A Neotropical Companion

Kricher, John

doi:10.2307/j.ctvcszzpj

“…On each of three different days in January 2014, we placed 297 models, 99 of each type, for a total of 891 models. These experiments took place during the dry season for two reasons: because predation rates on insects increase then, perhaps due to decreased abundance of insect prey in general, and to avoid rain damage to the models (Kricher, ). Each model was checked daily for 3 days for beak, teeth and mandible marks (see Finkbeiner et al ., ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Keeping the band together: evidence for false boundary disruptive coloration in a butterfly

Seymoure

¹

,

Aiello

²

2015

J of Evolutionary Biology

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There is a recent surge of evidence supporting disruptive coloration, in which patterns break up the animal's outline through false edges or boundaries, increasing survival in animals by reducing predator detection and/or preventing recognition. Although research has demonstrated that false edges are successful for reducing predation of prey, research into the role of internal false boundaries (i.e. stripes and bands) in reducing predation remains warranted. Many animals have stripes and bands that may function disruptively. Here, we test the possible disruptive function of wing band patterning in a butterfly, Anartia fatima, using artificial paper and plasticine models in Panama. We manipulated the band so that one model type had the band shifted to the wing margin (nondisruptive treatment) and another model had a discontinuous band located on the wing margin (discontinuous edge treatment). We kept the natural wing pattern to represent the false boundary treatment. Across all treatment groups, we standardized the area of colour and used avian visual models to confirm a match between manipulated and natural wing colours. False boundary models had higher survival than either the discontinuous edge model or the nondisruptive model. There was no survival difference between the discontinuous edge model and the nondisruptive model. Our results demonstrate the importance of wing bands in reducing predation on butterflies and show that markings set in from the wing margin can reduce predation more effectively than marginal bands and discontinuous marginal patterns. This study demonstrates an adaptive benefit of having stripes and bands.

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“…This region has an annual rainfall of more than 4,000 mm (158 inches) and average daytime temperatures of 29 °C (85 °F) (Kricher, 1999). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local domestication of lactic acid bacteria via cassava beer fermentation

Colehour

¹

,

Meadow

²

,

Liebert

³

et al. 2014

PeerJ

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Cassava beer, or chicha, is typically consumed daily by the indigenous Shuar people of the Ecuadorian Amazon. This traditional beverage made from cassava tuber (Manihot esculenta) is thought to improve nutritional quality and flavor while extending shelf life in a tropical climate. Bacteria responsible for chicha fermentation could be a source of microbes for the human microbiome, but little is known regarding the microbiology of chicha. We investigated bacterial community composition of chicha batches using Illumina high-throughput sequencing. Fermented chicha samples were collected from seven Shuar households in two neighboring villages in the Morona-Santiago region of Ecuador, and the composition of the bacterial communities within each chicha sample was determined by sequencing a region of the 16S ribosomal gene. Members of the genus Lactobacillus dominated all samples. Significantly greater phylogenetic similarity was observed among chicha samples taken within a village than those from different villages. Community composition varied among chicha samples, even those separated by short geographic distances, suggesting that ecological and/or evolutionary processes, including human-mediated factors, may be responsible for creating locally distinct ferments. Our results add to evidence from other fermentation systems suggesting that traditional fermentation may be a form of domestication, providing endemic beneficial inocula for consumers, but additional research is needed to identify the mechanisms and extent of microbial dispersal.

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“…All samples were taken within the Cross-Cutucú region of Amazonian Ecuador, which lies east of the Cutucú Mountains in the tropical Amazon rainforest. This region has an annual rainfall of more than 4,000 mm (158 inches) and average daytime temperatures of 29C (85F) (Kricher, 1999). The Shuar are a forager-horticulturalist group indigenous to the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest and live primarily in small riverine villages.…”

Section: Population and Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local domestication of microbes via cassava beer fermentation

Colehour

¹

,

Meadow

²

,

Cepon-Robins

³

et al. 2014

Preprint

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Cassava beer, or chicha, is typically consumed daily by the indigenous Shuar people of the Ecuadorian Amazon. This traditional beverage made from cassava tuber (Manihot esculenta) improves nutritional quality and flavor while extending shelf life in a tropical climate. Bacteria responsible for chicha fermentation could be a source of microbes beneficial to human health, but little is known regarding the microbiology of chicha. We investigated bacterial community composition of chicha batches using Illumina high-throughput sequencing.Fermented chicha samples were collected from seven Shuar households in two neighboring villages in the Morona-Santiago region of Ecuador, and the composition of the bacterial communities within each chicha sample was determined by sequencing a region of the 16S ribosomal gene. Members of the genus Lactobacillus dominated all samples, demonstrating that chicha is a source of organisms related to known probiotics. Significantly greater taxonomic similarity was observed between communities in chicha samples taken within a village than those from different villages. Community composition varied among chicha samples, even those separated by short geographic distances, suggesting that ecological and/or evolutionary processes, including human preference, may be responsible for creating locally adapted and regionally resilient ferments. Our results suggest that traditional fermentation may be a form of domestication that provides endemic beneficial inocula for consumers.PeerJ PrePrints | http://dx.doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.233v1 | CC-BY 3.0 ABSTRACT Cassava beer, or chicha, is typically consumed daily by the indigenous Shuar people of the Ecuadorian Amazon. This traditional beverage made from cassava tuber (Manihot esculenta) improves nutritional quality and flavor while extending shelf life in a tropical climate. Bacteria responsible for chicha fermentation could be a source of microbes beneficial to human health, but little is known regarding the microbiology of chicha. We investigated bacterial community composition of chicha batches using Illumina highthroughput sequencing. Fermented chicha samples were collected from seven Shuar households in two neighboring villages in the Morona-Santiago region of Ecuador, and the composition of the bacterial communities within each chicha sample was determined by sequencing a region of the 16S ribosomal gene. Members of the genus Lactobacillus dominated all samples, demonstrating that chicha is a source of organisms related to known probiotics. Significantly greater taxonomic similarity was observed between communities in chicha samples taken within a village than those from different villages. Community composition varied among chicha samples, even those separated by short geographic distances, suggesting that ecological and/or evolutionary processes, including human preference, may be responsible for creating locally adapted and regionally resilient ferments. Our results suggest that traditional fermentation may be a form of domestication t...

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A Neotropical Companion

Cited by 11 publications

References 0 publications

Keeping the band together: evidence for false boundary disruptive coloration in a butterfly

Keeping the band together: evidence for false boundary disruptive coloration in a butterfly

Local domestication of lactic acid bacteria via cassava beer fermentation

Local domestication of microbes via cassava beer fermentation

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