Evolutionary Ecology Research Articles

Recent Advances in the Behavioral Ecology of European Plethodontid Salamanders

There is a recent growing interest in the study of evolutionary and behavioral ecology of amphibians. Among salamanders, Plethodontidae is the most speciose family, with more than 500 species, while in Europe, there are only 8 species, all belonging to the genus Speleomantes. European plethodontids recently received increasing attention with regard to the study of their natural history, ecology and behavior; however, the lack of standardized data, especially for the latter, hampers comparative analysis with the species from the New World. We here synthetized the recent advances in Speleomantes behavioral ecology, considering as a starting point the comprehensive monography of Lanza and colleagues published in 2006. We identified the behavioral categories that were investigated the most, but we also highlighted knowledge gaps and provided directions for future studies. By reviewing the scientific literature published within the period 2006–2022, we observed a significant increase in the number of published articles on Speleomantes behavior, overall obtaining 36 articles. Behavioral studies on Speleomantes focused mainly on trophic behavior (42%), and on intraspecific behavior (33%), while studies on pheromonal communication and interspecific behavioral interactions were lacking. In addition, most of the studies were observational (83%), while the experimental method was rarely used. After providing a synthesis of the current knowledge, we suggest some relevant topics that need to be considered in future research on the behavioral ecology of European plethodontids, highlighting the importance of a more integrative approach in which both field observations and planned experiments are used.

Right or left-handed: are locomotion type, body size, and microhabitat related to forelimb laterality in anurans?

Laterality, the tendency of animals to use the structures on one side of the body more frequently or efficiently than the other side, can reflect the evolutionary history of species, their ecological characteristics, and cognitive abilities. Using anurans as a model system, it has been hypothesized that the strength of laterality (measured as the percentage of right-handed individuals) is higher in terrestrial and arboreal species, which exhibit asynchronous locomotion type (e.g., walking, climbing), than in aquatic species where synchronous locomotion type (e.g., swimming) predominates. We tested these predictions, including body size as an additional factor, in 19 Neotropical anuran species. For this, we obtained data on forelimb use preference for individuals of such species. We then combined these data with published data for another 14 anuran species obtained through a systematic review of the literature. The combined dataset was used to perform a phylogenetic comparative analysis to verify the strength of laterality in the species. We found that four out of the 19 tested species show a percentage of right-handed individuals that was higher or lower than expected by chance. Individuals of these four species exhibit asynchronous movements of forelimbs during displacements, foraging behaviors, sexual displays, or agonistic interactions. Results of a phyloANOVA and a phyloANCOVA indicated that the strength of laterality was higher in species with asynchronous movements, but this was unrelated to microhabitat and body size. Asynchronous (i.e., non-simultaneous) movements of limbs imply alternating muscle contractions and a higher neural asymmetry than synchronous (i.e., simultaneous) movements of limbs. Therefore, species with an asynchronous locomotion type could be reflecting such complexity and neural asymmetry in higher levels of forelimb laterality. Our results mostly support the predictions based on models that cover the expected relationship between the strength of laterality and the evolutionary ecology of vertebrates.

On Inclusive Ecology Interconnects ‘Nature’ and ‘Queer’: From Eco Feminism to Queer Ecology a New Theoretical View

Objectives: The paper investigates the literary progression of ecofeminism to queer ecology, following the evolution of ideas and activism in these fields. This study examines the intersectionality of gender, sexuality, and ecology, which is important in understanding the interaction between nature and queer identities. This study analyses the environmental difficulties encountered by queer communities and how eco-feminism and queer ecology can contribute to environmental justice based on observations of environmental justice.   Materials and Methodology: The qualitative research was carried out using text analysis on the subject of transition from ecofeminism to queer ecology. Secondary materials are studied from the standpoint of advancing inclusivity and understanding the diversity seen in nature. The convergence of queer and ecology strives to diversify narratives concerning the natural world, providing a new perspective on the environment. It celebrates the fluidity, complexity, and diversity found in all life expressions and forms.   Discussion: The study investigates the dynamic relationship between inclusive ecology and queer theory, through tracing the evolution of ecofeminism to queer ecology. It recounts the intellectual path from the pioneering ideas of ecofeminism to the evolution of queer ecology, illustrating how these subjects collectively challenge established paradigms. The focus of the essay is on how queer theory, ecofeminism, and inclusive ecology interact in the context of ecological discourse. It examines how these related fields question conventional environmental perspectives and push for a more inclusive and varied method of appreciating and protecting nature. This study emphasizes the critical function of ecofeminism in showing the intersections of gender, nature, and queer identities by analyzing significant theoretical frameworks and real-world instances. The transition of the term queer ecology illuminates how the integration of different viewpoints promotes a deeper comprehension of environmental and social justice concerns, arguing in favor of a more inclusive, fair, and sustainable approach for both ecology and human rights.   Conclusion: This research aids in bridging the fields of queer ecology and ecofeminism. The inclusion of queerness in ecology fosters the celebration of both the varied range of gender identities and sexual orientations within human society as well as the rich tapestry of biodiversity in the natural world. The intersectional perspective emphasizes how crucial it is to realize how intricately linked ecological and socioeconomic problems are, and how they must be taken into account in any solutions. The viewpoint of queer ecology equips people to advocate for the rights of both marginalized groups and the environment, instilling a sense of obligation to safeguard and preserve the interdependent web of life. Recognizing that marginalized populations are frequently disproportionately affected by environmental degradation, inclusive ecology calls for sustainable practices that not only help the environment but also advance social justice.

