Who dares does not always win: risk-averse rockpool prawns are better at controlling a limited food resource

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier Masson via the DOI in this record.Animal ‘personality’ – the phenomenon of consistent individual differences in behaviour within populations – has been documented widely, yet its functional significance and the reasons for its persistence remain unclear. One possibility is that among-individual behavioural variation is linked to fitness-determining traits via effects on resource acquisition. In this study, we test this idea, using rockpool prawns (Palaemon elegans) to test for a correlation between ‘high-risk exploration’ and the ability to monopolise a limited resource. Modified open field trials (OFTs) confirmed that consistent among-individual (co)variation in high-risk exploratory behaviours does exist in this species, and multivariate analysis shows trait variation is consistent with a major axis of personality variation. Subsequent feeding trials in size-matched groups where competition was possible revealed a high repeatability of feeding duration, used here as a proxy for RHP (resource holding potential). We found significant negative correlations between feeding duration and two ‘risky’ behaviours, such that individuals that took fewer risks fed more. Our results are not consistent with the widely hypothesised idea of a ‘proactive syndrome’ in which bolder, risk-taking personalities are positively associated with RHP. Rather they suggest the possibility of a trade-off, with some individuals successful at monopolising limited, high-value resources, while others are more willing to engage in potentially risky exploration (which may increase the likelihood of encountering novel resource patches). We speculate that alternative strategies for acquiring limited resources might thereby contribute to the maintenance of personality variation observed in wild populationsTH and AJW were supported by a grant from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council awarded to AJW (BBSRC, grant BB/L022656/1)

Accurate detection of complex structural variations using single-molecule sequencing

Structural variations are the greatest source of genetic variation, but they remain poorly understood because of technological limitations. Single-molecule long-read sequencing has the potential to dramatically advance the field, although high error rates are a challenge with existing methods. Addressing this need, we introduce open-source methods for long-read alignment (NGMLR; https://github.com/philres/ngmlr ) and structural variant identification (Sniffles; https://github.com/fritzsedlazeck/Sniffles ) that provide unprecedented sensitivity and precision for variant detection, even in repeat-rich regions and for complex nested events that can have substantial effects on human health. In several long-read datasets, including healthy and cancerous human genomes, we discovered thousands of novel variants and categorized systematic errors in short-read approaches. NGMLR and Sniffles can automatically filter false events and operate on low-coverage data, thereby reducing the high costs that have hindered the application of long reads in clinical and research settings

