Recent fertility trends in Suriname.
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Deleterious point mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been found in many human populations and always at a low frequency suggesting that they are under strong negative selection. It is assumed that this selection is caused by reduced genetic fitness of mutation carriers, but the fitness of carriers of any mtDNA mutation has not been determined. We estimated the reproductive disadvantage caused by the mitochondrial DNA mutation 3243A > G in a population-based group of female carriers (n = 32). The person-years method, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and population statistics were used to estimate net reproduction rates of the mutation carriers and the general population. We found that women with 3243A > G reproduced at the same rate as women in the general population, suggesting that on average host-level selection against women harbouring the 3243A > G mutation is not strong.
Invertebrate iridescent viruses (Iridoviridae) possess a highly cytotoxic protein. In mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), invertebrate iridescent virus 6 (IIV-6) usually causes covert (inapparent) infection that reduces fitness. To determine whether sublethal effects of IIV-6 are principally due to cytotoxicity of the viral inoculum (which inhibits macromolecular synthesis in the host), or caused by replication of the virus larvae of the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L) were exposed to untreated IIV-6 virus that had previously been deactivated by heat or ultraviolet light. Control larvae were not exposed to virus. Larval development time was shortest in control larvae and extended in larvae exposed to untreated virus. Covertly infected mosquitoes laid significantly fewer eggs, produced between 20 and 35% fewer progeny and had reduced longevity compared to other treatments. Wing length was shortest in mosquitoes exposed to heat-deactivated virus. Multivariate analysis of the same data identified fecundity and progeny production as the most influential variables in defining differences among treatments. Overall, viral infection resulted in a 34% decrease in the net reproductive rate (R0) of covertly infected mosquitoes, vs. only 5-17% decrease of R0 following treatments with deactivated virus, compared to controls. Sublethal effects of IIV-6 in Ae. aegypti appear to be mainly due to virus replication, rather than cytotoxic effects of the viral inoculum.
Cancer is the consequence of an unwanted evolutionary process. Cells receive mutations that alter their phenotype. Especially dangerous are those mutations that increase the net reproductive rate of cells, thereby leading to neoplasia and later to cancer. The standard models of evolutionary dynamics consider well mixed populations of individuals in symmetric positions. Here we introduce a spatially explicit, asymmetric stochastic process that captures the essential architecture of evolutionary dynamics operating within tissues of multicellular organisms. The "linear process" has the property of cancelling out selective differences among cells yet retaining the protective function of apoptosis. This design can slow down the rate of somatic evolution dramatically and therefore delay the onset of cancer.
Although sexual selection can provide benefits to both sexes, it also can be costly because of expanded opportunities for intersexual conflict. We evaluated the role of sexual selection in a naturally promiscuous species, Drosophila melanogaster. In two replicate populations, sexual selection was removed through enforced monogamous mating with random mate assignment or retained in promiscuous controls. Monogamous mating constrains the reproductive success of mates to be identical, thereby converting prior conflicts between mates into opportunities for mutualism. Random mate assignment removes the opportunity for females to choose beneficial qualities in their mate. The mating treatments were maintained for 47 generations, and evolution was allowed to proceed naturally within the parameters of the design. In the monogamous populations, males evolved to be less harmful to their mates, and females evolved to be less resistant to male-induced harm. The monogamous populations also evolved a greater net reproductive rate than their promiscuous controls. These results indicate a potentially widespread cost of sexual selection caused by conflicts inherent to promiscuity.
