PeerJ
type: channel
link: https://peerj.com/articles/
description: Articles published in PeerJ
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
publication name: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359
items: Urbanisation and wing asymmetry in the western honey bee (Apis mellifera, Linnaeus 1758) at multiple scales
items: Characterization of bacterioplankton communities and quantification of organic carbon pools off the Galapagos Archipelago under contrasting environmental conditions
items: The proportion of core species in a community varies with spatial scale and environmental heterogeneity
items: Between extreme simplification and ideal optimization: antennal sensilla morphology of miniaturized Megaphragma wasps (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)
items: Analyses of long non-coding RNA and mRNA profiling in the spleen of diarrheic piglets caused by Clostridium perfringens type C
items: A single Spanish version of maternal and paternal postnatal attachment scales: validation and conceptual analysis
items: Genetic assessment of a bighorn sheep population expansion in the Silver Bell Mountains, Arizona
items: Anti-predator defences of a bombardier beetle: is bombing essential for successful escape from frogs?
items: First occurrence of the enigmatic peccaries Mylohyus elmorei and Prosthennops serus from the Appalachians: latest Hemphillian to Early Blancan of Gray Fossil Site, Tennessee
items: The double role of pigmentation and convolute leaves in community assemblage of Amazonian epiphytic Lejeuneaceae

Urbanisation and wing asymmetry in the western honey bee (Apis mellifera, Linnaeus 1758) at multiple scales
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Changes in the mean and variance of phenotypic traits like wing and head morphology are frequently used as indicators of environmental stress experienced during development and may serve as a convenient index of urbanization exposure. To test this claim, we collected adult western honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus 1758, Hymenoptera, Apidae) workers from colonies located across an urbanization gradient, and quantified associations between the symmetries of both wing size and wing shape, and several landscape traits associated with urbanization. Landscape traits were assessed at two spatial scales (three km and 500 m) and included vegetation and anthropogenic land cover, total road length, road proximity and, population and dwelling density. We then used geometric morphometric techniques to determine two wing asymmetry scores—centroid size, a measure of wing size asymmetry and Procrustes distance, a measure of wing shape asymmetry. We found colony dependent differences in both wing size and shape asymmetry. Additionally, we found a negative association between wing shape asymmetry and road proximity at the three km buffer, and associations between wing shape asymmetry and road proximity, anthropogenic land cover and vegetation cover at the 500 m buffer. Whilst we were unable to account for additional variables that may influence asymmetry including temperature, pesticide presence, and parasitism our results demonstrate the potential usefulness of wing shape asymmetry for assessing the impact of certain landscape traits associated with urbanization. Furthermore, they highlight important spatial scale considerations that warrant investigation in future phenotypic studies assessing urbanization impact.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Ryan J. Leonard
creator: Katie K.Y. Wat
creator: Clare McArthur
creator: Dieter F. Hochuli
subject: Ecology
subject: Entomology
subject: Environmental Impacts
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.5940
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2018 Leonard et al.
abstract: Changes in the mean and variance of phenotypic traits like wing and head morphology are frequently used as indicators of environmental stress experienced during development and may serve as a convenient index of urbanization exposure. To test this claim, we collected adult western honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus 1758, Hymenoptera, Apidae) workers from colonies located across an urbanization gradient, and quantified associations between the symmetries of both wing size and wing shape, and several landscape traits associated with urbanization. Landscape traits were assessed at two spatial scales (three km and 500 m) and included vegetation and anthropogenic land cover, total road length, road proximity and, population and dwelling density. We then used geometric morphometric techniques to determine two wing asymmetry scores—centroid size, a measure of wing size asymmetry and Procrustes distance, a measure of wing shape asymmetry. We found colony dependent differences in both wing size and shape asymmetry. Additionally, we found a negative association between wing shape asymmetry and road proximity at the three km buffer, and associations between wing shape asymmetry and road proximity, anthropogenic land cover and vegetation cover at the 500 m buffer. Whilst we were unable to account for additional variables that may influence asymmetry including temperature, pesticide presence, and parasitism our results demonstrate the potential usefulness of wing shape asymmetry for assessing the impact of certain landscape traits associated with urbanization. Furthermore, they highlight important spatial scale considerations that warrant investigation in future phenotypic studies assessing urbanization impact.
bibliographic citation: Leonard et al. (2018) Urbanisation and wing asymmetry in the western honey bee (Apis mellifera, Linnaeus 1758) at multiple scales. PeerJ 6:e5940 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5940
date submitted: 2018-04-10
date accepted: 2018-10-16
issued: 2018-12-03
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Leonard
  given name: Ryan J.
author list: Agent
  family name: Wat
  given name: Katie K.Y.
author list: Agent
  family name: McArthur
  given name: Clare
author list: Agent
  family name: Hochuli
  given name: Dieter F.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.5940
volume: 6
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2018-12-03
copyright: © 2018 Leonard et al.
attribution name: Leonard et al.

