The understanding of natural and sexual selection requires both field laboratory studies to exploit the advantages avoid disadvantages each approach. However, have tended be polarized among types organisms studied, with vertebrates studied in invertebrates lab. We used video monitoring combined DNA profiling all members a wild population crickets across two generations capture factors predicting reproductive success males females. that predict male's gaining mates differ from those how many...

Ectotherms make up the majority of terrestrial biodiversity, so it is important to understand their potential responses climate change. Often, models aiming achieve this understanding correlate species distributions with ambient air temperature. However, assumes a constant relationship between temperature and body temperature, which determines an ectotherm's thermal performance. To test assumption, we develop validate method for retrospective estimation ectotherm using heat exchange...

Examining the relevance of 'animal personality' involves linking consistent among- and within-individual behavioural variation to fitness in wild. Studies aiming do this typically assay personality captivity rely on assumption that measures traits laboratory reflect their expression nature. We examined rarely tested by comparing field measurements behaviour wild crickets (Gryllus campestris) continuously monitoring individual nature, repeatedly capturing same individuals measuring captivity....

Sexual selection results from variation in success at multiple stages the mating process, including competition before and after mating. The relationship between these forms of competition, such as whether they trade-off or reinforce one another, influences role sexual evolution. However, 2 is rarely quantified wild. We used video cameras to observe among male field crickets their matings characterized pre- post-copulatory networks competing individuals. Social network analysis then allowed...

Temporal or spatial variation in selection has the potential to explain long standing evolutionary problems such as stasis and maintenance of genetic variation. Long-term field studies plants wild vertebrates have provided some insights, but multigenerational measures invertebrates remain scarce. Short-lived ectothermic animals are likely experience more pronounced environmental across generations than longer-lived endothermic species. As a result, may be particularly significant these...

Investigating patterns of among and within-individual trait variation in populations is essential to understanding how selection shapes phenotypes. Behavior often the most flexible aspect phenotype, understand it affected by selection, we need examine consistent individuals are. However, not well understood whether among-individual differences tend remain over lifetimes, or behavior relative one another varies time. We examined dynamics 4 behavioral traits (tendency leave a refuge, shyness,...

The disposable soma theory of ageing predicts that when organisms invest in reproduction they do so by reducing their investment body maintenance, inducing a trade-off between and survival. Experiments on invertebrates the lab provide support for demonstrating predicted responses to manipulation reproductive effort or lifespan. However, experimental studies birds evidence from observational (nonmanipulative) nature not consistently reveal trade-offs. Most species studied previously wild are...

Abstract Although brain organization in lampreys is of great interest for understanding evolution vertebrates, knowledge early development very scarce. Here, the forebrain and midbrain γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)‐ergic systems was studied embryos, prolarvae, small larvae sea lamprey using an anti‐GABA antibody. Ancillary immunochemical markers, such as proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), calretinin, serotonin, well general staining methods semithin sections were used to characterize...

Abstract Mechanisms that prevent different species from interbreeding are fundamental to the maintenance of biodiversity. Barriers interspecific matings, such as failure recognize a potential mate, often relatively easy identify. Those occurring after mating, differences in how successful sperm competition for fertilisations, cryptic and have create selection on females mate multiply defence against maladaptive hybridization. Cryptic advantages conspecific may be very widespread been...

Abstract The ecological and evolutionary importance of fine‐scale genetic structure within populations is increasingly appreciated. However, available data are largely restricted to wild vertebrates eusocial insects. In addition, there the expectation that most insects tend have such large‐ high‐density so mobile they unlikely face inbreeding risks through population structuring. This has made growing body evidence for avoidance in its implication mating systems evolution somewhat enigmatic....

A central part of an animal's environment is its interactions with conspecifics. There has been growing interest in the potential to capture these form a social network. Such networks can then be used examine how relationships among individuals affect ecological and evolutionary processes. However, context selection evolution, utility this approach relies on network structures persisting across generations. This assumption that difficult test because spanning multiple generations have not...