Experimental evidence of mate choice as the driving mechanism behind negative assortative mating for shell colour in a marine snail

Abstract How colour polymorphisms are maintained in natural populations constitutes a key subject of study for evolutionary ecologists. One of the mechanisms that has been put forward to explain this phenomenon is negative frequency-dependent selection, which can be caused by different mechanisms. Among these mechanisms is mate choice, or the selection as a potential mate of the rare or dissimilar colour morph by the choosy sex of a given species. In the context of colour polymorphism, mate choice predicts the occurrence of a negative assortative mating pattern, whereby different colour morphs mate more often than expected by chance alone. However, negative assortative mating can also result from other mechanisms, making it, at best, a fallible indicator of a mate choice-driven negative frequency-dependent selection. For this reason, experimental evidence explicitly connecting such a mating pattern to mate choice is necessary to claim that a particular colour polymorphism is being maintained by negative frequency-dependent selection. Here we present experimental evidence backing this relationship for the colour polymorphic marine gastropod Littorina saxatilis from the Ría de Vigo (NW Iberian Peninsula), although how specifically these organisms choose their mates remains unclear. This calls for further experimental efforts to clarify this issue and its relationship to the maintenance of colour polymorphism in L. saxatilis.

Demography of the understory herb Heliconia acuminata (Heliconiaceae) in an experimentally fragmented tropical landscape.

Habitat fragmentation remains a major focus of research by ecologists decades after being put forward as a threat to the integrity of ecosystems. While studies have documented myriad biotic changes in fragmented landscapes, including the local extinction of species from fragments, the demographic mechanisms underlying these extinctions are rarely known. However, many of them-especially in lowland tropical forests-are thought to be driven by one of two mechanisms: (1) reduced recruitment in fragments resulting from changes in the diversity or abundance of pollinators and seed dispersers or (2) increased rates of individual mortality in fragments due to dramatically altered abiotic conditions, especially near fragment edges. Unfortunately, there have been few tests of these potential mechanisms due to the paucity of long-term and comprehensive demographic data collected in both forest fragments and continuous forest sites. Here we report 11 years (1998-2009) of demographic data from populations of the Amazonian understory herb Heliconia acuminata (LC Rich.) found at Brazil's Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP). The data set comprises >66,000 plant × year records of 8586 plants, including 3464 seedlings established after the first census. Seven populations were in experimentally isolated fragments (one in each of four 1-ha fragments and one in each of three 10-ha fragments), with the remaining six populations in continuous forest. Each population was in a 50 × 100 m permanent plot, with the distance between plots ranging from 500 m to 60 km. The plants in each plot were censused annually, at which time we recorded, identified, marked, and measured new seedlings, identified any previously marked plants that died, and recorded the size of surviving individuals. Each plot was also surveyed four to five times during the flowering season to identify reproductive plants and record the number of inflorescences each produced. These data have been used to investigate topics ranging from the way fragmentation-related reductions in germination influence population dynamics to statistical methods for analyzing reproductive rates. This breadth of prior use reflects the value of these data to future researchers. In addition to analyses of plant responses to habitat fragmentation, these data can be used to address fundamental questions in plant demography and the evolutionary ecology of tropical plants and to develop and test demographic models and tools. Though we welcome opportunities to collaborate with interested users, there are no restrictions on the use of this data set. However, we do request that those using the data for teaching or research purposes inform us of how they are doing so and cite this paper and the data archive when appropriate. Any publication using the data must also include a BDFFP Technical Series Number in the Acknowledgments. Authors can request this series number upon the acceptance of their article by contacting the BDFFP's Scientific Coordinator or E. M. Bruna.