Characterization of bacterioplankton communities and quantification of organic carbon pools off the Galapagos Archipelago under contrasting environmental conditions
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Bacteria play a crucial role in the marine carbon cycle, contributing to the production and degradation of organic carbon. Here, we investigated organic carbon pools, aggregate formation, and bacterioplankton communities in three contrasting oceanographic settings in the Galapagos Archipelago. We studied a submarine CO2 vent at Roca Redonda (RoR), an upwelling site at Bolivar Channel (BoC) subjected to a weak El Niño event at the time of sampling in October 2014, as well as a site without volcanic or upwelling influence at Cowley Islet (CoI). We recorded physico-chemical parameters, and quantified particulate and dissolved organic carbon, transparent exopolymeric particles, and the potential of the water to form larger marine aggregates. Free-living and particle-attached bacterial communities were assessed via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Both RoR and BoC exhibited temperatures elevated by 1–1.5 °C compared to CoI. RoR further experienced reduced pH between 6.8 and 7.4. We observed pronounced differences in organic carbon pools at each of the three sites, with highest dissolved organic carbon concentrations at BoC and RoR, and highest particulate organic carbon concentrations and aggregate formation at BoC. Bacterioplankton communities at BoC were dominated by opportunistic copiotrophic taxa, such as Alteromonas and Roseobacter, known to thrive in phytoplankton blooms, as opposed to oligotrophic taxa dominating at CoI, such as members of the SAR11 clade. Therefore, we propose that bacterial communities were mainly influenced by the availability of organic carbon at the investigated sites. Our study provides a comprehensive characterization of organic carbon pools and bacterioplankton communities, highlighting the high heterogeneity of various components of the marine carbon cycle around the Galapagos Archipelago.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Nataly Carolina Guevara Campoverde
creator: Christiane Hassenrück
creator: Pier Luigi Buttigieg
creator: Astrid Gärdes
subject: Ecology
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Microbiology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.5984
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2018 Guevara Campoverde et al.
abstract: Bacteria play a crucial role in the marine carbon cycle, contributing to the production and degradation of organic carbon. Here, we investigated organic carbon pools, aggregate formation, and bacterioplankton communities in three contrasting oceanographic settings in the Galapagos Archipelago. We studied a submarine CO2 vent at Roca Redonda (RoR), an upwelling site at Bolivar Channel (BoC) subjected to a weak El Niño event at the time of sampling in October 2014, as well as a site without volcanic or upwelling influence at Cowley Islet (CoI). We recorded physico-chemical parameters, and quantified particulate and dissolved organic carbon, transparent exopolymeric particles, and the potential of the water to form larger marine aggregates. Free-living and particle-attached bacterial communities were assessed via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Both RoR and BoC exhibited temperatures elevated by 1–1.5 °C compared to CoI. RoR further experienced reduced pH between 6.8 and 7.4. We observed pronounced differences in organic carbon pools at each of the three sites, with highest dissolved organic carbon concentrations at BoC and RoR, and highest particulate organic carbon concentrations and aggregate formation at BoC. Bacterioplankton communities at BoC were dominated by opportunistic copiotrophic taxa, such as Alteromonas and Roseobacter, known to thrive in phytoplankton blooms, as opposed to oligotrophic taxa dominating at CoI, such as members of the SAR11 clade. Therefore, we propose that bacterial communities were mainly influenced by the availability of organic carbon at the investigated sites. Our study provides a comprehensive characterization of organic carbon pools and bacterioplankton communities, highlighting the high heterogeneity of various components of the marine carbon cycle around the Galapagos Archipelago.
bibliographic citation: Guevara Campoverde et al. (2018) Characterization of bacterioplankton communities and quantification of organic carbon pools off the Galapagos Archipelago under contrasting environmental conditions. PeerJ 6:e5984 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5984
date submitted: 2018-06-09
date accepted: 2018-10-22
issued: 2018-12-03
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Guevara Campoverde
  given name: Nataly Carolina
author list: Agent
  family name: Hassenrück
  given name: Christiane
author list: Agent
  family name: Buttigieg
  given name: Pier Luigi
author list: Agent
  family name: Gärdes
  given name: Astrid
doi: 10.7717/peerj.5984
volume: 6
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2018-12-03
copyright: ©2018 Guevara Campoverde et al.
attribution name: Guevara Campoverde et al.

