The SORTEE Guidelines for Data and Code Quality Control in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

The fiddler crab, Uca beebei, lives in individually defended burrows, in mixed-sex colonies on intertidal mud flats. Avian predation is common, especially of crabs unable to escape into burrows. Mating pairs form in two ways. Females either mate on the surface at their burrow entrance ('surface mating') or leave their own burrow and sequentially enter and leave ('sample') courting males' burrows, before staying in one to mate underground ('burrow mating'). We tested whether perceived predation risk affects the relative frequency of these mating modes. We first observed mating under natural levels of predation during one biweekly, semi-lunar cycle. We then experimentally increased the perceived predation risk by attracting grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) to each half of the study site in two successive biweekly cycles. In each experimental cycle, crabs were significantly less likely to mate on the side with more birds. Moreover, on the side with elevated predation risk, the number of females leaving burrows to sample was greatly reduced relative to the number of females that surface-mated. Males waved less and built fewer mud pillars, which attract females, when birds were present. We discuss several plausible proximate explanations for these results and the effect of changes in predation regime on sexual selection.

The current economics of scientific publishing reveal a profound imbalance: academia pays prices far exceeding the actual costs of publication. Rather than supporting research, much of this expenditure sustains the profits of a few dominant commercial publishers. Transitioning to responsible publishing is a collective challenge that requires raising awareness among scientists about the problem and the solutions available. We present DAFNEE, a database of academia-friendly journals in ecology, evolutionary biology and archaeology (https://dafnee.isem-evolution.fr/). DAFNEE includes information on over 600 journals (co)run by academic or non-profit institutions, aiming at helping to keep publishing funds within the academic community. The database details these journal's business models, article processing charges, citation rates and partnerships. We show that DAFNEE journals compare favourably to non-DAFNEE ones in terms of editorial and financial policy, while offering similar citation rates. Finally, we offer several recommendations aimed at encouraging authors, reviewers, and evaluators to adopt more responsible publishing practices.

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Previous work (Reynolds and Gross 1992) has demonstrated that mate choice enables female guppies, Poecilia reticulata , to obtain heritable benefits (‘good genes’) for their offspring. It is not yet known whether males also signal their functional fertility, that is, their viability as fathers, to female guppies. Our study tested the hypothesis that a male9s behaviour reveals characteristics of his ejaculate. We uncovered a strong correlation between display rate and sperm number in male guppies derived from two wild Trinidadian populations. This result indicates that information on the functional fertility of potential mates is available to females. However, our investigation also found a significant relationship between the frequency of sneaky mating and sperm number. Female guppies in wild populations, particularly those experiencing a high predation regime, are constantly subjected to sneaky mating attempts. As the males responsible for these sneaky matings have highest reserves of sperm they may have the capacity to undermine female choice. The implications of these findings for sperm competition are discussed.

A new Editor team.

