Body Mass Shapes Most Life History Traits and a Fast-Slow Continuum in Amphibians.

Amphibians have the least studied life histories among vertebrates, although they have unique and the most diverse life histories within this group. We compiled a new dataset on adult body mass and 16 other life history traits of 2069 amphibian species across three orders (1796 frogs, 236 salamanders, 37 caecilians). These traits characterise fecundity, offspring development from egg deposition to metamorphosis and adult life.

Decline of in Hessia (Germany) over the last 120 years: Modeling implies the gradual disappearance of its temperature niche for flower induction and germination.

is a perennial herb that experienced a severe decline of species records over the last 120 years in the state of Hessia, Germany. Here, the species is found in humid habitats with moderate temperatures. In this modeling study, we assessed changes in climatic conditions between the periods 1900-1949, 1950-1979, 1980-1999 and 2000-2020 and explored whether these changes can explain the decline of records of .

Early giant reveals faster evolution of large body size in ichthyosaurs than in cetaceans.

Body sizes of marine amniotes span six orders of magnitude, yet the factors that governed the evolution of this diversity are largely unknown. High primary production of modern oceans is considered a prerequisite for the emergence of cetacean giants, but that condition cannot explain gigantism in Triassic ichthyosaurs. We describe the new giant ichthyosaur sp.

Hybridization, ecogeographical displacement and the emergence of new lineages - A genotyping-by-sequencing and ecological niche and species distribution modelling study of Sempervivum tectorum L. (Houseleek).

Ecogeographical displacement of homoploid hybrid lineages from their parents is well documented and considered an important mechanism to achieve reproductive isolation. In this study, we investigated the origin of the flowering plant species Sempervivum tectorum in the Massif Central (France) through homoploid hybridization between lineages of the species from the Rhine Gorge area (Germany) and the Pyrenees (France). We used genotyping-by-sequencing genetic data as evidence for the hybrid origin of the Massif Central lineage, and WorldClim climatic data and soil pH and soil temperature data collected by us for ecological niche and species distribution modelling.

An identification of invariants in life history traits of amphibians and reptiles.

While many morphological, physiological, and ecological characteristics of organisms scale with body size, some do not change under size transformation. They are called invariant. A recent study recommended five criteria for identifying invariant traits.

An exploration of differences in the scaling of life history traits with body mass within reptiles and between amniotes.

Allometric relationships linking species characteristics to body size or mass (scaling) are important in biology. However, studies on the scaling of life history traits in the reptiles (the nonavian Reptilia) are rather scarce, especially for the clades Crocodilia, Testudines, and Rhynchocephalia (single extant species, the tuatara). Previous studies on the scaling of reptilian life history traits indicated that they differ from those seen in the other amniotes (mammals and birds), but so far most comparative studies used small species samples and also not phylogenetically informed analyses.

Formal comment on: Myhrvold (2016) Dinosaur metabolism and the allometry of maximum growth rate. PLoS ONE; 11(11): e0163205.

In his 2016 paper, Myhrvold criticized ours from 2014 on maximum growth rates (Gmax, maximum gain in body mass observed within a time unit throughout an individual's ontogeny) and thermoregulation strategies (ectothermy, endothermy) of 17 dinosaurs. In our paper, we showed that Gmax values of similar-sized extant ectothermic and endothermic vertebrates overlap. This strongly questions a correct assignment of a thermoregulation strategy to a dinosaur only based on its Gmax and (adult) body mass (M).

Energy intake functions and energy budgets of ectotherms and endotherms derived from their ontogenetic growth in body mass and timing of sexual maturation.

Ectothermic and endothermic vertebrates differ not only in their source of body temperature (environment vs. metabolism), but also in growth patterns, in timing of sexual maturation within life, and energy intake functions. Here, we present a mathematical model applicable to ectothermic and endothermic vertebrates.

Was endothermy in amniotes induced by an early stop in growth during ontogeny?

