We evaluate the cost‐of‐reproduction hypothesis in burying beetle Nicrophorus orbicollis and examine how importance of this trade‐off changes as females age (i.e., terminal‐investment hypothesis). These beetles breed on small vertebrate carcasses, which serve a food resource for them their offspring. Consistent with hypothesis, manipulated to overproduce offspring suffered reduction fecundity life span when compared controls, although all reproducing had reduced spans nonbreeding females....

Theory predicts that organisms living in heterogeneous environments will exhibit phenotypic plasticity. One trait may be particularly important this context is the clutch or brood size because it simultaneously a maternal and offspring characteristic. In paper, I test hypothesis burying beetle, Nicrophorus orbicollis, adjusts size, part, anticipation of reproductive environment its adult offspring. N. orbicollis use small vertebrate carcass as food resource for their young. Both parents...

Field studies were conducted on the western population of endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) in Oklahoma and Arkansas to determine its habitat affinities. A common cause declining populations is some specialized adaptation that makes it difficult respond a rapidly changing habitat. We evaluated hypothesis N. americanus specialist search for food, preferring mature forests with deep, humic soils. This was rejected. Based comparisons niche breadth among syntopic...

The cost of reproduction hypothesis predicts that the level reproductive investment to current is constrained by an individual's future potential or residual value. Therefore, age, differences between young and old individuals in value, expected influence investment. However, recent theoretical work suggests value also influenced state condition which may part be determined prior experience. We evaluated same-aged female burying beetles (Nicrophorus orbicollis) determine how experience...

Host plants that promote development of insect herbivores are sometimes less preferred to more toxic plants, which co‐opted for protection from natural enemies, resulting in higher fitness communities with strong top‐down control. However, the degree variation growth rate and risk enemy attack drive plant preferences is an open question, little field data available across diverse families. The present study investigated preference–performance relationship tritrophic interactions involving...

Allylisopropylacetamide caused a decrease in the level of chick embryo liver cytochrome P-450 1 h after administration, followed by an elevation above control levels at later time period. Propylisopropylacetamide on other hand did not produce early but produced Since propylisopropylacetamide is inducer δ-aminolevulinic acid synthetase activity and porphyrin accumulation liver, it was concluded that loss prerequisite for ALA-synthetase induction as thought to be case rats.

Direct transmission of bacteria to subsequent generations highlights the beneficial nature host-bacteria relationships. In insects, this process is often mediated by production microbe-containing secretions. The objective study was determine if burying beetle, Nicrophorus defodiens, utilizes anal secretions transmit adult digestive tract onto a small vertebrate carcass; thus creating potential aid in carcass preservation or pass their larval offspring. Using high-throughput Illumina...

The cost of reproduction theory posits that there are trade-offs between current and future because resources allocated to offspring cannot be used for reproductive opportunities. Two adaptive strategies have been hypothesized offset the costs maximize lifetime fitness. terminal investment hypothesis predicts as individuals age they will allocate more a response decreasing residual value. restraint hypotheses fewer increase chance surviving an additional opportunity. In this study, we test...

Organisms are selected to maximize lifetime reproductive success by balancing the costs of current reproduction with future survival and fecundity. Males females typically face different costs, which makes comparisons their strategies difficult. Burying beetles provide a unique system that allows us compare between sexes because males capable raising offspring together or alone carcass preparation care represent majority for both sexes. Because perform same functions care, we predict they...

Abstract Resource allocation to growth, reproduction, and body maintenance varies within species along latitudinal gradients. Two hypotheses explaining this variation are local adaptation counter‐gradient variation. The hypothesis proposes that populations adapted environmental conditions therefore less at other locations. one population out performs others across an gradient because its source location has greater selective pressure than Our study had two goals. First, we tested the by...

Summary Ecological and environmental gradients create varying selective pressures on organisms that result in differences optimal life history tactics. Moreover, histories are inherently multivariate, consisting of a coordinated suite traits vary over an organism's lifetime. Such variation can be described as trajectory phenotypic change through time multivariate space defined by set traits. We demonstrate the use analysis analytical approach for quantifying comparing throughout life. Life...

Multiple mechanisms have been suggested to facilitate coexistence among species of burying beetles, including differential use habitat and food resources. Nicrophorus marginatus guttula are similarly sized beetles that co-occur in many parts their range. We used observations quantify compare diel activity patterns tested for possible niche partitioning between the species. monitored individuals each over four 24-h periods. Both exhibit bimodal with peaks morning evening. is active earlier...

Abstract Successful conservation and management of protected wildlife populations require reliable population abundance data. Traditional capture-mark-recapture methods can be costly, time-consuming, invasive. Photographic mark-recapture (PMR) is a cost-effective, minimally invasive way to study dynamics in species with distinct markings or color patterns. We tested the feasibility application PMR using software Hotspotter identify Nicrophorus spp. from digital images naturally occurring...

In species that require parental care, each parent can either care for their offspring or leave them in the of other parent. For this creates three possible strategies: biparental uniparental (male female) and desertion by male female. The burying beetle, Nicrophorus orbicollis, typically exhibits offspring, thus provides a unique system allows us to compare fitness benefits these strategies an unconfounded way. study, we assess lifetime both female N. orbicollis. Specifically, tested...