individual perception of risk, as revealed by elevated ventilatory frequency (opercular rate), is greater in small shoals. Moreover, exposure to a simulated predator attack by a model cormorant demonstrated that resting opercular rates are regained more quickly by piranhas in shoals of eight than they are in shoals of two. Together, these results show that shoaling has a cover-seeking function in this species.
Animals↗
Uncoupling the links between male mating tactics and female attractiveness.
Because not all females are equally attractive, and because mating reduces the chances of getting further copulations, males should prefer better-quality mates. In this paper, we use the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata) to explore the effects of two non-correlated measures of female quality--size and reproductive status--on male mating decisions. All male guppies employ two alternative mating tactics. We found that large females, particularly those from a high predation site, were the target of most sneaky mating attempts. The response persisted in fish raised under standard conditions over several generations in the laboratory. In addition, non-pregnant females received more courtship displays. We conclude that males can discriminate among females and that they uncouple their mating tactics to track different axes of quality.
Analysis of Variance↗
Molecular phylogeny of the livebearing Goodeidae (Cyprinodontiformes).
The Goodeinae is a speciose group of viviparous freshwater fishes endemic to the Mesa Central of Mexico. The current taxonomy of the group is based on morphology associated with viviparity and several of the groupings are questionable. We sequenced part of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene (627bp) and control region (approximately 430bp aligned) of representatives of 36 species (all genera) of goodeid fishes in order to establish phylogenetic relationships among the taxa. Findings support the monophyly of the Goodeidae, the sister-group relationship of the Empetrichthyinae and Goodeinae, and the relationship of Profundulus to the Goodeidae. All goodeine genera but Xenotoca were recovered as monophyletic. Many of the higher-level relationships within the group contradict the findings of previous studies based upon morphology. The rate of molecular change in COI (0.9% per Myr), calibrated with the fossil record and geological data, suggests an approximate age for the Goodeidae of 16.5Myr. The majority of divergence within the Goodeinae appears to have occurred during the Miocene, with subsequent cladogenesis in the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Most recent speciation appears allopatric. River piracy, particularly involving the Rio Ameca basin, has played a significant role in the diversification of the Goodeinae.
Animals↗
Explaining the excess of rare species in natural species abundance distributions.
The observation that a few species in ecological communities are exceptionally abundant, whereas most are rare, prompted the development of species abundance models. Nevertheless, despite the large literature on the commonness and rarity of species inspired by these pioneering studies, some widespread empirical patterns of species abundance resist easy explanation. Notable among these is the observation that in large assemblages there are more rare species than the log normal model predicts. Here we use a long-term (21-year) data set, from an estuarine fish community, to show how an ecological community can be separated into two components. Core species, which are persistent, abundant and biologically associated with estuarine habitats, are log normally distributed. Occasional species occur infrequently in the record, are typically low in abundance and have different habitat requirements; they follow a log series distribution. These distributions are overlaid, producing the negative skew that characterizes real data sets.
Animals↗