Ceratothripoides claratris (Shumsher) is a serious pest attacking tomatoes in Thailand. Temperature-dependent development of C. claratris was studied at seven constant temperatures, i.e. 22, 25, 27, 30, 34, 35 and 40 degrees C. Pre-adult survivorship was greatest (95%) at 25 and 30 degrees C and shortest at 22 degrees C. Egg-to-adult time decreased within the range of 20 to 30 degrees C and at 34 degrees C it started to increase. The lower thermal threshold for egg-to-adult development was estimated at 16 and 18 degrees C by linear regression and the modified Logan model, respectively. The optimum temperature for egg-to-adult development was estimated at 32-33 degrees C by the modified Logan model. The influence of temperature on reproduction and longevity of C. claratris was determined at 25, 30 and 35 and 40 degrees C. Both inseminated and virgin females failed to reproduce at 40 degrees C. Virgin females produced only male offspring, confirming arrhenotoky. The sex ratio of the offspring of fertilized females was strongly female-biased, except at 25 degrees C. Mean total fecundity per female and mean daily total fecundity per female were highest for both virgin and inseminated females at 30 degrees C. Female longevity was longest at 25 degrees C and shortest at 40 degrees C. Male longevity was longest at 30 degrees C and shortest at 40 degrees C. The net reproductive rate (R0) and intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) was greatest at 30 degrees C while, mean generation time (G) and the doubling time (t) were highest at 25 degrees C. The finite rate of increase (lambda) was fairly constant (1.1-1.5 days) over the three temperatures tested. The pest potential of C. claratris for tropical Asia is discussed.
The planorbid snail, Helisoma duryi, has been proposed as a possible biocontrol agent against the intermediate host snails of schistosomiasis. In an attempt to evaluate the possible effect of interference between H. duryi and Biomphalaria pfeifferi, life-tables were compiled for these two snail species maintained both in the presence of each other and separately. The calculated population parameters indicated that H. duryi had a higher innate capacity of increase, net reproduction rate and finite rate of increase as well as a longer lifespan than the target species. However, the biological potential of B. pfeifferi was not influenced by the presence of H. duryi, and the latter appears to be unable to act as competitor against B. pfeifferi under similar prevailing conditions. It is possible that the situation might change under conditions of crowding and starvation.
The effects of the snowdrop lectin, Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA), delivered through an artificial diet, on growth, development, and life history parameters of the Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), were evaluated in the laboratory. Incorporation of GNA at three treatment levels, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% of total dietary protein, in the larval diet significantly decreased larval survivorship and percentage of adults emerging relative to a control diet lacking GNA, whereas differences were not observed among the three treatment levels. Both larvae and pupae in the control were 8-25% larger than those in the GNA treatments, but differences were not observed between larvae in the GNA treatments. Furthermore, presence of GNA did not affect larval and pupal developmental periods, longevities, and fecundities compared with the control. Mexican rice borer life history parameters, such as net reproductive rate and intrinsic rate of increase, were substantially reduced by the presence of GNA in the diet, but differences were not evident among the three GNA treatment levels.
Intraspecific variation in the reproductive capacity of Anopheles stephensi Liston females was studied under constant laboratory conditions. Of 421 engorged females examined individually throughout their lifetimes, 260 laid a total of 479 egg batches with a maximum of nine ovipositions per female. The number of eggs per oviposition varied from 5 to 247 (average 96.8). The number of ovipositions per female were correlated positively with the average number of eggs per batch and exhibited a negative binomial distribution among females, indicating that a small portion of the population exhibited a particularly high fecundity. Among the ovipositing females, the total fecundity and fertility ranged, respectively, from 5 to 1,084 eggs and from 0 to 1,036 larvae per female. The estimated maximal number of female progeny produced by a female in her lifetime was 317, and the estimates of net reproductive rate (Ro) and capacity for increase (rc) were 25.7 and 0.17, respectively. The number of eggs in the first oviposition was predictive of the total fecundity of a female. The wide range of individual variation in the reproductive capacity of An. stephensi emphasized the requirement for a large sample size for reliable estimation.