The proportion of core species in a community varies with spatial scale and environmental heterogeneity
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Ecological communities are composed of a combination of core species that maintain local viable populations and transient species that occur infrequently due to dispersal from surrounding regions. Preliminary work indicates that while core and transient species are both commonly observed in community surveys of a wide range of taxonomic groups, their relative prevalence varies substantially from one community to another depending upon the spatial scale at which the community was characterized and its environmental context. We used a geographically extensive dataset of 968 bird community time series to quantitatively describe how the proportion of core species in a community varies with spatial scale and environmental heterogeneity. We found that the proportion of core species in an assemblage increased with spatial scale in a positive decelerating fashion with a concomitant decrease in the proportion of transient species. Variation in the shape of this scaling relationship between sites was related to regional environmental heterogeneity, with lower proportions of core species at a given scale associated with high environmental heterogeneity. Understanding this influence of scale and environmental heterogeneity on the proportion of core species may help resolve discrepancies between studies of biotic interactions, resource availability, and mass effects conducted at different scales, because the importance of these and other ecological processes are expected to differ substantially between core and transient species.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Molly F. Jenkins
creator: Ethan P. White
creator: Allen H. Hurlbert
subject: Computational Biology
subject: Ecology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.6019
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2018 Jenkins et al.
abstract: Ecological communities are composed of a combination of core species that maintain local viable populations and transient species that occur infrequently due to dispersal from surrounding regions. Preliminary work indicates that while core and transient species are both commonly observed in community surveys of a wide range of taxonomic groups, their relative prevalence varies substantially from one community to another depending upon the spatial scale at which the community was characterized and its environmental context. We used a geographically extensive dataset of 968 bird community time series to quantitatively describe how the proportion of core species in a community varies with spatial scale and environmental heterogeneity. We found that the proportion of core species in an assemblage increased with spatial scale in a positive decelerating fashion with a concomitant decrease in the proportion of transient species. Variation in the shape of this scaling relationship between sites was related to regional environmental heterogeneity, with lower proportions of core species at a given scale associated with high environmental heterogeneity. Understanding this influence of scale and environmental heterogeneity on the proportion of core species may help resolve discrepancies between studies of biotic interactions, resource availability, and mass effects conducted at different scales, because the importance of these and other ecological processes are expected to differ substantially between core and transient species.
bibliographic citation: Jenkins et al. (2018) The proportion of core species in a community varies with spatial scale and environmental heterogeneity. PeerJ 6:e6019 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6019
date submitted: 2018-08-27
date accepted: 2018-10-28
issued: 2018-11-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Jenkins
  given name: Molly F.
author list: Agent
  family name: White
  given name: Ethan P.
author list: Agent
  family name: Hurlbert
  given name: Allen H.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.6019
volume: 6
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2018-11-30
copyright: ©2018 Jenkins et al.
attribution name: Jenkins et al.

Between extreme simplification and ideal optimization: antennal sensilla morphology of miniaturized Megaphragma wasps (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: One of the major trends in the evolution of parasitoid wasps is miniaturization, which has produced the smallest known insects. Megaphragma spp. (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) are smaller than some unicellular organisms, with an adult body length of the smallest only 170 µm. Their parasitoid lifestyle depends on retention of a high level of sensory reception comparable to that in parasitoid wasps that may have antennae hundreds of times larger. Antennal sensilla of males and females of Megaphragma amalphitanum and M. caribea and females of the parthenogenetic M. mymaripenne are described, including sensillum size, external morphology, and distribution. Eight different morphological types of sensilla were discovered, two of them appearing exclusively on female antennae. Two of the types, sensilla styloconica and aporous placoid sensilla, have not been described previously. Regression analyses were performed to detect and evaluate possible miniaturization trends by comparing available data for species of larger parasitoid wasps. The number of antennal sensilla was found to decrease with the body size; M. amalphitanum males have only 39 sensilla per antenna. The number of antennal sensilla types and sizes of the sensilla, however, show little to no correlation with the body size. Our findings on the effects of miniaturization on the antennal sensilla of Megaphragma provide material for discussion on the limits to the reduction of insect antenna.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Anna V. Diakova
creator: Anastasia A. Makarova
creator: Alexey A. Polilov
subject: Entomology
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.6005
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2018 Diakova et al.
abstract: One of the major trends in the evolution of parasitoid wasps is miniaturization, which has produced the smallest known insects. Megaphragma spp. (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) are smaller than some unicellular organisms, with an adult body length of the smallest only 170 µm. Their parasitoid lifestyle depends on retention of a high level of sensory reception comparable to that in parasitoid wasps that may have antennae hundreds of times larger. Antennal sensilla of males and females of Megaphragma amalphitanum and M. caribea and females of the parthenogenetic M. mymaripenne are described, including sensillum size, external morphology, and distribution. Eight different morphological types of sensilla were discovered, two of them appearing exclusively on female antennae. Two of the types, sensilla styloconica and aporous placoid sensilla, have not been described previously. Regression analyses were performed to detect and evaluate possible miniaturization trends by comparing available data for species of larger parasitoid wasps. The number of antennal sensilla was found to decrease with the body size; M. amalphitanum males have only 39 sensilla per antenna. The number of antennal sensilla types and sizes of the sensilla, however, show little to no correlation with the body size. Our findings on the effects of miniaturization on the antennal sensilla of Megaphragma provide material for discussion on the limits to the reduction of insect antenna.
bibliographic citation: Diakova et al. (2018) Between extreme simplification and ideal optimization: antennal sensilla morphology of miniaturized Megaphragma wasps (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). PeerJ 6:e6005 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6005
date submitted: 2018-08-31
date accepted: 2018-10-26
issued: 2018-11-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Diakova
  given name: Anna V.
author list: Agent
  family name: Makarova
  given name: Anastasia A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Polilov
  given name: Alexey A.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.6005
volume: 6
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2018-11-30
copyright: ©2018 Diakova et al.
attribution name: Diakova et al.

