cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.98sf7m0hp
title: The evolution of hummock-depression micro-topography in an alpine marshy wetland in Sanjiangyuan as inferred from vegetation and soil characteristics

description: The hummock-depression micro-topography characteristics of the alpine
 marshy wetland in Sanjiangyuan are indicative of wetland degradation and
 the process by which healthy wetlands are transformed into flat
 grasslands. The aim of the present study was to examine changes in plant
 community structure and soil characteristics in a hummock-depression
 micro-topography along a degradation gradient. We observed that: (1) the
 height and cover of dominant hydrophytes decreased gradually with an
 increase in degradation severity, leading to replacement by xerophytes;
 (2) with the transition from healthy to degraded wetlands, hummocks became
 sparser, shorter, and broader and became merged with nearby depressions;
 water reserves in the depressions shifted from perennial to seasonal,
 until they dried out completely; (3) soil moisture content, porosity,
 hardness, and organic matter gradually decreased by 30.61%, 19.06%,
 37.04%, and 73.27%, respectively, in hummocks and by 33.25%, 8.19%,
 47.72%, and 76.79%, respectively, in depressions. Soil bulk density, soil
 electrical conductivity, and soil dry weight increased by 31%, 83.33%, and
 105.44%, respectively, in hummocks, but by only 11.93%, 7.14%, and 97.72%,
 respectively, in depressions. The results show that hummock soils in
 healthy wetlands have strong water absorption properties, through which
 plant roots can penetrate easily. Wetland degradation reduces the water
 absorption capacity of hummock soil and soil saturation capacity of
 depressions, thus enhancing soil erosion potential and susceptibility to
 external factors. Soil moisture is a key environmental factor influencing
 wetland degradation, and grazing accelerates the process. Based on the
 changes observed in hummock morphology, vegetation, and soil properties
 along a degradation gradient, a conceptual model is proposed to illustrate
 the process of gradual degradation of marshy wetlands from healthy to
 transitional wetlands and finally to a degenerated state. Thus, our
 research provides insights into the degradation process of the alpine
 marshy wetland ecosystem in Sanjiangyuan.
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.xpnvx0kdv
title: Fire-driven behavioral response to smoke in a Mediterranean lizard

description: The evolutionary role of fire in animals has been poorly explored.
 Reptiles use sensory cues such as smell (chemoreception) to detect threats
 and flee. In Mediterranean ecosystems, fire is a threat faced by reptiles.
 We hypothesized that the Mediterranean lizard Psammodromus algirus
 recognizes the threat of fire by detecting the smoke, which triggers a
 behavioral response that enhances survival in fire-prone ecosystems. We
 predicted that lizards from fire-prone ecosystems will be more sensitive
 to fire stimulus than those from ecosystems that rarely burn. We conducted
 a terrarium experiment in which lizards from habitats with contrasted fire
 regimes (fire-prone vs. non-fire-prone) were exposed to smoke vs. control
 (false smoke) treatment. We found that in populations from fire-prone
 habitats, more lizards reacted to smoke, and their behavioral response was
 more intense than in lizard populations from non-fire-prone habitats. Our
 results suggest that an enhanced response to smoke may be adaptive in
 lizards from fire-prone ecosystems as it increases the chance for
 survival. We provide evidence that fire is likely an evolutionary driver
 shaping behavioral traits in lizard populations exposed to frequent
 wildfires. Understanding ecological and evolutionary processes shaping
 animal populations is relevant for species conservation in a changing fire
 regime world.
description: This dataset is composed of lizards' individual data:
 individual code, sex, age, SVL (in cm) and mass (in grams);
 location's data: name of sampling location, burned cumulative area in
 a 10 km radius (in hectares), fire regime category (habitat), fire
 experience (only for adult lizards inhabiting recently burned areas and
 adjacent areas) and data about experiment trials: order of treatment
 application, treatment (control or smoke) and activity in seconds one
 minute after the treatment application (post_activity_s) and
 before (pre_activity_s).
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.bnzs7h49h
title: Traumatic mating increases anchorage of mating male and reduces female remating duration and fecundity in a scorpionfly species