Evolutionary Applications Summer 2011

Restricted accessMoreSectionsView PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail Cite this article Hughes R. N. and Taylor M. J. 1997Genotype–environment interaction expressed in the foraging behaviour of dogwhelks, Nucella lapillus (L.), under simulated environmental hazardProc. R. Soc. Lond. B.264417–422http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1997.0059SectionRestricted accessGenotype–environment interaction expressed in the foraging behaviour of dogwhelks, Nucella lapillus (L.), under simulated environmental hazard R. N. Hughes R. N. Hughes Ecology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author and M. J. Taylor M. J. Taylor Ecology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author R. N. Hughes R. N. Hughes Ecology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author and M. J. Taylor M. J. Taylor Ecology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author Published:22 March 1997https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1997.0059AbstractThe foraging behaviour of sub–adult Nucella lapillus originating from different field populations, was monitored for ten alternating, biweekly, periods of calm and wave action simulated in a tidal aquarium. Because the dogwhelks were reared under standard laboratory conditions, any behavioural differences among the experimental populations could reasonably be inferred to be linked to some genetically based mechanism. In order to forage, the dogwhelks had to leave a refugium, traverse empty ‘habitat’ and enter a patch of mussels serving as prey. Wave action markedly depressed foraging activity, increased foraging latency and lowered the patch–residence–time index. Dogwhelks derived from populations naturally occurring on shores exposed to wave action reduced their foraging activity less strongly than those derived from sheltered–shore populations, but geographical origin (Plymouth or Anglesey) had no significant influence on foraging behaviour. A simple interpretation was offered, linking the differential behavioural response to habitat–specific shell morphology, known to be heritable. According to this interpretation, all dogwhelks react similarly to the drag forces generated by wave action, but the relatively shorter–spired shells of exposed–shore dogwhelks cause weaker resultant forces than the taller–spired shells of sheltered–shore individuals. Consequently, exposed–shore dogwhelks tolerate higher levels of wave action than sheltered–shore morphs before suppressing their foraging behaviour. As exposed–shore dogwhelks have greater tenacity associated with relatively larger pedal area, the increased tolerance of wave action extends opportunities for foraging without incurring extra risk of dislodgement. The sheltered–shore morphology, which imparts greater resistance to desiccation, coincidentally increases drag and so makes dogwhelks more likely to seek refuge during occasional periods of heavy wave action. Exposed– and sheltered–shore morphologies therefore represent genotype/environment interaction that is apparently adaptive, in part, through its effect on foraging behaviour. <br> Previous ArticleNext Article VIEW FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD PDF FiguresRelatedReferencesDetailsCited by Adams H and Freeman A (2017) Local Variation in Egg-Capsule Size in New England Populations of Nucella lapillus (Atlantic Dogwhelk) , Northeastern Naturalist, 10.1656/045.024.0307, 24:3, (289-299), Online publication date: 1-Sep-2017. Sanford E and Kelly M (2011) Local Adaptation in Marine Invertebrates, Annual Review of Marine Science, 10.1146/annurev-marine-120709-142756, 3:1, (509-535), Online publication date: 15-Jan-2011. Freeman A and Hamer C (2009) The persistent effect of wave exposure on TMIIs and crab predation in Nucella lapillus, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 10.1016/j.jembe.2009.02.002, 372:1-2, (58-63), Online publication date: 1-Apr-2009. Cressman R and Garay J (2009) A predator–prey refuge system: Evolutionary stability in ecological systems, Theoretical Population Biology, 10.1016/j.tpb.2009.08.005, 76:4, (248-257), Online publication date: 1-Dec-2009. LANCASTER L, HAZARD L, CLOBERT J and SINERVO B (2008) Corticosterone manipulation reveals differences in hierarchical organization of multidimensional reproductive trade-offs in r-strategist and K-strategist females, Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2007.01478.x, 21:2, (556-565), Online publication date: 1-Mar-2008. Sherman C and Ayre D (2008) FINE-SCALE ADAPTATION IN A CLONAL SEA ANEMONE, Evolution, 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00375.x, 62:6, (1373-1380), Online publication date: 1-Jun-2008. Lau D and Leung K (2004) Feeding physiology of the carnivorous gastropod Thais clavigera (Kuster): do they eat “soup”?, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 10.1016/j.jembe.2004.06.002, 312:1, (43-66), Online publication date: 1-Nov-2004. ROVERO F, HUGHES R and CHELAZZI G (1999) Effect of experience on predatory behaviour of dogwhelks, Animal Behaviour, 10.1006/anbe.1999.1102, 57:6, (1241-1249), Online publication date: 1-Jun-1999. Pascoal S, Carvalho G, Creer S, Rock J, Kawaii K, Mendo S, Hughes R and Goldstien S (2012) Plastic and Heritable Components of Phenotypic Variation in Nucella lapillus: An Assessment Using Reciprocal Transplant and Common Garden Experiments, PLoS ONE, 10.1371/journal.pone.0030289, 7:1, (e30289) This Issue22 March 1997Volume 264Issue 1380 Article InformationDOI:https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1997.0059Published by:Royal SocietyPrint ISSN:0962-8452Online ISSN:1471-2954History: Published online22/03/1997Published in print22/03/1997 License: Citations and impact Large datasets are available through Proceedings B's partnership with Dryad

Understanding the selective pressures shaping the number of offspring per breeding event is a key area in the study of life-history strategies. However, in species with parental care, costs incurred in offspring production, rather than rearing, have been largely ignored in both theoretical and empirical studies until relatively recently. Furthermore, the few experimental studies that have manipulated production costs have not yet teased apart effects that operate via the parental phenotype from effects on the quality of the resulting young. To examine whether increased egg production influences parental brood rearing capacity independently of effects operating via egg quality, we experimentally increased egg production in gulls and then examined their capacity to rear a control clutch. We found that the capacity of parents to rear the control brood was substantially reduced solely as a consequence of having themselves produced one extra egg. The paradox that, in many species, parents apparently aim for fewer young per breeding event than the experimentally and theoretically demonstrated optimum, has partly arisen from the failure to take into account the constraints imposed by production costs.