Analyses of long non-coding RNA and mRNA profiling in the spleen of diarrheic piglets caused by Clostridium perfringens type C
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) type C is the most common bacteria causing piglet diarrheal disease and it greatly affects the economy of the global pig industry. The spleen is an important immune organ in mammals; it plays an irreplaceable role in resisting and eradicating pathogenic microorganisms. Based on different immune capacity in piglets, individuals display the resistance and susceptibility to diarrhea caused by C. perfringens type C. Recently, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA have been found to be involved in host immune and inflammatory responses to pathogenic infections. However, little is known about spleen transcriptome information in piglet diarrhea caused by C. perfringens type C. Methods Hence, we infected 7-day-old piglets with C. perfringens type C to lead to diarrhea. Then, we investigated lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in spleens of piglets, including control (SC), susceptible (SS), and resistant (SR) groups. Results As a result, 2,056 novel lncRNAs and 2,417 differentially expressed genes were found. These lncRNAs shared the same characteristics of fewer exons and shorter length. Bioinformatics analysis identified that two lncRNAs (ALDBSSCT0000006918 and ALDBSSCT0000007366) may be involved in five immune/inflammation-related pathways (such as Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and Jak-STAT signaling pathway), which were associated with resistance and susceptibility to C. perfringens type C infection. This study contributes to the understanding of potential mechanisms involved in the immune response of piglets infected with C. perfringens type C.
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format: text/html
creator: Zunqiang Yan
creator: Xiaoyu Huang
creator: Wenyang Sun
creator: Qiaoli Yang
creator: Hairen Shi
creator: Tiantuan Jiang
creator: Shenggui Li
creator: Pengfei Wang
creator: Shuangbao Gun
subject: Genomics
subject: Microbiology
subject: Molecular Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.5997
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2018 Yan et al.
abstract: Background Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) type C is the most common bacteria causing piglet diarrheal disease and it greatly affects the economy of the global pig industry. The spleen is an important immune organ in mammals; it plays an irreplaceable role in resisting and eradicating pathogenic microorganisms. Based on different immune capacity in piglets, individuals display the resistance and susceptibility to diarrhea caused by C. perfringens type C. Recently, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA have been found to be involved in host immune and inflammatory responses to pathogenic infections. However, little is known about spleen transcriptome information in piglet diarrhea caused by C. perfringens type C. Methods Hence, we infected 7-day-old piglets with C. perfringens type C to lead to diarrhea. Then, we investigated lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in spleens of piglets, including control (SC), susceptible (SS), and resistant (SR) groups. Results As a result, 2,056 novel lncRNAs and 2,417 differentially expressed genes were found. These lncRNAs shared the same characteristics of fewer exons and shorter length. Bioinformatics analysis identified that two lncRNAs (ALDBSSCT0000006918 and ALDBSSCT0000007366) may be involved in five immune/inflammation-related pathways (such as Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and Jak-STAT signaling pathway), which were associated with resistance and susceptibility to C. perfringens type C infection. This study contributes to the understanding of potential mechanisms involved in the immune response of piglets infected with C. perfringens type C.
bibliographic citation: Yan et al. (2018) Analyses of long non-coding RNA and mRNA profiling in the spleen of diarrheic piglets caused by Clostridium perfringens type C. PeerJ 6:e5997 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5997
date submitted: 2018-05-08
date accepted: 2018-10-24
issued: 2018-11-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Yan
  given name: Zunqiang
author list: Agent
  family name: Huang
  given name: Xiaoyu
author list: Agent
  family name: Sun
  given name: Wenyang
author list: Agent
  family name: Yang
  given name: Qiaoli
author list: Agent
  family name: Shi
  given name: Hairen
author list: Agent
  family name: Jiang
  given name: Tiantuan
author list: Agent
  family name: Li
  given name: Shenggui
author list: Agent
  family name: Wang
  given name: Pengfei
author list: Agent
  family name: Gun
  given name: Shuangbao
doi: 10.7717/peerj.5997
volume: 6
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2018-11-30
copyright: © 2018 Yan et al.
attribution name: Yan et al.