description: Traumatic mating is the male wounding his mate during mating using
 specialized anatomy. However, why males have evolved to injure their mates
 during mating remains poorly understood. We studied the traumatic mating
 and copulatory wounding of the mate’s genitalia by the male in the
 scorpionfly Dicerapanorpa magna to determine its effects on male and
 female fitness. The results showed that the sharp teeth on the male
 gonostyli penetrate the female genitalia and cause copulatory wounds, and
 the size of the area of the wounds on the female genitals is positively
 related to the number of times females mated. When the injurious teeth
 were encased with low-temperature wax, preventing their penetration of the
 female’s genitalia during mating, male mating success and copulation
 duration were reduced significantly, indicating the importance of the
 teeth in allowing the male to secure copulation, remain in copula and
 effectively inseminate his mate. The remating experiments showed that the
 traumatic mating had little effect on the female mating refractory period
 (time between matings), but significantly reduced the female remating
 duration with subsequent males. The reduction of the female remating
 duration likely benefits the first-mating male as he has a longer
 copulation duration, and thereby transfers more sperm into the female’s
 spermatheca. The copulatory wounds reduced female fecundity, but did not
 accelerate the timing of egg deposition by the female. This is likely the
 first report that traumatic mating can reduce the female remating duration
 through successive remating experiments in animals. Overall, our results
 provide evidence that traumatic mating in the scorpionfly helps increase
 the male’s anchoring control during mating and provides him advantage in
 sperm competition, but at the expense in lowering female fecundity.
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.ttdz08kx6
title: No evidence for incipient speciation by selfing in North American Arabidopsis lyrata

description: Self-fertilization inherently restricts gene flow by reducing the fraction
 of offspring that can be produced by inter-population matings. Therefore,
 mating system transitions from outcrossing to selfing could result in
 reproductive isolation between selfing and outcrossing lineages and
 provide a starting point for speciation. In newly diverged lineages, for
 example after a transition to selfing, further reproductive isolation can
 be caused by a variety of prezygotic and postzygotic mechanisms that
 operate before, during, and after pollination. In animals, prezygotic
 barriers tend to evolve faster than postzygotic ones. This is not
 necessarily the case for plants, for which the relative importance of
 post-mating, post-fertilization, and early acting post-zygotic barriers
 has been investigated far less. To test whether post-pollination isolation
 exists between populations of North American Arabidopsis lyrata that
 differ in breeding (self-incompatible versus self-compatible) and mating
 system (outcrossing versus selfing), we compared patterns of seed set
 after crosses made within populations, between populations of the same
 mating system, and between populations with different mating systems. We
 found no evidence for post-pollination isolation between plants from
 selfing populations (self-compatible, low outcrossing rates) and
 outcrossing populations (self-incompatible, high outcrossing rates) via
 either prezygotic or early-acting postzygotic mechanisms. Together with
 the results of other studies indicating the absence of reproductive
 barriers acting before and during pollination, we conclude that the
 transition to selfing in this study system has not led to the formation of
 reproductive barriers between selfing and outcrossing populations of North
 American A. lyrata.
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.bg79cnp9g
title: Proximity to crop relatives determines patterns of natural selection in a wild sunflower

