Dataset Information

Stable isotope ecology of a hyper-diverse community of scincid lizards from arid Australia.

ABSTRACT: We assessed the utility of stable isotope analysis as a tool for understanding community ecological structure in a species-rich clade of scincid lizards from one of the world's most diverse lizard communities. Using a phylogenetic comparative framework, we tested whether ?15N and ?13C isotopic composition from individual lizards was correlated with species-specific estimates of diet and habitat use. We find that species are highly divergent in isotopic composition with significant correlations to habitat use, but this relationship shows no phylogenetic signal. Isotopic composition corresponds to empirical observations of diet for some species but much variation remains unexplained. We demonstrate the importance of using a multianalytical approach to questions of long-term dietary preference, and suggest that the use of stable isotopes in combination with stomach content analysis and empirical data on habitat use can potentially reveal patterns in ecological traits at finer scales with important implications for community structuring.

SUBMITTER: Grundler MR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5330509 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Stable isotope ecology of a hyper-diverse community of scincid lizards from arid Australia.

Grundler Maggie R MR Pianka Eric R ER Pelegrin Nicolás N Cowan Mark A MA Rabosky Daniel L DL

PloS one 20170228 2

We assessed the utility of stable isotope analysis as a tool for understanding community ecological structure in a species-rich clade of scincid lizards from one of the world's most diverse lizard communities. Using a phylogenetic comparative framework, we tested whether δ15N and δ13C isotopic composition from individual lizards was correlated with species-specific estimates of diet and habitat use. We find that species are highly divergent in isotopic composition with significant correlations t ...[more]

PMID: 28245270

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Project description:BACKGROUND:The Australian scincid clade Lerista provides perhaps the best available model for studying limb reduction in squamates (lizards and snakes), comprising more than 75 species displaying a remarkable variety of digit configurations, from pentadactyl to entirely limbless conditions. We investigated the pattern and rate of limb reduction and loss in Lerista, employing a comprehensive phylogeny inferred from nucleotide sequences for a nuclear intron and six mitochondrial genes. RESULTS:The inferred phylogeny reveals extraordinary evolutionary mutability of limb morphology in Lerista. Ancestral state reconstructions indicate at least ten independent reductions in the number of digits from a pentadactyl condition, with a further seven reductions proceeding independently from a tetradactyl condition derived from one of these reductions. Four independent losses of all digits are inferred, three from pentadactyl or tetradactyl conditions. These conclusions are not substantially affected by uncertainty in assumed rates of character state transition or the phylogeny. An estimated age of 13.4 million years for Lerista entails that limb reduction has occurred not only repeatedly, but also very rapidly. At the highest rate, complete loss of digits from a pentadactyl condition is estimated to have occurred within 3.6 million years. CONCLUSION:The exceptionally high frequency and rate of limb reduction inferred for Lerista emphasise the potential for rapid and substantial alteration of body form in squamates. An absence of compelling evidence for reversals of digit loss contrasts with a recent proposal that digits have been regained in some species of the gymnophthalmid clade Bachia, possibly reflecting an influence of differing environmental and genetic contexts on the evolution of limb morphology in these clades. Future study of the genetic, developmental, and ecological bases of limb reduction and loss in Lerista promises the elucidation of not only this phenomenon in squamates, but also the dramatic evolutionary transformations of body form that have produced the extraordinary diversity of multicellular organisms.

Project description:The Atacama Desert is the oldest and driest desert on Earth, encompassing great temperature variations, high ultraviolet radiation, drought, and high salinity, making it ideal for studying the limits of life and resistance strategies. It is also known for harboring a great biodiversity of adapted life forms. While desertification is increasing as a result of climate change and human activities, it is necessary to optimize soil and water usage, where stress-resistant crops are possible solutions. As many studies have revealed the great impact of the rhizobiome on plant growth efficiency and resistance to abiotic stress, we set up to explore the rhizospheric soils of Suaeda foliosa and Distichlis spicata desert plants. By culturing these soils and using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, we address community taxonomy composition dynamics, stability through time, and the ability to promote lettuce plant growth. The rhizospheric soil communities were dominated by the families Pseudomonadaceae, Bacillaceae, and Planococcaceae for S. foliosa and Porphyromonadaceae and Haloferacaceae for D. spicata. Nonetheless, the cultures were completely dominated by the Enterobacteriaceae family (up to 98%). Effectively, lettuce plants supplemented with the cultures showed greater size and biomass accumulation. We identified 12 candidates that could be responsible for these outcomes, of which 5 (Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Paenisporosarcina, and Ammoniphilus) were part of the built co-occurrence network. We aim to contribute to the efforts to characterize the microbial communities as key for the plant's survival in extreme environments and as a possible source of consortia with plant growth promotion traits aimed at agricultural applications.IMPORTANCEThe current scenario of climate change and desertification represents a series of incoming challenges for all living organisms. As the human population grows rapidly, so does the rising demand for food and natural resources; thus, it is necessary to make agriculture more efficient by optimizing soil and water usage, thus ensuring future food supplies. Particularly, the Atacama Desert (northern Chile) is considered the most arid place on Earth as a consequence of geological and climatic characteristics, such as the naturally low precipitation patterns and high temperatures, which makes it an ideal place to carry out research that seeks to aid agriculture in future conditions that are predicted to resemble these scenarios. Our main interest lies in utilizing microorganism consortia from plants thriving under extreme conditions, aiming to promote plant growth, improve crops, and render "unsuitable" soils farmable.

Dataset Information

Stable isotope ecology of a hyper-diverse community of scincid lizards from arid Australia.

Publications

Stable isotope ecology of a hyper-diverse community of scincid lizards from arid Australia.

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