Relationships between temperature and life history parameters were determined for the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.). Median immature developmental times ranged from > 60 d at 15 degrees C to < 12 d at 30 degrees C, with minimum time at 30.6 degrees C. Egg survival decreased from 0.98 at 15 degrees C to 0.91 at 20 degrees C, then increased to 0.98 at 35 degrees C. Larval survival ranged from 0.83 at 20 degrees C to 0.65 at 35 degrees C, and pupal survival ranged from 0.93 at 20 degrees C to 0.42 at 35 degrees C with maxima at 22.1 degrees C and 19.9 degrees C for larvae and pupae, respectively. Median longevity of females and males were greatest at 17.3 degrees C. Time to 50% survival ranged from > 30 d at 15 degrees C to < 6 d at 35 degrees C. Daily fecundity averaged 1.07, 8.89, 14.88, 26.22, and 7.90 eggs per female per day at 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 degrees C, respectively. Lifetime fecundity ranged from < 30 eggs per female at 15 and 35 degrees C to > 700 eggs per female at 25 degrees C and was greatest at 25.3 degrees C. Net reproductive rate, and the intrinsic rate of increase had maxima at 25.3 and 27.8 degrees C, and mean generation time was minimum at 33.4 degrees C. Proportional variation in the time of immature development and adult longevity were independent of temperature, but proportional variation in the time of oviposition was related inversely to temperature. Extreme temperatures appeared to lengthen the preoviposition period and reduce the duration of egg production. Relationships were compared with previous studies. Equations developed and presented in this article will be used to develop a temperature-dependent stable fly population model.
Selection can be divided into sexual and nonsexual components. Some work finds that a component of sexual selection, adaptive female selection for good genes, can promote nonsexual fitness. Less studied is the benefit from sexual selection in toto, that is, when intra- and intersexual selection are both present and able to affect females directly and indirectly. Here an upper bound for the net benefit of sexual selection is estimated for Drosophila melanogaster. Replicate populations were allowed to adapt to low-grade thermal stress, with or with out the operation of sexual selection. Because proteins and lipids are highly sensitive to temperature, low-grade thermal stress will select broadly across the genome for alternative alleles. Such broad, directional selection for thermal tolerance should increase the measurable benefits of sexual selection far beyond that available under stabilizing selection. Sexual selection was removed by enforced monogamy without mate choice and retained by enforced polyandry (four males per female). After 36 generations of thermal stress exposure, there was substantial adaptation to the new environment (the net reproductive rate increased six standard deviations relative to thermal controls). However, sexual selection did not affect the rate of adaptation. Therefore, adaptive female selection for thermal tolerance either was insignificant or negated by other aspects of sexual selection, for example, male-induced female harm, which has been shown to diminish under monogamy. This experiment employed two parameters that reduced the opportunity for divergence in such harm: a truncated intersexual interaction period and strong directional selection for thermal tolerance. No divergence in male-induced harm was observed.
We investigated the genetic architecture underlying differentiation in fitness-related traits between two pairs of populations of the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). These populations had geographically distant (> 2000 km) origins but evolved in a uniform laboratory environment for 120 generations. For each pair of populations (Nigeria x Yemen and Cameroon x Uganda) we estimated the means of five fitness-related characters and a measure of fitness (net reproductive rate R0) in each of the parental populations and 12 types of hybrids (two F1 and two F2 lines and eight backcrosses). Models containing up to nine composite genetic parameters were fitted to the means of the 14 lines. The patterns of line means for all traits in the Nigeria x Yemen cross and for four traits (larval survival, developmental rate, female body weight, and fecundity) in the Cameroon x Uganda cross were best explained by models including additive, dominance, and maternal effects, but excluding epistasis. We did not find any evidence for outbreeding depression for any trait. An epistatic component of divergence was detected for egg hatching success and R0 in the Cameroon x Uganda cross, but its sign was opposite to that expected under outbreeding depression, that is, additive x additive epistasis had a positive effect on the performance of F2 hybrids. All traits except fecundity showed a pattern of heterosis. A large difference of egg-hatching success between the two reciprocal F1 lines in that cross was best explained as fertilization incompatibility between Cameroon females and sperm carrying Uganda genes. The results suggest that these populations have not converged to the same life-history phenotype and genetic architecture, despite 120 generations of uniform natural selection. However, the absence of outbreeding depression implies that they did not evolve toward different adaptive peaks.