description: Abiotic and biotic heterogeneity result in divergent patterns of natural
 selection in nature, with important consequences for fundamental
 evolutionary processes including local adaptation, speciation and
 diversification. However, increasing amounts of the global terrestrial
 surface are homogenized by agriculture (which covers nearly 50% of
 terrestrial vegetated land surface) and other anthropogenic activities.
 Agricultural intensification leads to highly simplified biotic communities
 for many taxa, which may alter natural selection through biotic selective
 agents. In particular, the presence of crops may alter selection on traits
 of closely related wild relatives via shared mutualists and antagonists
 such as pollinators and herbivores. We asked how the presence of crop
 sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) alters natural selection on reproductive
 traits of wild sunflowers (H. a. texanus). Across two years and multiple
 sites, we planted replicated paired populations of wild H. a. texanus
 bordering sunflower crop fields vs. approximately 2.5 km away. We measured
 fitness, floral traits, and interactions of the plants with insect
 pollinators and seed predators. We found limited evidence that proximity
 to crop sunflowers altered selection on individual traits, as total or
 direct selection differed by proximity for only three of eleven traits:
 ray length (a marginally significant effect), Isophrictis (Gelechiidae,
 moth) attack, and Neolasioptera (Cecidomyiidae, midge) attack. Direct (but
 not total) selection was significantly more heterogenous far from crop
 sunflowers relative to near crop sunflowers. Both mutualist pollinators
 and antagonist seed predators mediated differences in selection in some
 population-pairs near versus far from crop sunflowers. Here we demonstrate
 that agriculture can influence the evolution of wild species via altered
 selection arising from shared biotic interactions, complementing
 previously demonstrated evolutionary effects via hybridization.
description: Data were collected between 2010 and 2011 from five experimental
 sites of planted <em>Helianthus annuus</em> ssp.
 <em>texanus </em>across Texas. Raw trait data on floral,
 inflorescence, and whole-plant traits were compiled.
description: Please refer to ReadMe files for notes on usage.
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.jsxksn08d
title: A highly conserved ontogenetic limb allometry and its evolutionary significance in the adaptive radiation of Anolis lizards

description: A key characteristic of adaptive radiations is the diversification into
 ecologically specialized morphologies. However, comparative morphology
 indicates that diversifications often proceed along narrow, and
 phylogenetically highly conserved, evolutionary trajectories. These
 patterns of covariation between characters arise in ontogeny, raising the
 possibility that adaptive morphologies might be biased towards trait
 covariation that resemble growth trajectories. Anolis lizards are an
 excellent system to test this prediction since they have repeatedly
 evolved highly specialized locomotor morphologies. Here, we investigate
 the covariation of embryonic growth of 13 fore- and hindlimb bones in 15
 species, and compare these to the evolutionary covariation of these limb
 bones across 267 species of the entire Anolis clade. Our results
 demonstrate that species differences in relative limb length are
 established already at the time of hatching, and are the result of
 differential growth as well as differential sizes of cartilaginous
 anlagen. Multivariate analysis of limb bones revealed that Antillean
 Anolis share a common allometric pattern that is characterized by positive
 allometric growth of the long bones relative to metapodial and phalangeal
 bones. This major axis of ontogenetic allometry in limb bones deviated
 from the major axis of evolutionary allometry of the Antillean Anolis, and
 was equally disparate to the evolutionary allometries of the two clades of
 mainland Anolis lizards. These results demonstrate that the remarkable
 diversification of locomotor specialists in Anolis lizards are accessible
 through changes that are largely independent from ontogenetic growth
 trajectories, and therefore likely the result of genetic modifications
 that manifest at the earliest stages of limb development.
description: See details in manuscript.
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.cvdncjt3k
title: Provision of high meat content food and object play reduce predation of wild animals by domestic cats Felis catus