Endothermy and its evolution are still an unresolved issue. Here, we present a model which transforms an ectothermic amniote (ancestor) into a derived amniote (descendant) showing many characteristics seen in extant endothermic birds and mammals. Consistent with the fossil record within the ancestral lineages of birds and mammals, the model assumes that mutations in genes which get active during ontogeny and affect body growth resulted in a reduced asymptotic body size and an early growth stop of the descendant.

Mass, phylogeny, and temperature are sufficient to explain differences in metabolic scaling across mammalian orders?

Whether basal metabolic rate-body mass scaling relationships have a single exponent is highly discussed, and also the correct statistical model to establish relationships. Here, we aimed (1) to identify statistically best scaling models for 17 mammalian orders, Marsupialia, Eutheria and all mammals, and (2) thereby to prove whether correcting for differences in species' body temperature and their shared evolutionary history improves models and their biological interpretability. We used the large dataset from Sieg et al.

Habitat Preference of German Mantis religiosa Populations (Mantodea: Mantidae) and Implications for Conservation.

In Germany, the thermophilic European mantid (Mantis religiosa L.) is endangered. Here, we study habitat requirements during its life, and discuss the applicability of the two conservation measures grazing and mowing to this insect species.

Population dynamics of a natural red deer population over 200 years detected via substantial changes of genetic variation.

Most large mammals have constantly been exposed to anthropogenic influence over decades or even centuries. Because of their long generation times and lack of sampling material, inferences of past population genetic dynamics, including anthropogenic impacts, have only relied on the analysis of the structure of extant populations. Here, we investigate for the first time the change in the genetic constitution of a natural red deer population over two centuries, using up to 200-year-old antlers (30 generations) stored in trophy collections.

Plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

Plastic ingestion by marine biota has been reported for a variety of different taxa. In this study, we investigated 290 gastrointestinal tracts of demersal (cod, dab and flounder) and pelagic fish species (herring and mackerel) from the North and Baltic Sea for the occurrence of plastic ingestion. In 5.

Growth patterns and life-history strategies in Placodontia (Diapsida: Sauropterygia).

Placodontia is a clade of durophagous, near shore marine reptiles from Triassic sediments of modern-day Europe, Middle East and China. Although much is known about their primary anatomy and palaeoecology, relatively little has been published regarding their life history, i.e.

Eggshell Types and Their Evolutionary Correlation with Life-History Strategies in Squamates.

The eggshell is an important physiological structure for the embryo. It enables gas exchange, physical protection and is a calcium reserve. Most squamates (lizards, snakes, worm lizards) lay parchment-shelled eggs, whereas only some gekkotan species, a subgroup of lizards, have strongly calcified eggshells.

Reconstruction of two colonisation pathways of Mantis religiosa (Mantodea) in Germany using four mitochondrial markers.

Past and recent climatic changes induced shifts in species ranges. Mantis religiosa has also expanded its range across Germany within the past decades. To determine the ancestry of German M.

Species cross-amplification, identification and genetic variation of 17 species of deer (Cervidae) with microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA from antlers.

Strong anthropogenic impact has caused 28 of the currently recognized 55 species of deer (Cervidae) to be listed on the IUCN Red List. Particular threats to vulnerable species include habitat deterioration and hybridization with alien, introduced species. The scarcity of many species has severely hampered genetic analyses of their populations, including the detection of loci for cross-species amplification.

Effects of freshwater pollution on the genetics of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) at the molecular and population level.

Revealing long-term effects of contaminants on the genetic structure of organisms inhabiting polluted environments should encompass analyses at the population, molecular, and cellular level. Following this concept, we studied the genetic constitution of zebra mussel populations from a polluted (Dp) and reference sites (Cl) at the river Drava, Croatia, and applied microsatellite and DNA damage analyses (Comet assay, micronucleus test (MNT)). Additionally, mussels from both populations were exposed to polluted wastewater in the laboratory for three days, and DNA damage was analyzed to evaluate acclimatization and genetic adaptation of the investigated populations to the polluted environment.