Occupational skin damage and skin cancer in mountain gides

Hautkrebs ist die zweithäufigste Krebsart in Deutschland und tritt überwiegend an sonnenexponierten Hautarealen auf. Die Auswirkungen beruflicher UV-Exposition für die Entstehung von Hautkrebs waren bisher wenig untersucht. Bergführer sind aufgrund ihrer Berufsausübung im Freien durch höhenbedingte UV- Zunahme und durch UV-Reflexion intensiver UV-Strahlung ausgesetzt. 283 männliche Bergführer ( 21 – 93 Jahre, Median 41 Jahre) aus der Schweiz, Österreich und Deutschland wurden an den beruflich sonnenexponierten Arealen (Kopf, Unterarmen und Händen) dermatologisch untersucht. Als Kontrollgruppe wurden 309 männliche traumatologische Patienten beziehungsweise gesunde Männer ( 18 – 91 Jahre, Median 41 Jahre) untersucht. In der Kontrollgruppe wurden bei 23 Personen (7,44 %) 43 solare Keratosen, bei 36 Personen solare Cheilitiden (11,65 %) und bei einer Person eine Lentigo maligna diagnostiziert. Bei den Bergführern fanden sich bei 72 Personen (25 %) 432 solare Keratosen (1 – 34 pro Person), bei 149 Bergführern (53 %) eine solare Cheilitis. Bei 19 Bergführern (6,71 %) wurden Basalzellkarzinome neu diagnostiziert. Bei 3 Bergführern (1,06 %) fand sich ein Plattenepithelkarzinom. Ein Melanom (0,35 %) konnte histologisch gesichert werden, bei 10 weiteren Bergführern (3,53 %) wurde klinisch ein Melanom diagnostiziert und die Exzision dringend empfohlen. Bergführer waren hochsignifikant häufiger als Kontrollpersonen von seborrhoischem Ekzem, Herpes labialis und Verrucae vulgares betroffen. Risikofaktoren für die Entwicklung von solaren Keratosen waren Beruf, Alter, schwere Sonnenbrände im Leben, und die Hautpigmentierung. Für maligne Tumore (Basaliome, epitheliale Tumore, Melanome) stellten schwere Sonnenbrände im Leben, Sonnenbrände im letzten Jahr sowie das Rauchverhalten Risikofaktoren dar. Bei den Bergführern allein stellten Alter, kumulative Führungstage, schwere Sonnenbrände im Leben, Sonnenbrände im letzten Jahr sowie der Hautphototyp Risikofaktoren für die Entstehung von solaren Keratosen dar. Das Risiko für Basaliome und epitheliale Hauttumore hing von den kumulativen Führungstagen ab. Die vorliegende Studie weist auf einen Zusammenhang zwischen starker beruflicher UV-Expositon und hoher Prävalenz an Präkanzerosen und malignen Hauttumoren hin. Bislang wurden berufliche UV-Expositon und Hautkrebs nur in wenigen Studien untersucht. Bergführer können als Model für andere Freiluftberufe angesehen werden. Hautkrebs durch UV-Strahlung ist bisher nicht in die Berufskrankheitenliste (Anlage 1 der Berufskrankheiten- Verordnung) aufgenommen. Eine Entschädigung von beruflich erworbenem Hautkrebs wie eine Berufskrankheit ist nach § 9 Abs. 2 SGB VII (Öffnungsklausel) möglich. Nach den vorliegenden Ergebnissen wären für Hautkrebs bei entsprechender beruflicher UV-Exposition die Voraussetzungen für eine Aufnahme in die Berufskrankheitenliste und somit für die Anerkennung als Berufskrankheit im Sinne des § 9 Abs. 1 Satz 2 SGB VII gegeben.Skin cancer is the second mostcommon cancer in Germany and is situated mainly at sun exposed skin areas. Yet there have been only few study’s on the impact of occupational UV-Exposition in the development of skin cancer. Mountain guides receive considerable UV-doses due to altitude-related increase of UV-Radiation and reflection from snow and ice-covered surfaces. 283 male mountain guides (21-93 years of age, Median 41 years) from Switzerland, Austria and Germany were physically examined on the sun exposed skin areas. As a control group 309 male patients of an orthopaedic clinic or healthy man were examined. In the control group were diagnosed with 23 persons (7.44%) 43 actinic ceratoses, with 36 persons actinic cheilitides (11.65%) and with a person a Lentigo maligna. With the mountain guides 432 actinic ceratoses (1 - 34 per person), with 149 mountain guides (53%) were found with 72 persons (25%) an actinic cheilitis. With 19 mountain guides (6.71%) basal cell carcinoma were anew diagnosed. With 3 mountain guides (1.06%) a squamous cell carcinoma was found. A melanoma (0.35%) could be protected histological, with 10 other mountain guides (3.53%) a melanoma was diagnosed clinically and the Exzision was urgently recommended. Mountain guides were highly significantly more frequently concerned of seborrhoic eczema, herpes labialis and verrucae vulgares than controlling persons. Risk factors for the development of actinic ceratosis were occupation, age, heavy sunburns in life, and skin pigmentation. For malignant tumour (basal cell carcinoma, non melanoma skin cancer, melanoma) heavy sunburns in life, sunburns last year as well as the smoke behaviour showed to be risk factors. With the mountain guides age, cumulative leadership days, heavy sunburns in life, sunburns last year as well as skin photo type put only risk factors for the origin of actinic ceratosis. The risk for basal cell carcinoma and non melanoma skin cancer depended on the cumulative leadership days. The present study points to a connection between strong professional UV-Exposition and high prevalence in potential precursors to skin cancer and malignant skin tumours. Up to now occupational UV-Exposition and skin cancer were examined only in few studies. Mountain guides can be looked as a model about other open-air occupations. Cancer of the skin by ultraviolet radiation is up to now not taken up in the occupational illnesses list of the german Berufsgenossenschaft. A compensation of professionally acquired skin cancer an occupational illness is possible (§9 sentence 2 SGB VII, opening clause). After the present results the conditions for an admission in the occupational illnesses list would be given for cancer of the skin with suitable professional UV exposition. And therefore also for the recognition as an occupational illness for the purposes of §9 paragraph 1 sentence 2 SGB VII