description: Predation by domestic cats Felis catus can be a threat
 to biodiversity conservation,​ but its mitigation is
 controversial.​​ Confinement and collar-mounted devices can
 impede cat hunting success and reduce numbers of animals
 killed,​ but some owners do not wish to inhibit what they see as
 natural behavior, perceive safety risks associated with collars, or are
 concerned about device loss and ineffectiveness.​ In a controlled
 and replicated trial, we tested novel, non-invasive interventions that aim
 to make positive contributions to cat husbandry, alongside existing
 devices that impede hunting. Households where a high -meat -protein,
 grain-free food was provided, and households where
 5–10 min of daily object play was introduced, recorded
 decreases of 36% and 25%, respectively, in numbers of animals captured and
 brought home by cats, relative to controls and the pre-treatment period.
 Introduction of puzzle feeders increased numbers by 33%. Fitting
 Birdsbesafe collar covers reduced the numbers of birds captured and
 brought home by 42% but had no discernible effect on mammals. Cat bells
 had no discernible effect. Reductions in predation can be made by
 non-invasive, positive contributions to cat nutrition and behavior that
 reduce their tendency to hunt rather than impede their hunting. These
 measures are likely to find support among cat owners who are concerned
 about the welfare implications of other interventions.
description: Controlled, replicated trial of interventions to reduce
 depredation of wildlife by domestic cats.
description: See Readme.txt and R markdown files. The data
 submission should allow for the repetition of the analysis in the paper.
 In case of any queries, or further data requests, the lead contact for the
 paper is Robbie McDonald r.mcdonald@exeter.ac.uk
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.1ns1rn8ss
title: Cross-reactivity of antibody responses to Borrelia afzelii OspC

description: The tick-transmitted bacterium Borrelia afzelii consists of a number of
 antigenically different strains ¾ often defined by outer surface protein C
 (OspC) genotype ¾ that coexist at stable frequencies in host populations.
 To investigate how host antibody responses affect strain coexistence, we
 measured antibody cross-reactivity to three different OspC types (OspC 2,
 3 and 9) in three different strains of laboratory mice (BALB/c, C3H and
 C57BL/6). The extent of cross-reactivity differed between mouse strains,
 being higher in C3H than BALB/c and C57BL/6. In one of three pairwise
 comparisons of OspC types (OspC2 vs OspC9), there was evidence for
 asymmetry of cross-reactivity, with antibodies to OspC2 cross-reacting
 more strongly with OspC9 than vice versa. These results indicate that the
 extent of antibody-mediated competition between OspC types may depend on
 the composition of the host population, and that such competition may be
 asymmetric. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding
 the coexistence of OspC types.
description: ELISA-based analyses of antibody responses to rOspC in lab
 mice.
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.h44j0zpj9
title: Data from: Intraspecific variation in incubation behaviors along a latitudinal gradient is driven by nest microclimate and selection on neonate quality

description: The strategies by which animals allocate reproductive effort across their
 lifetimes vary, and the causes of variation in those strategies are
 actively debated. In birds, most research has focused heavily on variation
 in clutch size and fecundity, but incubation behavior and other
 functionally related traits have received less attention. Variation in
 incubation period duration is notable because time-dependent sources of
 clutch mortality should impose strong directional selection to minimize
 the incubation period. However, life-history theory predicts multiple
 mechanisms by which inter- and intraspecific variation in incubation
 behaviors may be adaptive. We conducted one of the first studies of
 intraspecific latitudinal variation in avian incubation behaviors across a
 large portion of a single species’ range. We used motion-activated nest
 cameras inside Burrowing Owl nests at 5 study sites to quantify variation
 in daily nest attentiveness, cumulative nest attendance, and incubation
 period duration. We tested predictions of two alternative hypotheses that
 have been proposed to explain variation in incubation periods: the
 parental risk tolerance hypothesis and the neonate quality hypothesis.
 Daily nest attentiveness, cumulative nest attendance, and incubation
 period duration in Burrowing Owls were all positively correlated with
 latitude, and these geographic patterns reflected predicted life-history
 trade-offs. Burrowing Owls reduced their daily nest attentiveness at low
 latitudes and on days when the average nest temperature was within the
 range that is optimal for embryo development. Further, longer incubation
 periods were most strongly associated with greater cumulative nest
 attendance instead of reduced daily nest attentiveness. These results
 support predictions of the neonate quality hypothesis: longer incubation
 periods result from stronger selection on neonate quality rather than
 selection to reduce reproductive effort in response to low extrinsic
 mortality risk. However, some owls facultatively reduced their daily nest
 attentiveness, and this result supports the general hypothesis that
 incubation decisions reflect a trade-off between reproduction and
 self-maintenance, and that the optimal solution to that trade-off varies
 systematically in response to latitudinal gradients in adult mortality.
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.fbg79cntb
title: List of papers reviewed to uncover trends in the use of model systems in infectious disease ecology & evolutionary biology