Indirect Mutualism: Variations on a Theme by Stephen Levine

In a growing digital landscape, enhancing the discoverability and resonance of scientific articles is essential. Here, we offer 10 recommendations to amplify the discoverability of studies in search engines and databases. Particularly, we argue that the strategic use and placement of key terms in the title, abstract and keyword sections can boost indexing and appeal. By surveying 230 journals in ecology and evolutionary biology, we found that current author guidelines may unintentionally limit article findability. Our survey of 5323 studies revealed that authors frequently exhaust abstract word limits-particularly those capped under 250 words. This suggests that current guidelines may be overly restrictive and not optimized to increase the dissemination and discoverability of digital publications. Additionally, 92% of studies used redundant keywords in the title or abstract, undermining optimal indexing in databases. We encourage adopting structured abstracts to maximize the incorporation of key terms in titles, abstracts and keywords. In addition, we encourage the relaxation of abstract and keyword limitations in journals with strict guidelines, and the inclusion of multilingual abstracts to broaden global accessibility. These recommendations to editors are designed to improve article engagement and facilitate evidence synthesis, thereby aligning scientific publishing with the modern needs of academic research.

Reproduction is costly and individual decisions about when and how much to invest in reproduction will relate to potential benefits in terms of offspring survivorship or mating success. For those organisms that can reproduce more than once, individuals should invest relatively more in reproduction when the potential benefits are high. If females gain directly or indirectly from choosing attractive, highly ornamented males, then it could be predicted that females mated to these males should invest more in reproduction. Here we report the first test of this prediction for a lekking species, peafowl (Pavo cristatus), in which males do not provide resources for offspring, and females prefer to mate with those males that possess the most elaborate trains. We find that peahens randomly mated to males that vary in the degree of ornament produce more eggs for those peacocks with more elaborate trains. We could find no evidence to support the possibility that this difference arises as a result of difference between males in their ability to fertilize eggs.

Previous articleNext article No AccessNotes and CommentsEgg Size Distributions Among Closely Related Marine Invertebrate Species: Are They Bimodal or Unimodal?Frank E. Perron, and Robert H. CarrierFrank E. Perron Search for more articles by this author , and Robert H. Carrier Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The American Naturalist Volume 118, Number 5Nov., 1981 Published for The American Society of Naturalists Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/283865 Views: 6Total views on this site Citations: 23Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1981 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Ovidio García-Oliva, Florian M Hantzsche, Maarten Boersma, Kai W Wirtz, Lisa Campbell Phytoplankton and particle size spectra indicate intense mixotrophic dinoflagellates grazing from summer to winter, Journal of Plankton Research 44, no.22 (Mar 2022): 224–240.https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbac013Alexander D. Meyer, Alan Hastings, John L. Largier Larvae of coastal marine invertebrates enhance their settling success or benefits of planktonic development – but not both – through vertical swimming, Oikos 130, no.1212 (Nov 2021): 2260–2278.https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.08585Elena K. Kupriyanova, Dmitry Yu. Mikhin Do fecundity-time models really predict extreme optimal egg sizes?, Marine Ecology 36, no.44 (Sep 2014): 873–886.https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12193Elena K. Kupriyanova What do egg size distributions in marine invertebrates tell us about validity of fecundity-time models?, Marine Ecology 35, no.22 (Aug 2013): 249–253.https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12064JS McAlister, AL Moran Effects of variation in egg energy and exogenous food on larval development in congeneric sea urchins, Marine Ecology Progress Series 490 (Sep 2013): 155–167.https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10420S. J. Kamel, F. X. Oyarzun, R. K. Grosberg Reproductive Biology, Family Conflict, and Size of Offspring in Marine Invertebrates, Integrative and Comparative Biology 50, no.44 (Aug 2010): 619–629.https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icq104Phoebe A. Cohen, Andrew H. Knoll, Robin B. Kodner Large spinose microfossils in Ediacaran rocks as resting stages of early animals, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106, no.1616 (Apr 2009): 6519–6524.https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0902322106 Marissa L. Baskett , Joshua S. Weitz , and Simon A. Levin The Evolution of Dispersal in Reserve Networks. M. L. Baskett et al., The American Naturalist 170, no.11 (Jul 2015): 59–78.https://doi.org/10.1086/518184L. R. McEdward and K. H. Morgan Interspecific Relationships Between Egg Size and the Level of Parental Investment per Offspring in Echinoderms, The Biological Bulletin 200, no.11 (Sep 2016): 33–50.https://doi.org/10.2307/1543083M. Fernandez, C. Bock, H.-O. Portner The cost of being a caring mother: the ignored factor in the reproduction of marine invertebrates, Ecology Letters 3, no.66 (Nov 2000): 487–494.https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1461-0248.2000.00172.xM. Fernández, C. Bock, H.-O. Pörtner The cost of being a caring mother: the ignored factor in the reproduction of marine invertebrates, Ecology Letters 3, no.66 (Jul 2008): 487–494.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2000.00172.x Larry R. McEdward Reproductive Strategies of Marine Benthic Invertebrates Revisited: Facultative Feeding by Planktotrophic Larvae McEdward, The American Naturalist 150, no.11 (Jul 2015): 48–72.https://doi.org/10.1086/286056 H. A. Lessios Adaptation and Phylogeny as Determinants of Egg Size in Echinoderms from the Two Sides of the Isthmus of Panama, The American Naturalist 135, no.11 (Oct 2015): 1–13.https://doi.org/10.1086/285028Andrew Clarke, Janet H. Brown, Lesley J. Holmes The biochemical composition of eggs from Macrobrachium rosenbergii in relation to embryonic development, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Comparative Biochemistry 96, no.33 (Jan 1990): 505–511.https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-0491(90)90048-XH.A. Lessios Temporal and spatial variation in egg size of 13 Panamanian echinoids, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 114, no.2-32-3 (Jan 1988): 217–239.https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(88)90139-6Larry R. McEdward, Louise K. Coulter EGG VOLUME AND ENERGETIC CONTENT ARE NOT CORRELATED AMONG SIBLING OFFSPRING OF STARFISH: IMPLICATIONS FOR LIFE-HISTORY THEORY, Evolution 41, no.44 (May 2017): 914–917.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1987.tb05865.xA. Clarke, A. Skadsheim, L. J. Holmes Lipid biochemistry and reproductive biology in two species of Gammaridae (Crustacea: Amphipoda), Marine Biology 88, no.33 (Sep 1985): 247–263.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392587Chet Chaffee, Richard R. Strathmann Constraints on egg masses. I. Retarded development within thick egg masses, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 84, no.11 (Jan 1984): 73–83.https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(84)90231-4Francesco Angelini, Gianfranco Ghiara Reproductive modes and strategies in vertebrate evolution, Bolletino di zoologia 51, no.1-21-2 (Sep 2009): 121–203.https://doi.org/10.1080/11250008409439459Ib Svane Ascidian reproductive patterns related to long-term population dynamics, Sarsia 68, no.44 (Dec 2011): 249–255.https://doi.org/10.1080/00364827.1983.10420578 A. Grant On the Evolution of Brood Protection in Marine Benthic Invertebrates, The American Naturalist 122, no.44 (Oct 2015): 549–555.https://doi.org/10.1086/284155DAVID JABLONSKI, RICHARD A. LUTZ LARVAL ECOLOGY OF MARINE BENTHIC INVERTEBRATES: PALEOBIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS, Biological Reviews 58, no.11 (Feb 1983): 21–89.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.1983.tb00380.xA. H. Hines Allometric constraints and variables of reproductive effort in brachyuran crabs, Marine Biology 69, no.33 (Jan 1982): 309–320.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00397496