The eco-evolutionary importance of reproductive system variation in the macroalgae: Freshwater reds as a case study.

The relative frequency of sexual versus asexual reproduction governs the distribution of genetic diversity within and among populations. Most studies on the consequences of reproductive variation focus on the mating system (i.e., selfing vs. outcrossing) of diploid-dominant taxa (e.g., angiosperms), often ignoring asexual reproduction. Although reproductive systems are hypothesized to be correlated with life-cycle types, variation in the relative rates of sexual and asexual reproduction remains poorly characterized across eukaryotes. This is particularly true among the three major lineages of macroalgae (green, brown, and red). The Rhodophyta are particularly interesting, as many taxa have complex haploid-diploid life cycles that influence genetic structure. Though most marine reds have separate sexes, we show that freshwater red macroalgae exhibit patterns of switching between monoicy and dioicy in sister taxa that rival those recently shown in brown macroalgae and in angiosperms. We advocate for the investigation of reproductive system evolution using freshwater reds, as this will expand the life-cycle types for which these data exist, enabling comparative analyses broadly across eukaryotes. Unlike their marine cousins, species in the Batrachospermales have macroscopic gametophytes attached to filamentous, often microscopic sporophytes. While asexual reproduction through monospores may occur in all freshwater reds, the Compsopogonales are thought to be exclusively asexual. Understanding the evolutionary consequences of selfing and asexual reproduction will aid in our understanding of the evolutionary ecology of all algae and of eukaryotic evolution generally.

Impact of Holocene environmental change on the evolutionary ecology of an Arctic top predator.

The Arctic is among the most climatically sensitive environments on Earth, and the disappearance of multiyear sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is predicted within decades. As apex predators, polar bears are sentinel species for addressing the impact of environmental variability on Arctic marine ecosystems. By integrating genomics, isotopic analysis, morphometrics, and ecological modeling, we investigate how Holocene environmental changes affected polar bears around Greenland. We uncover reductions in effective population size coinciding with increases in annual mean sea surface temperature, reduction in sea ice cover, declines in suitable habitat, and shifts in suitable habitat northward. Furthermore, we show that west and east Greenlandic polar bears are morphologically, and ecologically distinct, putatively driven by regional biotic and genetic differences. Together, we provide insights into the vulnerability of polar bears to environmental change and how the Arctic marine ecosystem plays a vital role in shaping the evolutionary and ecological trajectories of its inhabitants.

Host ecology drives frog skin microbiome diversity across ecotone in South-Central North America

Anurans (frogs and toads) are an ecologically diverse group of vertebrate organisms that display a myriad of reproductive modes and life history traits. To persist in such an expansive array of habitats, these organisms have evolved specialized skin that is used for respiration while also protecting against moisture loss, pathogens, and environmental contaminants. Anuran skin is also colonized by communities of symbiotic microorganisms, and these skin microbiota serve critical roles in numerous processes associated with anuran host health and persistence such as pathogen resistance and immunity. However, gaps remain in our understanding of the environmental and evolutionary processes that shape frog skin microbial communities. Here, we combined existing anuran disease data with 16S rRNA skin microbial inventories to elucidate the roles that geographic location, host evolutionary history, host ecology, and pathogen presence play in the microbial community assemblage of five co-distributed frog host species in Oklahoma. These focal species possess distinct ecological preferences: aquatic, semi-aquatic, and arboreal, and our results indicate that host ecology is the primary driver of frog skin microbial community structure. Additionally, compositional differences were observed among select host species based on geographic location, but this was not consistent among all five frog species. We did not find evidence of phylogenetic signal among our samples and results from the Classification and Regression Tree Analysis revealed that the presence of the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and the severity of infection were not drivers of skin microbiome differences among our focal host species. Results from this comparative study contribute to our growing understanding of the environmental and host-associated drivers of skin microbial community assemblage and represents one of the first studies on landscape-level variation in skin microbial communities among North American frogs.