Phylogeography and local adaptation in prickly sculpin, Cottus asper

This thesis examined historical and contemporary effects on genetic population structuring of prickly sculpin (Cottus asper) in British Columbia, Canada. A phylogeographic study was conducted, which disproved the traditional view that prickly sculpin survived the Last Glacial Maximum in only southern coastal and inland refugia, favoring allopatric divergence and giving rise to coastal and inland “prickling” phenotypes, which vary in the degree to which spine-like scales cover the body of the fish. Instead, analyses of mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite markers suggest parallel evolution of highly prickled inland populations, which presumably have evolved independently across three glacial lineages, originating from highly differentiated ancestral coastal populations. Postglacial colonization from coastal towards inland regions and associated founder effects resulted in decreased genetic diversities, which was also evident in a subsequent study on conservation genetics of a recently discovered peripheral population in the Peace River in Alberta. While no divergent “conservation designation unit” was detected in the Peace River, a for freshswater sculpins unusual high genetic connectivity over large geographic scales was found, which could reflect high dispersal capacities of an extended, planktonic larval stage that might have been at least partially retained from an amphidromous life cycle of the putative ancestral coastal populations. While such assumptions on life history characteristics of inland populations remain speculative, the divergence between coastal, amphidromous and inland, purely freshwater life cycles is young (< 14,000 years), and may be in an early, incomplete stage of a life history transition. To better understand life history transitions from amphidromous to freshwater life cycles in C. asper, a population genetics study was conducted in the Lower Fraser River system, which identified sympatric life history ecotypes represented by amphidromous sculpins in the river main channel, and genetically differentiated freshwater sculpins in the river tributaries. These results indicate that that isolation-by-environment to discrete freshwater habitats could play a role for the early stage of amphidromy-freshwater transitions, which may be further favored by the presence of large tributary streams and lakes allowing for large effective population sizes

M (2008) Effects of social structure on the behaviour and performance of alternative reproductive phenotypes in male rock shrimp, Rhynchocinetes typus. Ethology 114: 327–339. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01464.x Diaz ER, Thiel M (2003) Female rock shrimp

Abstract Males that adopt alternative mating tactics within a conditional strategy often undergo costly morphological changes when switching to the next phenotype during ontogeny. Whether costs of changing to a subsequent reproductive phenotype are outweighed by a higher mating probability may depend on the frequencies of different phenotypes in a group of competitors. Benefits and costs associated with different phenotype frequencies depend on interactions within and between alternative phenotypes, but the underlying behavioural mechanisms have rarely been studied. Herein, we used the rock shrimp Rhynchocinetes typus as a model: ontogenetic male stages of this species differ in morphological and behavioural traits that indicate alternative reproductive phenotypes. The small, subordinate, male stage (typus) develops via several intermediate stages (intermedius) to the dominant male stage (robustus): in competitive interactions the typus males usually employ the sneaking tactic, while the robustus males invariably employ the monopolizing fighter tactic. In laboratory experiments, we manipulated phenotype frequencies to examine whether there are frequency-dependent effects on searching behaviour, aggressiveness and mating probability. With increasing frequency of robustus males, the rate of aggressive interactions among them increased. Furthermore, robustus males increased walking velocity when more than one robustus male was present. In contrast, typus males did not adjust their searching or aggressive behaviour. The increase of aggressive interactions among robustus males provided more opportunities for typus males to seize a temporarily unguarded female. While typus males exploit fights among robustus males that produce mating opportunities for them, robustus males benefit from typus males, which reveal the presence of receptive females. We suggest that each phenotype benefits from the presence of the other phenotype and suffers costly interference among individuals of the same phenotype. Whether frequency-dependent effects on the mating probability of subordinates also affect their ontogenetic switchpoint should be examined in future studies