Models accounting for genetic variation for resistance to herbivores within plant populations often postulate a balance between the costs of that resistance and its benefits. The production of glandular trichomes by Datura wrightii was shown to be costly in a previous one-year study because plants producing glandular trichomes (sticky plants), a factor conferring resistance to some insect herbivores, also produced 45% fewer seeds than plants producing nonglandular trichomes (velvety plants) when grown in a common garden. Because sticky plants tended to be larger than velvety plants but produced fewer seed capsules, we postulated an allocation trade-off in which velvety plants are more reproduction-dominated whereas sticky plants are more growth-dominated. If a greater commitment to vegetative growth eventually allows sticky plants to compensate for reduced seed production, we would expect a reduction or elimination of the cost of resistance over time in this perennial plant. We monitored growth, survival, and seed production of plants from defined crosses of local populations for three years in a common garden when exposed to and protected from herbivores, and with and without supplemental water. The majority of plants exposed to herbivores had died by the end of the study. We used standard life-table methods to determine the net reproductive rate (R0) and the finite rate of increase (lambda) of plants of each trichome type. After three years, when plants were protected from herbivores, sticky plants were 187-245% larger than velvety plants, depending upon irrigation treatment, but sticky plants continued to be less efficient in producing seeds per unit of canopy volume. Even though the total seed production of sticky plants eventually equaled that of velvety plants, the advantage of earlier reproduction by velvety plants increased lambda by 55-230% over that of sticky plants, depending upon herbivore and irrigation treatment. Exposure to herbivores reduced lambda by 69-83%, depending upon plant type and irrigation treatment, whereas supplemental irrigation increased lambda by 29-175%, depending upon plant type and exposure to herbivores. Although there was a large allocation trade-off between growth and reproduction, the benefits of such a trade-off did not emerge before most plants were killed by herbivores. The cost of producing glandular trichomes strictly for herbivore resistance continued to exceed its benefits, and in the absence of other, unmeasured benefits from the suite of life-history characters associated with glandular trichome production, natural selection is expected to eliminate this costly resistance trait from D. wrightii populations.
The objective of this research was, based on biological studies, to determine and adequate diet for rearing Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton, 1865) in the laboratory so as to permit the rearing of this factitious host for Trichogramma mass production. The research was conducted at 25 +/- 1 degrees C, RH 60 +/- 10% and photophase of 14 hours. Six artificial diets were compared: a) whole wheat flour (48.5%), ground rice (48.5%) and sugar (3%); b) ground rice (97%) and sugar (3%); c) whole wheat flour (48.5%), rice flour (48.5%) an sugar (3%); d) whole wheat flour (97%) and yeast (3%); e) wheat germ (97%) and yeast (3%); f) rice bran (94%), sugar (3%) and yeast (3%); f) rice bran (94%), sugar (3%) and yeast (3%). All of the diets studied permitted the development of C. cephalonica although the diets with wheat germ and yeast and that consisting of rice bran, sugar and yeast proved to be the most adequate for rearing the moth. These diets reduced the total (egg-adult) cycle, shortened the egg laying period, and produced heavier adults. Studies on the fertility life tables showed that higher net reproduction rates (Ro) and finite ratio of increase (lambda) were obtained from adults reared on these diets.