A single Spanish version of maternal and paternal postnatal attachment scales: validation and conceptual analysis
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Postnatal bonding constitutes a major process during the postpartum period, and there is evidence that bonding difficulties have negative consequences for parents’ mental health and the child’s development. However, the conceptualization of postnatal bonding presents inconsistencies, as well as problems in having instruments that encompasses the father figure. The objective was to adapt the maternal postnatal attachment scale (MPAS) and the paternal postnatal attachment scale (PPAS) to Spanish, to evaluate its validity and reliability and to analyze the construct dimensionality of both questionnaires from a gender perspective. Methods Instrumental design. In 2016–2017, a sample of 571 mothers and 376 fathers, with children between 6 and 11 months of age, responded to the Spanish version of MPAS and PPAS, respectively. After a process of translation-back-translation of the instrument, we empirically analyzed the internal consistency (Cronbach alpha, composite reliability (CR)) construct and concurrent validity (with regard to postpartum depression and dyadic adjustment). Additionally, we studied the instrument’s content validity, using the Delphi methodology; and the differential analysis in both samples (mothers and fathers), examining the invariance. Results A short version of 15 items was obtained, common for mothers and fathers. The results of the Delphi methodology showed a 100% inter-judge agreement, highlighting the absence of differences in the adequacy of the items as a function of the parents’ gender. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of three original factors proposed by the authors. The global Cronbach alpha coefficients in the total sample were adequate (mothers, 0.70; fathers, 0.78); and Cronbach alpha of each dimension in the case of mothers was 0.50 (Quality of bonding), 0.55 (Absence of hostility), and 0.60 (Pleasure in interaction); in the case of fathers, it was respectively 0.54, 0.64, and 0.72. CR of each dimension were: q…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Anna Riera-Martín
creator: Antonio Oliver-Roig
creator: Ana Martínez-Pampliega
creator: Susana Cormenzana-Redondo
creator: Violeta Clement-Carbonell
creator: Miguel Richart-Martínez
subject: Nursing
subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
subject: Public Health
subject: Women’s Health
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.5980
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2018 Riera-Martín et al.
abstract: Background Postnatal bonding constitutes a major process during the postpartum period, and there is evidence that bonding difficulties have negative consequences for parents’ mental health and the child’s development. However, the conceptualization of postnatal bonding presents inconsistencies, as well as problems in having instruments that encompasses the father figure. The objective was to adapt the maternal postnatal attachment scale (MPAS) and the paternal postnatal attachment scale (PPAS) to Spanish, to evaluate its validity and reliability and to analyze the construct dimensionality of both questionnaires from a gender perspective. Methods Instrumental design. In 2016–2017, a sample of 571 mothers and 376 fathers, with children between 6 and 11 months of age, responded to the Spanish version of MPAS and PPAS, respectively. After a process of translation-back-translation of the instrument, we empirically analyzed the internal consistency (Cronbach alpha, composite reliability (CR)) construct and concurrent validity (with regard to postpartum depression and dyadic adjustment). Additionally, we studied the instrument’s content validity, using the Delphi methodology; and the differential analysis in both samples (mothers and fathers), examining the invariance. Results A short version of 15 items was obtained, common for mothers and fathers. The results of the Delphi methodology showed a 100% inter-judge agreement, highlighting the absence of differences in the adequacy of the items as a function of the parents’ gender. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of three original factors proposed by the authors. The global Cronbach alpha coefficients in the total sample were adequate (mothers, 0.70; fathers, 0.78); and Cronbach alpha of each dimension in the case of mothers was 0.50 (Quality of bonding), 0.55 (Absence of hostility), and 0.60 (Pleasure in interaction); in the case of fathers, it was respectively 0.54, 0.64, and 0.72. CR of each dimension were: q…
bibliographic citation: Riera-Martín et al. (2018) A single Spanish version of maternal and paternal postnatal attachment scales: validation and conceptual analysis. PeerJ 6:e5980 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5980
date submitted: 2018-07-03
date accepted: 2018-10-22
issued: 2018-11-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Riera-Martín
  given name: Anna
author list: Agent
  family name: Oliver-Roig
  given name: Antonio
author list: Agent
  family name: Martínez-Pampliega
  given name: Ana
author list: Agent
  family name: Cormenzana-Redondo
  given name: Susana
author list: Agent
  family name: Clement-Carbonell
  given name: Violeta
author list: Agent
  family name: Richart-Martínez
  given name: Miguel
doi: 10.7717/peerj.5980
volume: 6
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2018-11-30
copyright: © 2018 Riera-Martín et al.
attribution name: Riera-Martín et al.

