Effects of Urbanization on Ventral Patch Size and Phenotypic Correlates of Patch Expression in Male Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis)

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(2)

Published: Jan. 28, 2025

ABSTRACT In some animals, males use colorful ornaments or badges to visually communicate with conspecifics. These traits can be condition‐dependent, suggesting that environmental changes could impact the intensity of male sexual signals. Drastic habitat caused by urbanization act as physiological stressors, potentially affecting signaling through condition immune function. Here, we quantified effects on ventral patch size and correlates expression, namely body size, condition, corticosterone concentrations, ectoparasites in Western Fence Lizards ( Sceloporus occidentalis ). We compared three aspects color patches between urban natural populations: area throat patch, total paired belly patches, black borders patches. All measurements across both types were positively related was indicating these may signal competitive ability and/or quality. Males from populations had larger than those after controlling for size. This difference associated a probability ectoparasite infection, but not differences concentrations populations. Our results indicate an effect function although this idea remains untested. Overall, show traits, which have repercussions visual communication environments.

Language: Английский

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Chemical signal diversity in male sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) along an urbanization gradient

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: Feb. 26, 2025

Abstract Urban areas have globally expanded recently and will likely continue to do so in the near future. Although impact of urbanization on acoustic visual sexual signals has received considerable attention, other aspects, such as its influence chemical signaling, remain poorly studied. Many lizard species possess femoral glands, i.e. prominent epidermal glands underside thighs producing a wide variety compounds used signaling. Here we assessed effect urban, suburban rural habitats individual body condition variation signal composition sand ( Lacerta agilis ). By using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, characterized present secretions glands. We found that lizards from urban had highest diversity chemicals, while showed significantly lower compound diversity. Lizards high amounts several compounds, including α-tocopherol, an antioxidant molecule may counterbalance damaging effects irradiation pheromones. Chemical not only depend habitat characteristics but traits, condition, also affect Body did differ across habitats, find association between gland secretions. argue environmental differences (more extreme cities) well factors increased stress shape semiochemicals lizards. Our study provides insight how conditions imposed by urban–rural gradients modulate communication vertebrates.

Language: Английский

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Artificial light at night and temperature as combined stressors on the development, life-history, and mating behaviour of the Pacific field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 79(3)

Published: March 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Colourful Urban Birds: Bird Species Successful in Urban Environments Have More Elaborate Colours and Less Brown

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 28(4)

Published: April 1, 2025

Rapidly expanding urbanisation presents significant challenges to wildlife. Consequently, many studies have investigated the impact of on diverse organisms. However, despite ecological relevance animal colouration, its association with remains poorly understood. Using a global database, we computed an index urban success for 1287 bird species and quantified estimates plumage colour. Our analyses showed that birds do well in environments are more likely be blue, dark grey black, less brown or yellow. After considering phylogenetic relatedness, only effects yellow remained significant. Species high also exhibit elaborate colours, but not higher sexual dichromatism. We provide eco-evolutionary explanations these results. Assemblage-level did support colour homogenisation hypothesis: Urban communities were colour-diverse after accounting richness. findings suggest colours part urban-associated syndrome.

Language: Английский

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How urbanization affects sexual communication

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 11(24), P. 17625 - 17650

Published: Dec. 1, 2021

Abstract Urbanization is rapidly altering landscapes worldwide, changing environmental conditions, and creating novel selection pressures for many organisms. Local conditions affect the expression evolution of sexual signals mating behaviors; changes in such traits have important evolutionary consequences because their effect on reproduction. In this review, we synthesize research investigating how communication affected by associated with urbanization—including pollution from noise, light, heavy metals, habitat fragmentation, impervious surfaces, urban heat islands, resources predation. often has negative effects through signal masking, condition‐dependent expression, weakening female preferences. Though there are documented instances seemingly adaptive shifts trait ultimate impact fitness rarely tested. The field still relatively young, most work tested whether differences occur response to various aspects urbanization. There limited information available about these responses represent phenotypic plasticity or genetic changes, extent which observed reproductive fitness. Our understanding operates novel, urbanized environments would be bolstered more studies that perform common garden reciprocal transplants, simultaneously evaluate multiple factors tease out causal drivers shifts. provides a unique testing ground biologists study interplay between ecology selection, suggest researchers take advantage natural experiments. Furthermore, systems differ cities rural areas can offer insights mitigate negative, accentuate positive, expansion biota, provide new opportunities underscore relevance biology Anthropocene.