Research on habitat quality assessment and decision-making based on Semi-supervised Ensemble Learning method—Daxia River Basin, China

Habitat quality is an indicator of the ecological evolution of a region, and evaluating habitat quality utilizing Machine Learning approaches can reflect the ecological status of a region more objectively. Gridded statistical ecological factors in the study region were utilized to build the Ecological Information State Layer (EISL) in the grid space. Calculate the Environmental Quality Index (EQI) of the sampled grid to evaluate the performance index of the models on the sampled grid. The model with the optimal performance index is selected for the task of habitat quality classification in the research region, and then especially decision-making advice is offered by inverting the degree of influence of ecological elements on habitat quality. The results show that: (1) The Semi-supervised Ensemble Learning model (Tri-training) Accuracy, Kappa coefficient, and F1-score are 0.93, 0.89, and 0.92, respectively, as the optimal model for the habitat quality classification task. (2) Based on the results of the ecological categories calculation, the current ecosystem quality of the southwestern section of the Daxia River Basin is maintained as a positive indicator. the ecosystem quality inside the living space centered on the cities of Linxia and Hezuo shows negative indicator changes. (3) The calculation results of the inverse importance of ecological factors show that vegetation index and human population density are the key factors impacting the habitat quality of the Daxia River Basin. In the ecological management of Daxia River Basin, the degree of spatial aggregation of people's settlements should be reduced while preserving and expanding vegetation cover. Using Tri-training's comprehensive analysis of multiple ecological factors, regional habitat quality can be accurately assessed.

Species-specific model to predict amphibian metamorphosis

Exploring the timing of life-history transitions has been a pivotal focus in the field of evolutionary ecology. Studies on amphibian metamorphosis are well suited to investigate this aspect. We propose a species-specific model to predict the optimal metamorphosis point for frog individuals with different larval growth trajectories. Because overall fitness will be determined throughout both aquatic and terrestrial stages, we included growth and survival rates of aquatic and terrestrial stages in the fitness equation. Then we conducted a rearing experiment on a brown frog, Rana ornativentris, as an example to obtain the size at metamorphosis, larval period, and larval growth trajectory. Based on these results, we determined the model's parameters to fit the actual metamorphosis patterns. Because the parameters are supposed to be evolutionarily maintained, our data-driven approach enabled obtaining fundamental ecological information (evolutionally-based life-history parameters) of the target species. Comparing the parameters among species will allow us to understand the mechanisms in determining life-history transition more deeply.

ECR Spotlight – Anuradha Batabyal

ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology during our centenary year, but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Anuradha Batabyal is the author of ‘Predator–prey systems as models for integrative research in biology: the value of a non-consumptive effects framework’, published in JEB. Anuradha conducted the research described in this article while a Postdoctoral Associate in Dr Ken Lukowiak's lab at Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Canada. She is now an Assistant Professor at FLAME University, India, investigating evolutionary behavioral ecology and cognitive biology.

Reference genome of the bicolored carpenter ant, Camponotus vicinus.

Carpenter ants in the genus Camponotus are large, conspicuous ants that are abundant and ecologically influential in many terrestrial ecosystems. The bicolored carpenter ant, C. vicinus Mayr, is distributed across a wide range of elevations and latitudes in western North America, where it is a prominent scavenger and predator. Here, we present a high-quality genome assembly of C. vicinus from a sample collected in Sonoma County, California, near the type locality of the species. This genome assembly consists of 38 scaffolds spanning 302.74Mb, with contig N50 of 15.9Mb, scaffold N50 of 19.9Mb, and BUSCO completeness of 99.2%. This genome sequence will be a valuable resource for exploring the evolutionary ecology of C. vicinus and carpenter ants generally. It also provides an important tool for clarifying cryptic diversity within the C. vicinus species complex, a genetically diverse set of populations, some of which are quite localized and of conservation interest.

Spatio-Temporal Evolution of Urban Expansion along Suburban Railway Lines in Megacities Based on Multi-Source Data: A Case Study of Beijing, China

Suburban railways in megacities exert a pivotal role in propelling urbanization and shaping urban agglomeration. However, previous study endeavors have overlooked the transformations occurring in urban expansion along suburban railways, with a particular dearth of attention on the spatio-temporal evolution of landscape ecology and urban function. Therefore, this study employs the megacity of Beijing as an example. It utilizes remote sensing and point-of-interest (POI) data spanning from 2008 to 2022 to construct an indicator system from two essential dimensions: urban form and function. We explored the spatio-temporal characteristics of alterations in urban expansion within the gradient buffer zone adjacent to the suburban railway network in Beijing. The results showed that: (1) The rates of urban expansion were highest in 2008–2013 and lowest in 2013–2018; moreover, suburban railways had the greatest impact on the built-up area within 2–4 km along the route, and the impact gradually decreased beyond 4 km. (2) The direction of urban expansion shifted northward in the direction of latitude and eastward in the direction of longitude from 2008 to 2022, with the shift in latitude being more distinct. (3) The number of urban functions gradually increased from 2008 to 2018, but the number of medical services suddenly increased and the number of other urban functions decreased from 2018 to 2022; in addition, urban functions other than scenic spots were mainly distributed in the main urban areas, with very few clusters distributed near stations. (4) The landscape shape index became more irregular and fragmented from the center along the route to the edge of the buffer zone from 2008 to 2013, and the degree of fragmentation was highest in the 2–4 km buffer zone. In summary, this paper analyzes the spatio-temporal characteristics of urban expansion along suburban railways through four indexes, namely expansion rate, expansion direction, urban function, and landscape shape, and the results of this study are of great significance to the development and planning of suburban railways in megacities.

