Ecosystem services generated by Neotropical freshwater fishes

Hydrobiologia, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 850(12-13), P. 2903 - 2926

Published: Sept. 13, 2022

Language: Английский

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Pleiotropic function of the oca2 gene underlies the evolution of sleep loss and albinism in cavefish

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 31(16), P. 3694 - 3701.e4

Published: July 21, 2021

Language: Английский

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Novel Husbandry Practices Result in Rapid Rates of Growth and Sexual Maturation Without Impacting Adult Behavior in the Blind Mexican Cavefish

Zebrafish, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 20(2), P. 86 - 94

Published: April 1, 2023

Animal model systems are dependent on the standardization of husbandry protocols that maximize growth and reduce generation time. The Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, exists as eyed surface blind cave dwelling populations. opportunity for comparative approaches between independently evolved populations has led to rapid A. mexicanus a evolution biomedical research. However, slow inconsistent rate remains major limitation expanded application mexicanus. Fortunately, this temporal can be addressed through changes accelerate rates while maintaining optimal health outcomes. Here, we describe protocol produces in diet, feeding frequency, sorting progressive tank size. This produced robust decreased age sexual maturity comparison our previous protocol. To determine whether impacted behavior, tested fish exploration schooling assays. We found no difference behavior two groups, suggesting increased will not impact natural variation behavioral traits. Taken together, standardized development genetic model.

Language: Английский

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Kinematic analysis of social interactions deconstructs the evolved loss of schooling behavior in cavefish

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 17(4), P. e0265894 - e0265894

Published: April 6, 2022

Fish display a remarkable diversity of social behaviors, both within and between species. While behaviors are likely critical for survival, surprisingly little is known about how they evolve in response to changing environmental pressures. With its highly surface form multiple populations largely asocial, blind, cave-dwelling form, the Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus , provides powerful model study evolution behavior. Here we use motion tracking analysis swimming kinematics quantify four populations. In light, fish school, maintaining close proximity alignment with each other. dark, no longer coherent schools, however, still show evidence an attempt align maintain when find themselves near another fish. contrast, cavefish from three independently-evolved (Pachón, Molino, Tinaja) preference or alignment, instead exhibiting that suggest active avoidance Two cave studied also slow down more present tank, behavior which not observed light suggesting divergent responses conspecifics. Using data-driven computer simulations, reduction speed sufficient alter way explore their environment: it can increase time spent exploring away walls. Thus, absence schooling merely consequence inability see, but may rather be genuine behavioral adaptation impacts environment.

Language: Английский

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The evolution of olfactory sensitivity, preferences, and behavioral responses in Mexican cavefish is influenced by fish personality

eLife, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 12

Published: June 4, 2024

Animals are adapted to their natural habitats and lifestyles. Their brains perceive the external world via sensory systems, compute information together with that of internal states autonomous activity, generate appropriate behavioral outputs. However, how do these processes evolve across evolution? Here, focusing on sense olfaction, we have studied evolution in olfactory sensitivity, preferences, responses six different food-related amino acid odors two eco-morphs fish Astyanax mexicanus . To this end, developed a high-throughput setup pipeline quantitative qualitative behavior analysis, tested 489 six-week-old larvae. The blind, dark-adapted morphs species showed markedly distinct basal swimming patterns odors, higher strong preference for alanine, as compared river-dwelling eyed conspecifics. In addition, discovered an individual ‘swimming personality’, personality influences capability respond efficiently find source. Importantly, traits favored significant were surface cavefish. Moreover, displayed by second-generation cave × F2 hybrids suggested olfactory-driven sensitivity is genetic trait. Our findings show processing has rapidly evolved cavefish at several levels: detection threshold, odor preference, foraging strategy. Cavefish therefore outstanding model understand genetic, molecular, neurophysiological basis specialization response environmental change.