Public science is critical to the economy and to society. However, much of the beneficial impact of scientific research only occurs when scientific knowledge is disseminated broadly and is used by others. This thesis examines the emerging policy, law, and practice of facilitating open access to scientific research data. One particular focus is to examine the open data policies recently introduced by research funders and publishers, and the potential in these for driving the practice of open scientific data into the future. This thesis identifies five major stumbling blocks to sustainable open scientific data. Firstly, the prevailing ‘mindset’ that facilitating open access to data is analogous to facilitating open access to publications and, therefore, research data can easily be shared, with research funders and librarians effectively leading the process. Secondly, the unclear meaning of the term ‘data’, which causes confusion among stakeholders. Thirdly, ‘misunderstood incentives’ for data sharing and the additional inputs required from researchers. Fourthly, ‘data privacy’—an issue that only applies to selected research datasets, and yet appears to dominate the discussion about open research data. Finally, there is ‘copyright law’, which poses challenges at different stages of data release and reuse. In this thesis, I argue that the above problems can be addressed using a staged model for open scientific data. I draw specifically on the practice with open scientific data at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) and the practice of sharing clinical trial data to argue that open data can be shared at various stages of processing and diversification. This model is supplemented by recommendations proposing changes to existing open data mandates and the introduction of a text and data mining exemption into Australian copyright law.

Male–male competition and female mate choice act contemporaneously in the cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea and the social pheromone of males influences the outcome of both forms of sexual selection. We therefore examined the joint and separate effects of male–male competition and female mate choice to determine if the selective optima for the pheromone were the same or different. Dominant males in a newly established hierarchy mated more frequently, but not exclusively. Manipulations of the multi-component social pheromone produced by males of N. cinerea showed that both long- and close-range attraction of females by males were influenced by the quantity and composition of the pheromone. The most attractive composition, however, differed from that which was most likely to confer high status to males. Since the outcome of male–male competition can conflict with mating preferences exhibited by females, there is balancing sexual selection on the social pheromone of N. cinerea. Such balancing selection might act to maintain genetic variation in sexually selected traits. We suggest that the different forms of sexual selection conflict in N. cinerea because females prefer a blend different to that which is most effective in male–male competition in order to avoid mating with overly aggressive males.

MIC quality control guidelines for doxycycline when testing Gram-positive control strains by the reference methods