Data from: The design of a beautiful weapon: compensation for opposing sexual selection on a trait with two functions

Male fiddler crabs, genus Uca, have one greatly enlarged claw with which they court females and threaten and fight other males. Longer claws are more effective signals but are thought to be less effective weapons because the relative closing force at the tip of the claw decreases with claw length. We studied claw morphology and fighting in Uca terpsichores and Uca beebei and found a mechanism that may resolve opposing selection for signaling and fighting ability. When males fought they delivered gripping forces not at the tips but at the tubercles on the inner margins of their claws’ fingers. As claws grow, these tubercles remain relatively close to the apex of the gape. Consequently, the mechanical advantage that governs the forces that can be delivered at these tubercles decreases only slightly with increasing claw length allowing the claw to be an effective signal and a powerful weapon. Animal weapons are exceptionally diverse in form and detail of armature and the causes of this diversity are poorly understood. We suggest that the designs of weapons may often reflect compensatory patterns of growth and placement of armature that enhances the weapon’s overall utility for multiple uses in competition for mates

Feeling Stressed and Ugly? Leave the City and Visit Nature! An Experiment on Self- and Other-Perceived Stress and Attractiveness Levels

Natural environments, compared to urban environments, usually lead to reduced stress and positive body appreciation. We assumed that walks through nature and urban environments affect self- and other-perceived stress and attractiveness levels. Therefore, we collected questionnaire data and took photographs of male participants&rsquo; faces before and after they took walks. In a second step, female participants rated the photographs. As expected, participants felt more restored and attractive, and less stressed after they walked in nature compared to an urban environment. A significant interaction of environment (nature, urban) and time (pre, post) indicated that the men were rated by the women as being more stressed after the urban walk. Other-rated attractiveness levels, however, were similar for both walks and time points. In sum, we showed that the rather stressful experience of a short-term urban walk mirrors in the face of men and is detectable by women

Genetic population structure in prickly sculpin (Cottus asper) reflects isolation-by-environment between two life-history ecotypes

Life-history transitions have evolved repeatedly in numerous taxa, although the ecological and evolutionary conditions favouring such transitions in the presence of gene flow remain poorly understood. The present study aimed to disentangle the effects of isolation-by-distance and isolation-by-environment on genetic differentiation between two sympatric life-history ecotypes. Using 14 microsatellite loci, we first characterized amphidromous and freshwater groups of Cottus asper in a high gene flow setting in the Lower Fraser River system (south-western British Columbia, Canada) to test for the effects of habitat and geographical distance on the distribution of life-history ecotypes. Within the main river channel, no genetic differentiation was found, whereas tributaries even close to the estuary were genetically differentiated. Partial mantel tests confirmed that genetic differentiation between river tributaries and the main channel was independent from geographical distance, with distance-scaled migration rates indicating reduced gene flow from the main channel into the tributaries. Our results suggest that isolation-by-environment can play an important role for the early stage of life-history transitions, and may promote differentiation among life-history ecotypes despite the presence of gene flo

Uca beebei fight-2(NTS15)

Fight between male Uca beebei recorded in the field, west bank of the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, 1 km north of the Bridge of the Americas

Uca beebei fight-1(NTS15)

Recorded in the field, west bank of the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, 1 km north of the Bridge of the Americas