Biology subjects

Hiadlovska, Z.

Publications and source records attributed to Hiadlovska, Z..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

High predation risk decimates survival duringthe reproduction season

O_LIPredators attack conspicuous prey phenotypes that are present in the environment. Male display behaviour of conspicuous nuptial colouration becomes risky in the presence of a predator, and adult males face higher predation risk. High predation risk in one sex will lead to low survival and sex ratio bias in adult cohorts, unless the increased predation risk is compensated by higher escape rate. C_LIO_LIHere, we tested the hypothesis that sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) have sex-specific predation risk and escape rate. We expected the differences to manifest in changes in sex ratio with age, differences in frequency of tail autotomy, and in sex-specific survival rate. C_LIO_LIWe developed a statistical model to estimate predation risk and escape rate, combining the observed sex ratio and frequency of tail autotomy with likelihood-based survival rate. Using Bayesian framework, we estimated the model parameters. We projected the date of the tail autotomy events from growth rates derived from capturerecapture data measurements. C_LIO_LIWe found statistically stable sex ratio in age groups, equal frequency of tail regenerates between sexes, and similar survival rate. Predation risk is similar between sexes, and escape rate increases survival by about 5%. We found low survival rate and a low number of tail autotomy events in females during months when sand lizards mate and lay eggs, indicating high predator pressure throughout reproduction. Our data show that gravid females fail to escape predation. C_LIO_LIThe risks of reproduction season in an ectotherm are a convolution of morphological changes (conspicuous colouration in males, body allometry changes in gravid females), behaviour (nuptial displays), and environmental conditions which challenge lizard thermal performance. Performance of endotherm predators in cold spring months endangers gravid females more than displaying males in bright nuptial colouration. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Copy number variation of the putative speciation genes in the European house mouse hybrid zone

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWHybrid zones have long been described as "windows on the evolutionary process", and studying them has become even more important since the advance in the genome analysis tools. The hybrid zone between two subspecies of the house mouse (Mus musculus musculus and Mus m. domesticus) is a unique model speciation system to study fine scale interactions of recently diverged genomes. Here, we explore the role of gene Copy Number Variation in shaping the barrier to introgression in the hybrid zone within a previously established transect in Central Europe. The CNV of seven pre-selected candidate genes was determined via droplet-digital PCR and analyzed in the context of ~500k SNPs, with the ancestral population (i.e. musculus or domesticus) of every SNP allele previously inferred in the admixed individuals (Baird et al., in prep.). The copy numbers of five genes were clearly associated with the prevalence of either musculus or domesticus genomes across the hybrid zone. In three cases, the highest and/or outlying levels of association were observed at or very close to the annotated positions of the respective gene amplicons, demonstrating the power of our approach in confirming the reference locations of copy number variants. Notably, several other reference locations were recognized as positive outliers in the association with particular CNV genes, possibly representing the extra gene copies and/or their epistatic interaction sites.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Quantifying colour difference in animals with variable patterning

Colour pattern influences behaviour and modifies survival of organisms through perception of light reflectance. Spectrophotometric methods used to study colour navigate between precision and accuracy of reflectance across wavelengths, while photographic methods are generally used to assess the complexity of colour patterns. Here, we compare how colours characterised using point measurements (simulating spectrophotometry) on the skin of a sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) differ from colours estimated by clustering pixels in a photograph of the lizards body. We found that point measurements adequately represented the dominant colour of the lizard; however, where colour patterning influenced measurement geometry, image analysis outper-formed point measurement as regards stability between technical replicates on the same animal. The greater colour variation established from point measurements increased further under controlled laboratory illumination. Both methods revealed lateral colour asymmetry in sand lizards. We conclude that studies assessing the impact of colour on animal ecology and behaviour should utilise hyperspectral imaging, followed by image analysis that encompasses the whole colour pattern.

ecology↗