Assessing the validity of fecal sampling for characterizing variation in threespine stickleback's gut microbiota.

The gut microbiota is crucial for many aspects of their hosts' biology, and it has been characterized for many species across the animal kingdom. Yet, we still don't have a good understanding of whether non-lethal sampling can accurately capture the diversity of gut-associated bacterial communities, as estimated from lethal sampling of intestinal tissue. We further lack knowledge on whether non-lethal sampling methods are suitable for detecting gut microbiota shifts associated with changes in environmental factors (e.g., diet). We addressed these questions in threespine stickleback fish, a model system for evolutionary ecology, by comparing bacterial communities from intestinal tissue and feces. Despite some differences in community composition between the two sample types and considerable temporal variation among fecal samples, bacterial communities appear to largely overlap. Further, we detected consistent and significant changes of fecal bacterial communities associated with an experimental diet manipulation. This suggests that fecal sampling can represent an adequate non-lethal method to characterize the gut microbiota of threespine stickleback, but additional studies will be necessary before drawing general conclusions regarding the validity of fecal sampling for gut microbiota studies. To this end, we give recommendations to improve the characterization of the gut microbiota via fecal sampling. Fecal sampling allows studying temporal gut microbiota shifts associated with environmental change at the individual level, which increases opportunities for future experimental gut microbiota research.

Bovine Meissner-like corpuscle and evolutionary ecology of mammalian somatosensory acuity.

The mammalian snout has Meissner's corpuscles (MCs), which transmit epicritic sensations as the animal explores its surroundings. To comprehend the somatosensory acuity in mammals, we examined the structural organization and density of bovine Meissner-like corpuscles (BMLCs) at various ages and compared the changes with other mammalian MCs. The skin from the snout of cows or oxen (2-11 years old) was obtained and processed through routine histological technique. Five-μm thick sections were prepared, silver stained according to the Bielschowsky technique as modified by Winkelman and Schmidt (Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 1957, 217), and observed under a compound light microscope quantitatively and qualitatively. The glabrous skin of the cow snout consisted of two types of BMLCs: One was a cylindrical or elongated structure found in the dermal papillae. The other type was spherical and developed in the superficial layers of the epidermis. BMLCs consisted of both coarse and fine nerve fibres. In the young, the corpuscle comprised thin nerve fibres with indistinct cell outlines. In adults, nerve fibres in the corpuscles were closely packed, and networks, varicosities and end bulbs were well developed. With advancing age, the MCs attenuated into a disorganized mass of nerve fibres. The bovine snout is a highly evolved somatosensory organ due to its rich nerve supply and functionally resembles the anthropoid fingertip. Somatosensory acuity will be lower in the glabrous bovine skin than in primate glabrous skin of the fingertip, as the nerve terminals within the BMLCs are less elaborate in content and structural complexity.

Shotgun metagenomics captures more microbial diversity than targeted 16S rRNA gene sequencing for field specimens and preserved museum specimens.

The use of museum specimens for research in microbial evolutionary ecology remains an under-utilized investigative dimension with important potential. Despite this potential, there remain barriers in methodology and analysis to the wide-spread adoption of museum specimens for such studies. Here, we hypothesized that there would be significant differences in taxonomic prediction and related diversity among sample type (museum or fresh) and sequencing strategy (medium-depth shotgun metagenomic or 16S rRNA gene). We found dramatically higher predicted diversity from shotgun metagenomics when compared to 16S rRNA gene sequencing in museum and fresh samples, with this differential being larger in museum specimens. Broadly confirming these hypotheses, the highest diversity found in fresh samples was with shotgun sequencing using the Rep200 reference inclusive of viruses and microeukaryotes, followed by the WoL reference database. In museum-specimens, community diversity metrics also differed significantly between sequencing strategies, with the alpha-diversity ACE differential being significantly greater than the same comparisons made for fresh specimens. Beta diversity results were more variable, with significance dependent on reference databases used. Taken together, these findings demonstrate important differences in diversity results and prompt important considerations for future experiments and downstream analyses aiming to incorporate microbiome datasets from museum specimens.