Genetic assessment of a bighorn sheep population expansion in the Silver Bell Mountains, Arizona
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background The isolated population of desert bighorn sheep in the Silver Bell Mountains of southern Arizona underwent an unprecedented expansion in merely four years. We hypothesized that immigration from neighboring bighorn sheep populations could have caused the increase in numbers as detected by Arizona Game and Fish Department annual aerial counts. Methods We applied a multilocus genetic approach using mitochondrial DNA and nuclear microsatellite markers for genetic analyses to find evidence of immigration. We sampled the Silver Bell Mountains bighorn sheep before (2003) and during (2015) the population expansion, and a small number of available samples from the Gila Mountains (southwestern Arizona) and the Morenci Mine (Rocky Mountain bighorn) in an attempt to identify the source of putative immigrants and, more importantly, to serve as comparisons for genetic diversity metrics. Results We did not find evidence of substantial gene flow into the Silver Bell Mountains population. We did not detect any new mitochondrial haplotypes in the 2015 bighorn sheep samples. The microsatellite analyses detected only one new allele, in one individual from the 2015 population that was not detected in the 2003 samples. Overall, the genetic diversity of the Silver Bell Mountains population was lower than that seen in either the Gila population or the Morenci Mine population. Discussion Even though the results of this study did not help elucidate the precise reason for the recent population expansion, continued monitoring and genetic sampling could provide more clarity on the genetic demographics of this population.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: John A. Erwin
creator: Karla Vargas
creator: Brian R. Blais
creator: Kendell Bennett
creator: Julia Muldoon
creator: Sarah Findysz
creator: Courtney Christie
creator: James R. Heffelfinger
creator: Melanie Culver
subject: Conservation Biology
subject: Genetics
subject: Population Biology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.5978
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2018 Erwin et al.
abstract: Background The isolated population of desert bighorn sheep in the Silver Bell Mountains of southern Arizona underwent an unprecedented expansion in merely four years. We hypothesized that immigration from neighboring bighorn sheep populations could have caused the increase in numbers as detected by Arizona Game and Fish Department annual aerial counts. Methods We applied a multilocus genetic approach using mitochondrial DNA and nuclear microsatellite markers for genetic analyses to find evidence of immigration. We sampled the Silver Bell Mountains bighorn sheep before (2003) and during (2015) the population expansion, and a small number of available samples from the Gila Mountains (southwestern Arizona) and the Morenci Mine (Rocky Mountain bighorn) in an attempt to identify the source of putative immigrants and, more importantly, to serve as comparisons for genetic diversity metrics. Results We did not find evidence of substantial gene flow into the Silver Bell Mountains population. We did not detect any new mitochondrial haplotypes in the 2015 bighorn sheep samples. The microsatellite analyses detected only one new allele, in one individual from the 2015 population that was not detected in the 2003 samples. Overall, the genetic diversity of the Silver Bell Mountains population was lower than that seen in either the Gila population or the Morenci Mine population. Discussion Even though the results of this study did not help elucidate the precise reason for the recent population expansion, continued monitoring and genetic sampling could provide more clarity on the genetic demographics of this population.
bibliographic citation: Erwin et al. (2018) Genetic assessment of a bighorn sheep population expansion in the Silver Bell Mountains, Arizona. PeerJ 6:e5978 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5978
date submitted: 2018-03-24
date accepted: 2018-10-22
issued: 2018-11-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Erwin
  given name: John A.
author list: Agent
  family name: Vargas
  given name: Karla
author list: Agent
  family name: Blais
  given name: Brian R.
author list: Agent
  family name: Bennett
  given name: Kendell
author list: Agent
  family name: Muldoon
  given name: Julia
author list: Agent
  family name: Findysz
  given name: Sarah
author list: Agent
  family name: Christie
  given name: Courtney
author list: Agent
  family name: Heffelfinger
  given name: James R.
author list: Agent
  family name: Culver
  given name: Melanie
doi: 10.7717/peerj.5978
volume: 6
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2018-11-30
copyright: ©2018 Erwin et al.
attribution name: Erwin et al.

Anti-predator defences of a bombardier beetle: is bombing essential for successful escape from frogs?
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Some animals, such as the bombardier beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Brachinini), have evolved chemical defences against predators. When attacked, bombardier beetles can discharge noxious chemicals at temperatures of approximately 100 °C from the tip of their abdomens, “bombing” their attackers. Although many studies to date have investigated how bombardier beetles discharge defensive chemicals against predators, relatively little research has examined how predators modify their attacks on bombardier beetles to avoid being bombed. In this study, I observed the black-spotted pond frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Anura: Ranidae) attacking the bombardier beetle Pheropsophus jessoensis under laboratory conditions. In Japan, Pe. nigromaculatus is a generalist predator in grasslands where the bombardier beetle frequently occurs. Almost all the frogs (92.9%) observed rejected live bombardier beetles; 67.9% stopped their attacks once their tongues touched the beetles, and 25.0% spat out the beetles immediately after taking the beetles into their mouths. No beetle bombed a frog before being taken into a frog’s mouth. All beetles taken into mouths bombed the frogs. Only 7.1% of the frogs swallowed live bombardier beetles after being bombed in the mouth. When dead beetles were provided instead, 85.7% of the frogs rejected the dead beetles, 71.4% stopped their attacks after their tongues touched the beetles, and 14.3% spat out the beetles. Only 14.3% of the frogs swallowed the dead beetles. The results suggest that the frogs tended to stop their predatory attack before receiving a bombing response from the beetles. Therefore, bombing was not essential for the beetles to successfully defend against the frogs. Using its tongue, Pe. nigromaculatus may be able to rapidly detect a deterrent chemical or physical characteristics of its potential prey Ph. jessoensis and thus avoid injury by stopping its predatory attack before the beetle bombs it.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Shinji Sugiura