Four cohorts of 100 Triatoma sordida eggs were reared under standard laboratory conditions (28 degrees C, 63% R.H.) and fed weekly on hens during 40 minutes. The numbers of dead insects, moults and eggs laid were recorded weekly. A constant survival value was observed without any important peaks in the four cohorts. Life expectancy was 37.4 weeks for males and 36.8 weeks for females. The average generation time was 61.7 weeks. The average net reproduction rate suggests that this population would increase 143.2 times during each generation. The average intrinsic rate of natural increase was 0.082 per individual per week. The highest reproductive value was observed 3 weeks after entering the adult stage. The age structure, assuming stable age distribution, would be 32% eggs, 26% of first instar nymphs, 19% of second instar nymphs, 13% of third instar nymphs, 6% of fourth instar nymphs, 3% of fifth instar nymphs and 1% of adults. Our results suggest that this species behaves as a k-strategist under experimental conditions.
OBJECTIVE: To obtain T. rubrovaria population parameters in order to describe its demographic characteristics. METHODS: The study was carried out in the laboratory of Arthropods, Corrientes, Argentina, from October 2000 to February 2003. Eggs were grouped to form five 100-egg cohorts. Insects were fed on chickens (Gallus domesticus). The cohorts were monitored weekly and kept under controlled temperature (28 +/- 3 degrees C) and relative humidity (63 +/- 10%). A life table was constructed and other vital statistics were calculated and recorded. RESULTS: Higher mortality was recorded in the first through the fourth nymphal stadium. A constant decrease was seen from the fifth nymphal instar. Life expectancy dropped linearly after overcoming the critical stages. Adults mean survival was 50.2 weeks. The first oviposition was after 40.6 weeks. The fecundity was 859.6 eggs with an average 22.8 eggs per female. The reproductive period was 37.7 weeks. The generation time was 55.3 weeks and the net reproduction rate was 133.7. The intrinsic rate of weekly increment was 0.088. In a stable age distribution the population would be composed of 25.3% eggs, 72.3% nymphs and 2.4% adults. Adults accounted for more than 70% of the total reproductive value. CONCLUSIONS: Triatoma rubrovaria had a long survival as imago, a late first reproduction and a low intrinsic rate of natural increase.
A statistical evaluation of the population dynamics of Panstrongylus geniculatus is based on a cohort experiment conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. Animals were fed on hen every 15 days. Egg incubation took 21 days; mean duration of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th instar nymphs was 25, 30, 58, 62, and 67 days, respectively; mean nymphal development time was 39 weeks and adult longevity was 72 weeks. Females reproduced during 30 weeks, producing an average of 61.6 eggs for female on its lifetime; the average number of eggs/female/week was 2.1. Total number of eggs produced by the cohort was 1379. Average hatch for the cohort was 88.9%; it was not affected by age of the mother. Age specific survival and reproduction tables were constructed. The following population parameters were evaluated, generation time was 36.1 weeks; net reproduction rate was 89.4; intrinsic rate of natural increase was 0.125; instantaneous birth and death rates were 0.163 and 0.039 respectively; finite rate of increase 1.13; total reproductive value was 1196 and stable age distribution was 31.2% eggs, 64.7% nymphs and 4.1% adults. Finally the population characteristics of P. geniculatus lead to the conclusion that this species is a K strategist.
Changes in life tables of Rhodnius neivai due to variations of environmental temperature were studied, based on nine cohorts. Three cohorts were kept at 22 degrees C, three at 27 degrees C and three at 32 degrees C. Cohorts were censused daily during nymphal instars and weekly in adults. Nine complete horizontal life tables were built. A high negative correlation between temperature and age at first laying was registered (r=-0,84). Age at maximum reproduction was significantly lower at 32 degrees C. Average number of eggs/female/week and total eggs/female on its life time were significantly lower at 22 degrees C. Total number of egg by cohort and total number of reproductive weeks were significantly higher at 27 degrees C. At 32 degrees C, generational time was significantly lower. At 27 degrees C net reproductive rate and total reproductive value were significantly higher. At 22 degrees C, intrinsic growth, finite growth and finite birth rates were significantly lower. At 22 degrees C, death instantaneous rate was significantly higher.