Impact of fintech and environmental regulation on green innovation: inspiration from prefecture-level cities in China

Environmental regulations may promote regional ecological evolution, but they also increase the need for financing green innovation activities. This study uses panel data from prefecture-level cities in China to examine the impact of fintech and environmental regulation on regional green innovation in the digital economy era. Empirical evidence shows that fintech significantly promotes regional green innovation, and fintech has a positive interaction effect with environmental regulation. While the evidence generally supports the role of environmental regulations in promoting green innovation, the evidence is insignificant in some models. The synergistic effect of fintech and environmental regulation on utility model green innovation is significant, but not on invention type green innovation. Climate policy, as a carbon regulatory policy, does not directly lead to green innovation, but it significantly collaborates with fintech to promote green innovation. The effects of fintech and environmental regulation on green innovation also have heterogeneity effects between resource-based and non-resource-based cities, and non-resource-based cities have a greater effect on achieving green innovation through fintech and environmental regulation. Our findings contribute to optimizing the coordination system between financial and environmental policies, thereby driving regional green innovation development with fintech in the digital age.

Frameworks for Interpreting the Early Fossil Record of Eukaryotes.

The origin of modern eukaryotes is one of the key transitions in life's history, and also one of the least understood. Although the fossil record provides the most direct view of this process, interpreting the fossils of early eukaryotes and eukaryote-grade organisms is not straightforward. We present two end-member models for the evolution of modern (i.e., crown) eukaryotes-one in which modern eukaryotes evolved early, and another in which they evolved late-and interpret key fossils within these frameworks, including where they might fit in eukaryote phylogeny and what they may tell us about the evolution of eukaryotic cell biology and ecology. Each model has different implications for understanding the rise of complex life on Earth, including different roles of Earth surface oxygenation, and makes different predictions that future paleontological studies can test.

Beyond simple adaptation: Incorporating other evolutionary processes and concepts into eco-evolutionary dynamics.

Studies of eco-evolutionary dynamics have integrated evolution with ecological processes at multiple scales (populations, communities and ecosystems) and with multiple interspecific interactions (antagonistic, mutualistic and competitive). However, evolution has often been conceptualised as a simple process: short-term directional adaptation that increases population growth. Here we argue that diverse other evolutionary processes, well studied in population genetics and evolutionary ecology, should also be considered to explore the full spectrum of feedback between ecological and evolutionary processes. Relevant but underappreciated processes include (1) drift and mutation, (2) disruptive selection causing lineage diversification or speciation reversal and (3) evolution driven by relative fitness differences that may decrease population growth. Because eco-evolutionary dynamics have often been studied by population and community ecologists, it will be important to incorporate a variety of concepts in population genetics and evolutionary ecology to better understand and predict eco-evolutionary dynamics in nature.

Habitat geometry rather than visual acuity limits the visibility of a ground-nesting bird's clutch to terrestrial predators.

The nests of ground-nesting birds rely heavily on camouflage for their survival, and predation risk, often linked to ecological changes from human activity, is a major source of mortality. Numerous ground-nesting bird populations are in decline, so understanding the effects of camouflage on their nesting behavior is relevant to their conservation concerns. Habitat three-dimensional (3D) geometry, together with predator visual abilities, viewing distance, and viewing angle, determine whether a nest is either visible, occluded, or too far away to detect. While this link is intuitive, few studies have investigated how fine-scale geometry is likely to help defend nests from different predator guilds. We quantified nest visibility based on 3D occlusion, camouflage, and predator visual modeling in northern lapwings, Vanellus vanellus, on different land management regimes. Lapwings selected local backgrounds that had a higher 3D complexity at a spatial scale greater than their entire clutches compared to local control sites. Importantly, our findings show that habitat geometry-rather than predator visual acuity-restricts nest visibility for terrestrial predators and that their field habitats, perceived by humans as open, are functionally closed with respect to a terrestrial predator searching for nests on the ground. Taken together with lapwings' careful nest site selection, our findings highlight the importance of considering habitat geometry for understanding the evolutionary ecology and management of conservation sites for ground-nesting birds.