A5060787567- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Plant and animal studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Bee Products Chemical Analysis
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
- Essential Oils and Antimicrobial Activity
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Healthcare and Venom Research
- Morphological variations and asymmetry
- Animal Nutrition and Physiology
- Animal Genetics and Reproduction
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Virus-based gene therapy research
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Gut microbiota and health
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
University of Zagreb
2013-2023
Males of a Croatian population the lacertid lizard Podarcis melisellensis exhibit striking polymorphism, with coloration throat and abdomen ranging from completely white, to yellow or orange. In first attempt explore potential ecological evolutionary significance this we compared three forms males in aspects their morphology, whole-animal performance, behavior, ecology. Orange are, on average, larger snout-vent length have disproportionately heads than either white males. This is reflected...
Males of the lizard Podarcis melisellensis occur in three distinct colours that differ bite performance, with orange males biting harder than white or yellow ones. Differences force among colour morphs are best explained by differences head height, suggesting underlying variation cranial shape and/or size jaw adductors. To explore this issue further, we examined shape, using geometric morphometric techniques. Additionally, quantified adductor muscle mass. No significant corrected were found,...
Trade-offs arise when two functional traits impose conflicting demands on the same design trait. Consequently, excellence in one comes at cost of performance other. One most widely studied trade-offs is between sprint speed and endurance. Although biochemical, physiological (bio)mechanical correlates either locomotor trait conflict with each other, results whole-organism level are mixed. Here, we test whether burst (speed, acceleration) sustained locomotion (stamina) trade off both isolated...
The study of animal personality, defined as consistent inter-individual differences in correlated behavioral traits stable throughout time and/or contexts, has recently become one the fastest growing areas biology, with species ranging from insects to non-human primates. latter have, however, only occasionally been tested standardized experiments. Instead their personality usually assessed using questionnaires. Therefore, this aimed test 21 common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) living three...
Abstract Body size has a pervasive effect on animal functioning and life history with dependent changes in performance physiology throughout ontogeny being common many ectothermic vertebrates. However, as selection juvenile stages is strong, juveniles often offset the disadvantages of small body by disproportionate levels performance. Here, we investigate size‐related defensive strike an arboreal pit viper, Trimerusurus ( Cryptelytrops ) albolabris . Our data show significant negative...
Abstract Polyphenolic compounds are widely distributed in the plant kingdom and display a variety of biological activities, including chemoprevention tumor growth inhibition. Propolis is made up polyphenolic compounds. We compared how routes administration deriving from propolis itself affect metastatic potential transplantable mammary carcinoma (MCa) CBA mouse. The influence tested on local was also studied. Metastases lung were generated by 2 × 105 cells injected intravenously (IV). A...
Access to resources is a dynamic and multicausal process that determines the success survival of population. It therefore often challenging disentangle factors affecting ecological traits like diet. Insular habitats provide good opportunity study how variation in diet originates, particular populations mesopredators such as lizards. Indeed, high levels population density associated with low food abundance predation are selection pressures typically observed on islands. In present study,...
AbstractNatural dietary shifts offer the opportunity to address nutritional physiological characters required thrive on a particular diet. Here, we studied physiology of Podarcis siculus, with populations Pod Mrčaru, Croatia, that have become omnivorous and morphologically distinct (including development valves in hindgut) from their insectivorous source population Kopište. We compared gut structure function between two island this lizard species contrasted them an mainland out-group Zagreb....
Diet has been suggested to be an important driver of variation in microbiota composition mammals. However, whether this is a more general phenomenon and how fast changes gut occur with diet remains poorly understood. Forty-nine years ago, ten lizards the species Podarcis siculus were taken from island Pod Kopište introduced onto Mrčaru (Croatia). The population underwent significant dietary shift, their descendants became omnivorous (consuming up 80% plant material during summer). Variation...
Hematological and biochemical analyses of blood can be great importance for studying the biology species determining health status animals in both wild captivity. In order to determine baseline ranges nose-horned viper Vipera ammodytes, we determined cell morphology measured 20 hematological 5 variables from samples taken 31 (17 males 14 females) healthy specimens caught at beginning autumn. Most parameters were similar those reported other reptile species. The showed a significantly higher...
Macroevolutionary changes such as variation in habitat use or diet are often associated with convergent, adaptive morphology. However, it is still unclear how small-scale morphological at the population level can drive shifts ecology observed a macroevolutionary scale. Here, we address this question by investigating cranial form and feeding mechanics relate to rapid an insular lizard ( Podarcis siculus ) after experimental introduction into new environment. We first quantified differences...
Abstract Bite force is a key performance trait in lizards because biting involved many ecologically relevant tasks, including foraging, fighting and mating. Several factors have been suggested to impact bite lizards, such as head morphology (proximate factors), or diet, intraspecific competition habitat characteristics (ultimate factors). However, these generally investigated separately mostly at the interspecific level. Here we tested which drive variation population level what extent. Our...
Abstract Foraging decisions should reflect a balance between costs and benefits of alternative strategies. Predation risk resource availability in the environment may be crucial deciding how cautious individuals behave during foraging. These will vary time context, meaning that animals able to adjust their foraging behaviour new or altered environments. Studying do this is essential understand survival these In study, we investigated effect both insularity urbanization on risk‐taking...
Phenotypictraits have been shown to evolve in response variation the environment. However, evolutionary processes underlying emergence of phenotypic diversity can typically only be understood at population level. Consequently, how subtle differences intraspecific level give rise larger-scale changes performance and ecology remains poorly understood. We here tested for covariation between ecology, bite force, jaw muscle architecture, three-dimensional shape cranium mandible 16 insular...
We studied captive Balkan Whip Snakes (Hierophis gemonensis) to determine blood biochemical parameters that are useful indicators of physiological status during different periods the biological cycle, including pre- and posthibernation, hibernation, sexual activity, normal activity. In addition classic statistical analyses, six machine-learning methods using 10 times 10-fold cross-validation evaluation were used best classification model for biochemistry data. Results models indicated three...
Abstract Aim Character displacement and release can occur quickly in novel environments communities. Species introductions are ‘natural experiments’ which evolutionary changes be studied as community composition varies. We asked whether morphologies of the introduced small Indian mongoose ( Herpestes auropunctatus ) larger native stone marten Martes foina on Adriatic islands where they sympatric or allopatric consistent with hypotheses character release, respectively. Location The is to Asia...