subject: Animal Behavior
subject: Ecology
subject: Entomology
subject: Evolutionary Studies
subject: Zoology
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.5942
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2018 Sugiura
abstract: Some animals, such as the bombardier beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Brachinini), have evolved chemical defences against predators. When attacked, bombardier beetles can discharge noxious chemicals at temperatures of approximately 100 °C from the tip of their abdomens, “bombing” their attackers. Although many studies to date have investigated how bombardier beetles discharge defensive chemicals against predators, relatively little research has examined how predators modify their attacks on bombardier beetles to avoid being bombed. In this study, I observed the black-spotted pond frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Anura: Ranidae) attacking the bombardier beetle Pheropsophus jessoensis under laboratory conditions. In Japan, Pe. nigromaculatus is a generalist predator in grasslands where the bombardier beetle frequently occurs. Almost all the frogs (92.9%) observed rejected live bombardier beetles; 67.9% stopped their attacks once their tongues touched the beetles, and 25.0% spat out the beetles immediately after taking the beetles into their mouths. No beetle bombed a frog before being taken into a frog’s mouth. All beetles taken into mouths bombed the frogs. Only 7.1% of the frogs swallowed live bombardier beetles after being bombed in the mouth. When dead beetles were provided instead, 85.7% of the frogs rejected the dead beetles, 71.4% stopped their attacks after their tongues touched the beetles, and 14.3% spat out the beetles. Only 14.3% of the frogs swallowed the dead beetles. The results suggest that the frogs tended to stop their predatory attack before receiving a bombing response from the beetles. Therefore, bombing was not essential for the beetles to successfully defend against the frogs. Using its tongue, Pe. nigromaculatus may be able to rapidly detect a deterrent chemical or physical characteristics of its potential prey Ph. jessoensis and thus avoid injury by stopping its predatory attack before the beetle bombs it.
bibliographic citation: Sugiura (2018) Anti-predator defences of a bombardier beetle: is bombing essential for successful escape from frogs?. PeerJ 6:e5942 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5942
date submitted: 2018-03-08
date accepted: 2018-10-15
issued: 2018-11-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Sugiura
  given name: Shinji
doi: 10.7717/peerj.5942
volume: 6
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2018-11-30
copyright: ©2018 Sugiura
attribution name: Sugiura

First occurrence of the enigmatic peccaries Mylohyus elmorei and Prosthennops serus from the Appalachians: latest Hemphillian to Early Blancan of Gray Fossil Site, Tennessee
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Two peccary species, Mylohyus elmorei and Prosthennops serus are described from the medium-bodied fauna of the Gray Fossil Site (GFS) of northeastern Tennessee. This site, recognized as an oak-hickory forest, is latest Hemphillian or earliest Blancan based on mammalian biochronology, with an estimated age of 4.9–4.5 Ma. The GFS represents the only site outside the Palmetto Fauna of Florida with M. elmorei, greatly expanding the species range north over 920 km, well into the Appalachian region. This is also the first Appalachian occurrence of the relatively widespread P. serus. Our understanding of intraspecific variation for both M. elmorei and P. serus is expanded due to morphological and proportional differences found in cranial and dental material from the GFS, Tyner Farm locality, Palmetto Fauna, and within the literature. The GFS M. elmorei material represents the most complete mandible and second cranium for the species, and preserve intraspecific variation in the length of the diastema, dental proportions, and the complexity of the cuspules of the hypoconulid complex. Similarly, mandibular material from the GFS for P. serus exhibited larger dentitions and a greater degree of robustness than currently recognized for the species.
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Evan M. Doughty
creator: Steven C. Wallace
creator: Blaine W. Schubert
creator: Lauren M. Lyon
subject: Paleontology
subject: Taxonomy
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.5926
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2018 Doughty et al.
abstract: Two peccary species, Mylohyus elmorei and Prosthennops serus are described from the medium-bodied fauna of the Gray Fossil Site (GFS) of northeastern Tennessee. This site, recognized as an oak-hickory forest, is latest Hemphillian or earliest Blancan based on mammalian biochronology, with an estimated age of 4.9–4.5 Ma. The GFS represents the only site outside the Palmetto Fauna of Florida with M. elmorei, greatly expanding the species range north over 920 km, well into the Appalachian region. This is also the first Appalachian occurrence of the relatively widespread P. serus. Our understanding of intraspecific variation for both M. elmorei and P. serus is expanded due to morphological and proportional differences found in cranial and dental material from the GFS, Tyner Farm locality, Palmetto Fauna, and within the literature. The GFS M. elmorei material represents the most complete mandible and second cranium for the species, and preserve intraspecific variation in the length of the diastema, dental proportions, and the complexity of the cuspules of the hypoconulid complex. Similarly, mandibular material from the GFS for P. serus exhibited larger dentitions and a greater degree of robustness than currently recognized for the species.