Language: Английский

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Differences in male calling song and female mate location behaviour between urban and rural crickets

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 139(3), P. 275 - 285

Published: June 9, 2023

Abstract Traffic noise is one of the selection pressures urban habitats. Because interferes with acoustic communication, many studies have shown that temporal structures signals change depending on noise. However, it often unknown whether changes are adaptive, such as being more easily located by females under noisy conditions. To investigate phenomena, bend-legged ground crickets (Dianemobius nigrofasciatus) were collected from three and rural habitats reared in a common garden Male calling songs female mate location behaviour progeny measured. Urban males emitted song higher dominant frequency shorter chirp than did males. The playback experiment response localization to males, controlling for noise, showed there no significant effects between Although elicited faster females, effect was limited. These results indicate not adaptive terms choice. quickly suggest mating occur

Language: Английский

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Anthropogenic noise and light alter temporal but not spatial breeding behavior in a wild frog

Behavioral Ecology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 33(6), P. 1115 - 1122

Published: Aug. 20, 2022

Increasing urbanization has led to large-scale land-use changes, exposing persistent populations drastically altered environments. Sensory pollutants, including low-frequency anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night (ALAN), are typically associated with urban environments known impact animal in a variety of ways. Both ALAN can alter behavioral physiological processes important for survival reproduction, communication circadian rhythms. Although pollution co-occur urbanized areas, few studies have addressed their combined on species' behavior. Here, we assessed how influence spatial temporal variation breeding activity wild frog population. By sites inside tropical rainforest multiple sensory environments, found that both behavior túngara frogs (

Language: Английский

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Multiple carotenoid-based signals are enhanced despite poor body condition in urban male and female Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis)

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 134(4)

Published: Jan. 6, 2023

Si los humanos pretenden coexistir con la vida silvestre, debemos entender cómo nuestras actividades impactan sistemas de comunicación poblaciones animales urbanas. Ya sabemos bastante acerca efectos del ruido antropogénico en el canto las aves pero se conoce relativamente poco señales visuales aviares son afectadas por urbanización. Este efecto podría ocurrir si urbanización altera alimentación que dispone especie cuyo color basa carotenoides, deben obtener su dieta. Durante 3 años comparamos un conjunto completo machos y hembras cardenal norteño (Cardinalis cardinalis) rurales Nuestra predicción fue urbanas iban a mostrar más fuertes basadas ya tienen acceso mayor cantidad carotenoides provenientes plantas invasoras proliferan ciudades. Usamos espectrometría reflectancia, análisis imagen digital modelos para cuantificar tono, saturación brillo pecho (machos), parte inferior ala (hembras) pico (machos hembras). Comparados zonas rurales, tenían rojas plumas año rojo cada año. Las Estas diferencias eran suficientes como ser distinguidas sistema visual aves. El no varió entre sitios. De manera interesante, significativamente menos condición corporal relacionada masa rurales. Así, tanto pueden desplegar pesar estar peor Sugerimos través madreselva invasora (Lonicera spp), incremento afectar contenido información dinámicas sociales reproductivos. Estos resultados contrastan tendencia general resaltan potenciales complejos variados animal. Palabras clave: pico, plumaje, modelo aviar,

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Effects of urbanization on the efficiency and composition of vertebrate scavengers

Food Webs, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 37, P. e00317 - e00317

Published: Sept. 18, 2023

Language: Английский

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Avian urban ecology in Nepal: A call for attention

Nepalese Journal of Zoology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 7(2), P. 49 - 59

Published: Dec. 22, 2023

Urbanization is increasing at an unprecedented rate, leading to changes in land use resulting the loss of habitat for birds worldwide. Nevertheless, urban areas still support approximately 20% world's bird population. In Nepal, urbanization has been rapidly recent decades, yet little attention paid biodiversity exacerbating impact expansion on threatened birds. this perspective article, we explore studies Nepal identify existing research patterns, discuss what known, outline gaps and pave immediate future interventions avian ecology Nepal. There a significantly lower number compared neighbouring India China last 10 years. Studies are very early stage focused diversity richness Kathmandu, Pokhara Butwal with no baseline data other major cities. Our understanding homogenization or extinction as well effects cities, such their rapid colonization potential role pests, may be limited by dearth knowledge about biodiversity. Therefore, have outlined opportunities long-term surveys, interdisciplinary field studies, diseases study, management green spaces, adaptation environments, patterns conflicts, challenges, strategies related ecology. With call scientists, planners, stakeholders model system study environments which could good start building bird-friendly city.

Language: Английский

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