Declines in survival and performance with advancing age (senescence) have been widely documented natural populations, but whether patterns of senescence across traits reflect a common underlying process biological ageing remains unclear. Senescence is typically characterized via assessments the rate change mortality (actuarial senescence) or phenotypic (phenotypic senescence). Although both phenomena are considered indicative declines somatic integrity, actuarial rates actually correlated...

Abstract Lampreys have a complex life cycle, with largely differentiated larval and adult periods. Despite the considerable interest of lampreys for understanding vertebrate evolution, knowledge early development their eye pineal is very scarce. Here, immunocytochemical organization retina sea lamprey was studied by use antibodies against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), opsin, serotonin, γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA). Cell differentiation in retina, organ, habenula begins prolarvae,...

Many organisms are capable of growing faster than they do. Restrained growth rate has functionally been explained by negative effects on lifespan accelerated growth. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Telomere attrition proposed as a causal agent and mostly studied in endothermic vertebrates. We established that telomeres exist chromosomal-ends model insect, field cricket Gryllus campestris, using terminal restriction fragment Bal 31 methods. Telomeres comprised TTAGGn...

ABSTRACT Ectotherms are essential components of all ecosystems. They rely on external heat sources like air temperature and solar radiation to regulate their body optimise life history traits. Climate change, by altering cloud cover, will likely impact these processes. To examine how shade influence terrestrial insects, we reared nymphs the field cricket ( Gryllus campestris ) at high (mean 13.4°C) low 9.6°C) sites in northern Spain, with partially shaded unshaded treatments each site. We...

Abstract The development of neurons expressing γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the rhombencephalon and spinal cord sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) was studied for first time with an anti‐GABA antibody. earliest GABA‐immunoreactive (GABAir) appear late embryos basal plate isthmus, caudal rhombencephalon, rostral cord. In prolarvae, GABAir to be distributed spatially restricted cellular domains that, at end prolarval period, form four longitudinal bands (alar dorsal, alar ventral, dorsal...

Counting rare and elusive animals evaluating their demographic status, are fundamental yet challenging aspects of population ecology conservation biology. We set out to estimate size (Nc), genetic effective (Ne gen), sex ratio, movements based on tagging for the threatened Cantabrian capercaillie. used 9 microsatellite loci genotype 134 droppings collected at 34 display areas during breeding season. Using capture-mark-recapture, we estimated 93 individuals (Nc, 95% CI: 70–116) in an area...

Sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus from the River Miño and Sella, Spain, showed an almost identical frequency for three observed haplotypes. None of these haplotypes were found among North American populations. These results indicate absence exchange sea populations spawning in west south‐east Atlantic coasts. The similarity between collections two Spanish rivers suggests that homing does not occur anadromous lamprey.

A key prediction of theories differential allocation and sexual conflict is that male phenotype will affect resource by females. Females may adaptively increase investment in offspring when mated to high quality males enhance the their offspring, or vary ability manipulate female post-mating. Males are known be able influence reproductive investment, but traits underlying this have been little studied taxa other than birds. We investigated relationship between dominance oviposition rate two...

Abstract Cell proliferation in the forebrain and midbrain of sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus L.) was investigated by cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunocytochemistry, with BrdU labeling as a complementary technique. Correspondence between regions areas early neuronal differentiation also assessed using antibodies against HNK‐1 marker. The brain late embryos shows homogeneously thick ventricular zone (VZ) containing PCNA‐immunoreactive (PCNA‐ir) nuclei. In prolarvae, several discontinuities...

Life-history theories of senescence are based on the existence a trade-off in resource allocation between body maintenance and reproduction. This putative means that environmental demographic factors affecting costs reproduction should be associated with changes patterns senescence. In many species, competition among males is major component male reproductive investment, hence variation sex ratio expected to affect rates We test this prediction using nine years behavioural data from wild...