bibliographic citation: Doughty et al. (2018) First occurrence of the enigmatic peccaries Mylohyus elmorei and Prosthennops serus from the Appalachians: latest Hemphillian to Early Blancan of Gray Fossil Site, Tennessee. PeerJ 6:e5926 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5926
date submitted: 2018-08-15
date accepted: 2018-10-13
issued: 2018-11-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Doughty
  given name: Evan M.
author list: Agent
  family name: Wallace
  given name: Steven C.
author list: Agent
  family name: Schubert
  given name: Blaine W.
author list: Agent
  family name: Lyon
  given name: Lauren M.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.5926
volume: 6
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2018-11-30
copyright: ©2018 Doughty et al.
attribution name: Doughty et al.

The double role of pigmentation and convolute leaves in community assemblage of Amazonian epiphytic Lejeuneaceae
type: item
type: AcademicArticle
description: Background Epiphytic bryophyte communities in the Amazon forest show a vertical gradient in species composition along the trunk of the host trees. The investigation of species traits related to this pattern has focused on the physiology of selected taxa with a clear preference for one of the extremes of the gradient. Although some species are indeed only found on the tree base or in the outer canopy, the vertical gradient is composed mainly by the variation in the abundances of species with a broader occurrence along the height zones. Therefore, this study approaches the differences among community assemblages, rather than among species, to test the role of morphological and dispersal traits on the establishment of the vertical gradient in species composition. Methods A character state matrix was built for 104 species of the family Lejeuneaceae recorded as epiphytes in the Amazonian terra firme forests, and six binary traits supposed to influence species occurrence: dark pigmentation on leaves; ability to convolute leaves when drying; possession of thickened cell walls; reproduction mode (monoicous or dioicous); occurrence of asexual reproduction; and facultative epiphyllous habit. Based on a previous dataset on community composition along the vertical gradient, trait occurrences in random draws of the metacommunity was compared to trait occurrences in field data, in order to detect significant deviations in the different height zones. Results Four out of the six traits tested showed significantly higher or lower occurrence in the species composition of canopy and/or understory communities. Traits related to high dispersal ability did not vary much along the vertical gradient; although facultative epiphylls were overrepresented on tree base. Dark pigmentation and convolute leaves were significantly more frequent in the canopy communities, but also significantly less frequent in communities at the base of the tree. Discussion Dark pigmentation and convolute leaves se…
format: application/pdf
format: text/html
creator: Sylvia Mota de Oliveira
subject: Biodiversity
subject: Ecology
subject: Plant Science
description: doi:10.7717/peerj.5921
publisher: PeerJ Inc.
rights: © 2018 Mota de Oliveira
abstract: Background Epiphytic bryophyte communities in the Amazon forest show a vertical gradient in species composition along the trunk of the host trees. The investigation of species traits related to this pattern has focused on the physiology of selected taxa with a clear preference for one of the extremes of the gradient. Although some species are indeed only found on the tree base or in the outer canopy, the vertical gradient is composed mainly by the variation in the abundances of species with a broader occurrence along the height zones. Therefore, this study approaches the differences among community assemblages, rather than among species, to test the role of morphological and dispersal traits on the establishment of the vertical gradient in species composition. Methods A character state matrix was built for 104 species of the family Lejeuneaceae recorded as epiphytes in the Amazonian terra firme forests, and six binary traits supposed to influence species occurrence: dark pigmentation on leaves; ability to convolute leaves when drying; possession of thickened cell walls; reproduction mode (monoicous or dioicous); occurrence of asexual reproduction; and facultative epiphyllous habit. Based on a previous dataset on community composition along the vertical gradient, trait occurrences in random draws of the metacommunity was compared to trait occurrences in field data, in order to detect significant deviations in the different height zones. Results Four out of the six traits tested showed significantly higher or lower occurrence in the species composition of canopy and/or understory communities. Traits related to high dispersal ability did not vary much along the vertical gradient; although facultative epiphylls were overrepresented on tree base. Dark pigmentation and convolute leaves were significantly more frequent in the canopy communities, but also significantly less frequent in communities at the base of the tree. Discussion Dark pigmentation and convolute leaves se…
bibliographic citation: Mota de Oliveira (2018) The double role of pigmentation and convolute leaves in community assemblage of Amazonian epiphytic Lejeuneaceae. PeerJ 6:e5921 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5921
date submitted: 2018-05-15
date accepted: 2018-10-02
issued: 2018-11-30
is part of: PeerJ
license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
author list: Agent
  family name: Mota de Oliveira
  given name: Sylvia
doi: 10.7717/peerj.5921
volume: 6
issn: 2167-8359
publication name: PeerJ
publication date: 2018-11-30
copyright: ©2018 Mota de Oliveira
attribution name: Mota de Oliveira

PeerJ
type: Periodical
uri: PeerJ
issn: 2167-8359