description: Ever since biologists began studying the ecology and evolution of
 infectious diseases (EEID), laboratory-based ‘model systems’ have been
 important for developing and testing theory. Yet what EEID researchers
 mean by ‘model systems’ and what they want from them is unclear. This
 uncertainty hinders our ability to maximally exploit these systems,
 identify knowledge gaps, and establish effective new model systems. Here,
 we borrow a definition of model systems from the biomolecular sciences to
 assess how EEID researchers are (and are not) using ten key model systems.
 According to this definition, model systems in EEID are not being used to
 their fullest and, in fact, cannot even be considered to be model systems.
 Research using these systems consistently addresses only two of the three
 fundamental processes that underlie disease dynamics—transmission and
 disease, but not recovery. Further, studies tend to focus on only a few
 scales of biological organization that matter for disease ecology and
 evolution. Moreover, the field lacks an infrastructure to perform
 comparative analyses. We aim to begin a discussion of what we want from
 model systems, which would further progress toward a thorough, holistic
 understanding of EEID.
description: See methods section of the paper for details of literature search
 terms and selection criteria.
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.2rbnzs7ms
title: Sex differences in the plasticity of life history in response to social environment

description: Predicting how social environment affects life history variation is
 critical to understanding if, and when, selection favors alternative life
 history development, especially in systems in which social interactions
 change over time or space. While sexual selection theory predicts that
 males and females should respond differently to variation in the social
 environment, few studies have examined the responses of both male and
 female phenotypes to the same gradient of social environment. In this
 study, we used a livebearing fish to determine how males and females
 altered their life histories in response to variation in social
 environment during development. We found that both males and females
 delayed maturity and attained larger sizes when their social environment
 included adults, in contrast to developing in juvenile-only environments.
 The magnitude of this effect differed substantially between the sexes. The
 common pattern of response in the sexes suggested that life history
 tradeoffs rather than sexual selection, is responsible for these changes
 in life-history expression. These effects make the relationship between
 genotype and phenotype depend strongly on the environment experienced by
 each individual. These results indicate that social environment is an
 important driver of life history variation in sailfin mollies and can be
 at least as important as abiotic effects.
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.wdbrv15nc
title: Data from: A Silurian ophiuroid with soft tissue preservation

description: Palaeozoic brittle stars are not equipped with the fused arm ossicles
 (vertebrae) that facilitate the remarkable mode of walking that
 characterizes living forms. Here we describe a stem ophiuroid from the
 Herefordshire Lagerstätte (Silurian, Wenlock Series) which is remarkable
 in preserving the body cavity uncompacted and long tube feet which lack
 suckers. We tentatively assign the specimen to Protaster. The morphology
 of the arms and attitude of the specimen suggest that locomotion was
 achieved by arm propulsion combined with podial walking. The ophiuroid was
 also capable of different types of feeding strategies. This protasterid
 ophiuroid increases the diversity of echinoderm higher taxa with preserved
 soft parts represented in the Herefordshire Lagerstätte.
description: Physical-optical tomography at 20-micron intervals;
 reconstruction as isosurface following virtual preparation in SPIERS
 (www.spiers-software.org).
description: Model provided in VAXML/STL format - see www.spiers-software.org
 for a free VAXML viewer, and details of this open file format.
 Raw tomographic images provided in .bmp format, at 88.5 pixels/mm
 resolution.