Allometries of maximum growth rate versus body mass at maximum growth indicate that non-avian dinosaurs had growth rates typical of fast growing ectothermic sauropsids.

We tested if growth rates of recent taxa are unequivocally separated between endotherms and ectotherms, and compared these to dinosaurian growth rates. We therefore performed linear regression analyses on the log-transformed maximum growth rate against log-transformed body mass at maximum growth for extant altricial birds, precocial birds, eutherians, marsupials, reptiles, fishes and dinosaurs. Regression models of precocial birds (and fishes) strongly differed from Case's study (1978), which is often used to compare dinosaurian growth rates to those of extant vertebrates.

Body temperatures in dinosaurs: what can growth curves tell us?

To estimate the body temperature (BT) of seven dinosaurs Gillooly, Alleen, and Charnov (2006) used an equation that predicts BT from the body mass and maximum growth rate (MGR) with the latter preserved in ontogenetic growth trajectories (BT-equation). The results of these authors evidence inertial homeothermy in Dinosauria and suggest that, due to overheating, the maximum body size in Dinosauria was ultimately limited by BT. In this paper, I revisit this hypothesis of Gillooly, Alleen, and Charnov (2006).

New insights into non-avian dinosaur reproduction and their evolutionary and ecological implications: linking fossil evidence to allometries of extant close relatives.

It has been hypothesized that a high reproductive output contributes to the unique gigantism in large dinosaur taxa. In order to infer more information on dinosaur reproduction, we established allometries between body mass and different reproductive traits (egg mass, clutch mass, annual clutch mass) for extant phylogenetic brackets (birds, crocodiles and tortoises) of extinct non-avian dinosaurs. Allometries were applied to nine non-avian dinosaur taxa (theropods, hadrosaurs, and sauropodomorphs) for which fossil estimates on relevant traits are currently available.

Aging, Maturation and Growth of Sauropodomorph Dinosaurs as Deduced from Growth Curves Using Long Bone Histological Data: An Assessment of Methodological Constraints and Solutions.

Information on aging, maturation, and growth is important for understanding life histories of organisms. In extinct dinosaurs, such information can be derived from the histological growth record preserved in the mid-shaft cortex of long bones. Here, we construct growth models to estimate ages at death, ages at sexual maturity, ages at which individuals were fully-grown, and maximum growth rates from the growth record preserved in long bones of six sauropod dinosaur individuals (one indeterminate mamenchisaurid, two Apatosaurus sp.

Reproductive biology and its impact on body size: comparative analysis of mammalian, avian and dinosaurian reproduction.

Janis and Carrano (1992) suggested that large dinosaurs might have faced a lower risk of extinction under ecological changes than similar-sized mammals because large dinosaurs had a higher potential reproductive output than similar-sized mammals (JC hypothesis). First, we tested the assumption underlying the JC hypothesis. We therefore analysed the potential reproductive output (reflected in clutch/litter size and annual offspring number) of extant terrestrial mammals and birds (as "dinosaur analogs") and of extinct dinosaurs.

Biology of the sauropod dinosaurs: the evolution of gigantism.

The herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods were the largest terrestrial animals ever, surpassing the largest herbivorous mammals by an order of magnitude in body mass. Several evolutionary lineages among Sauropoda produced giants with body masses in excess of 50 metric tonnes by conservative estimates. With body mass increase driven by the selective advantages of large body size, animal lineages will increase in body size until they reach the limit determined by the interplay of bauplan, biology, and resource availability.

Reproductive functions of wild fish as bioindicators of reproductive toxicants in the aquatic environment.

Background, Aim, And Scope: Impacts on the reproductive health of wild fish are thought to be suitable early-warning tools indicating contamination of surface waters with endocrine-disrupting compounds. Ecotoxicological assessment of these field observations depends on the availability of reliable biomarkers to enable a discrimination of natural variations of reproductive functions from anthropogenic impacts.

Materials And Methods: Roach and perch were caught at eight sampling sites by electrofishing twice a year in summer (July-September) and late autumn/winter (November-December) over a 2-year period.