Language: Английский

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Elevated DNA Damage without signs of aging in the short-sleeping Mexican Cavefish

Published: Feb. 10, 2025

Dysregulation of sleep has widespread health consequences and represents an enormous burden. Short-sleeping individuals are predisposed to the effects neurodegeneration, suggesting a critical role for in maintenance neuronal health. While on cellular function not completely understood, growing evidence identified association between loss DNA damage, raising possibility that facilitates efficient repair. The Mexican tetra fish, Astyanax mexicanus provides model investigate evolutionary basis changes loss. Multiple cave-adapted populations these fish have evolved substantially less time compared surface same species without identifiable impacts healthspan or longevity. To whether is associated with damage stress, we Damage Response (DDR) oxidative stress levels A. populations. We measured markers chronic discovered elevated marker γH2AX brain, increased gut cavefish, consistent deprivation. Notably, found acute UV-induced elicited increase but cavefish. On transcriptional level, only activated photoreactivation repair pathway following UV damage. These findings suggest reduction DDR cavefish coincides examine pathways at created embryonic fibroblast cell line from two . observed both were diminished cells, corroborating vivo response lost long-term impact changes, transcriptome brain aged Strikingly, many genes differentially expressed young old do transcriptionally vary by age Taken together, developed resilience loss, despite possessing hallmarks

Language: Английский

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Studying convergent evolution to relate genotype to behavioral phenotype

Journal of Experimental Biology, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 223(Suppl_1)

Published: Feb. 1, 2020

ABSTRACT Neuroscience has a long, rich history in embracing unusual animals for research. Over the past several decades, there been technology-driven bottleneck species used neuroscience However, an oncoming wave of technologies applicable to many hold promise enabling researchers address challenging scientific questions that cannot be solved using traditional laboratory animals. Here, we discuss how leveraging convergent evolution physiological or behavioral phenotypes can empower research mapping genotype phenotype interactions. We present two case studies electric fish and poison frogs comparative work teach us about evolutionary constraint flexibility at various levels biological organization. also offer advice on potential pitfalls establishing novel model systems Finally, end with discussion use charismatic their utility public outreach. Overall, argue frameworks help identify generalizable principles neuroscience.

Language: Английский

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Blind cavefish retain functional connectivity in the tectum despite loss of retinal input

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 32(17), P. 3720 - 3730.e3

Published: Aug. 4, 2022

Sensory systems display remarkable plasticity and are under strong evolutionary selection. The Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, consists of eyed river-dwelling surface populations multiple independent cave that have converged on eye loss, providing the opportunity to examine evolution sensory circuits in response environmental perturbation. Functional analysis across transgenic expressing GCaMP6s showed functional connectivity optic tectum largely did not differ between populations, except for selective loss negatively correlated activity within cavefish tectum, suggesting positively neural is resistant an evolved input from retina. Furthermore, surface-cave hybrid fish reveals changes genetically distinct those encoding loss. Together, these findings uncover components visual system establish use imaging A. mexicanus study circuit evolution.

Language: Английский

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Evolved Loss of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Cavefish

Springer eBooks, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 133 - 157

Published: Jan. 1, 2024

Language: Английский

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Evolutionary convergence of a neural mechanism in the cavefish lateral line system

eLife, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 11

Published: June 16, 2022

Animals can evolve dramatic sensory functions in response to environmental constraints, but little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying these changes. The Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus , a leading model study genetic, behavioral, and physiological evolution by comparing eyed surface populations blind cave populations. We compared neurophysiological responses of posterior lateral line afferent neurons motor across A. reveal how shifts function may shape behavioral diversity. These studies indicate differences intrinsic signaling gain control Elevated endogenous activity identified lower threshold cavefish relative fish increased evoked potentials during hair cell deflection cavefish. next measured effect inhibitory corollary discharges from hindbrain efferent onto afferents locomotion. discovered that three independently derived have evolved persistent locomotion, suggesting for first time partial loss system be an evolutionary mechanism adaptation vertebrate system.

Language: Английский

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