Experimental Investigation of the Dietary Ecology of the Extinct Passenger Pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius

Novak, Ben J.; Estes, James A.; Shaw, Holland E.; Novak, Erika V.; Shapiro, Beth

doi:10.3389/fevo.2018.00020

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…For example, the abundance and distribution of each species will disproportionately affect their impact as seed predators, in particular the numbers of seeds that are destroyed (e.g. Novak, Estes, Shaw, Novak, & Shapiro, 2018). The current impact of rodents limiting plant recruitment is likely to be large not just because of their ability to destroy even the largest and hardest seeds, but also because of their wide distribution and high abundances in nearly all types and tiers of habitats across all three island groups.…”

Section: Developing a More Comprehensive Understanding Of Functionamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, recent reconstructions of the ecological function of extinct species underpinned by modelling, inferences from allometric scaling and palaeoecological data demonstrate new capabilities in understanding the roles of extinct species (e.g. Latham et al, 2019;Novak et al, 2018;Pires, Guimarães, Galetti, & Jordano, 2018). High resolution reconstructions of extinct species' seed interactions based on species density, distribution and diet may be a promising future research avenue.…”

Section: Developing a More Comprehensive Understanding Of Functionamentioning

confidence: 99%

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The forgotten fauna: Native vertebrate seed predators on islands

et al. 2020

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Human colonization of islands has resulted in the reduction or loss of many native species, and the introduction of non‐native species, producing novel ecosystems. The impacts of these changes on mutualistic plant–animal interactions have received considerable attention, but the potential effects on some antagonistic interactions, such as seed predation, are less thoroughly understood, and often overlooked. Using three archetypal island groups—New Zealand, the Mascarenes and Hawaiʻi—we compare the taxonomic richness and functional diversity of vertebrate seed predators from prehuman and contemporary ecosystems. We scored species on several traits relevant to seed predation, then clustered species into functionally similar groups using hierarchical clustering. These archipelagos once supported between 19 and 24 species of exclusively avian seed predators (representing two to four orders) ranging from large, flightless herbivores to small, volant finches and parrots. Following human arrival, 63%–89% of these species went extinct, and between 12 and 23 non‐native seed predators were introduced. Contemporary seed predator faunas consist of between 14 and 26 species (representing six to seven orders), dominated by non‐native granivorous birds and omnivorous mammals. Our results reveal several examples in which non‐native species may be functionally similar to extinct seed predators, but most non‐native species are functionally different from extinct species, and therefore may be introducing novel seed predation pressures for insular ecosystems. Mammalian seed predators are especially functionally different from the native avian seed predators, as their teeth and widespread habitat distribution allow them to destroy a more diverse range of seeds, including the largest seeds. We highlight the need to understand how these altered seed predator communities are affecting native plant populations, particularly in the context of reduced pollination and seed dispersal. More broadly, we argue that antagonistic interactions are an integral part of any ecosystem, and therefore must be understood if we are to achieve more holistic restoration frameworks for insular ecosystems. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

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Section: Developing a More Comprehensive Understanding Of Functionamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Developing a More Comprehensive Understanding Of Functionamentioning

confidence: 99%

The forgotten fauna: Native vertebrate seed predators on islands

et al. 2020

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“…The passenger pigeon program has established foundational animal husbandry research for the in vitro, in vivo and ex situ stages [ 113 , 118 ] and is currently working to develop a strain of domestic pigeons for model functional genomics research [ 119 ]. Significant ecological (in situ) insight for passenger pigeon de-extinction has been gained from in silico genomic data [ 58 ] and ex situ/in situ dietary experiments [ 112 ].…”

Section: Active De-extinction Breeding Initiativesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Currently, program collaborators are using newly developed bioinformatic pathways [ 111 ] to identify candidate passenger pigeon alleles for de-extinction purposes using a comparative genomics process that compares species pairs based upon shared/derived phenotypes (in situ to in silico insight pathway). The species’ ecology has been clarified further through ex situ observations of band-tailed pigeon digestion and in situ experiments to understand seed dispersal and predation [ 112 ]. The program has studied the animal husbandry of the template species [ 113 ] and used tissues from one of the Bronx Zoo individuals of that study to improve the Murray et al genome sequence to a chromosomal level assembly (unpublished).…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

De-Extinction

Maillard

2018

Genes

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De-extinction projects for species such as the woolly mammoth and passenger pigeon have greatly stimulated public and scientific interest, producing a large body of literature and much debate. To date, there has been little consistency in descriptions of de-extinction technologies and purposes. In 2016, a special committee of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published a set of guidelines for de-extinction practice, establishing the first detailed description of de-extinction; yet incoherencies in published literature persist. There are even several problems with the IUCN definition. Here I present a comprehensive definition of de-extinction practice and rationale that expounds and reconciles the biological and ecological inconsistencies in the IUCN definition. This new definition brings together the practices of reintroduction and ecological replacement with de-extinction efforts that employ breeding strategies to recover unique extinct phenotypes into a single “de-extinction” discipline. An accurate understanding of de-extinction and biotechnology segregates the restoration of certain species into a new classification of endangerment, removing them from the purview of de-extinction and into the arena of species’ recovery. I term these species as “evolutionarily torpid species”; a term to apply to species falsely considered extinct, which in fact persist in the form of cryopreserved tissues and cultured cells. For the first time in published literature, all currently active de-extinction breeding programs are reviewed and their progress presented. Lastly, I review and scrutinize various topics pertaining to de-extinction in light of the growing body of peer-reviewed literature published since de-extinction breeding programs gained public attention in 2013.

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“…Before its extinction, the passenger pigeon accounted for approximately 20%–40% of the entire North American avifauna (Greenberg, 2014; Schorger, 1955). It was a nomadic species that would follow the availability of forest mast (Novak et al, 2018) and was known to travel in flocks numbering in the billions. Accounts describe passenger pigeon flocks eclipsing the sun for hours, or even days, at a time (Blockstein, 2002; Greenberg, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An agent‐based model determining a successful reintroduction of the extinct passenger pigeon

Elzinga

Boggess

Collignon

et al. 2020

Natural Resource Modeling

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The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was an iconic species in eastern North America that was one of the most numerous birds in the world at the time of European colonization. Passenger pigeons went extinct in 1914 due to excessive hunting. Current research aims to de‐extinct the passenger pigeon and someday release the species into its historic range. To determine under which conditions a passenger pigeon colony could survive a reintroduction into a natural habitat, we developed an agent‐based model to simulate the population dynamics of the passenger pigeon in a number of present‐day forest environments. The model incorporates the following stochastic processes: resource distribution, reproduction, and natural death. Bioenergetics, forest composition, and other ecological values were obtained from literature. Our simulation results suggest that passenger pigeons could survive a reintroduction into a modern natural environment, but their survival can be optimized with certain release dates, sex ratios, and forest composition. Recommendations for Resource Managers Genome engineering advancements suggest that the de‐extinction of passenger pigeons is feasible; however, the ability for passenger pigeons to live in the modern forest composition of their old habitat remains unexplored. Our model suggests the following regarding reintroduction strategies: A successful reintroduction of passenger pigeons is plausible, but sensitive to the strategy selected. Moderate deviations from optimal reintroduction strategies can greatly diminish the probability of a successful reintroduction. The optimal successful reintroduction strategy has an equal number of male and female passenger pigeons released in a dense oak‐hickory forest at the peak of the forest's masting cycle. Beyond persistence, the population growth of passenger pigeons within 10 years is at best, limited. Efforts to monitor and protect passenger pigeons during the transient phase of their reintroduction is critical.

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Experimental Investigation of the Dietary Ecology of the Extinct Passenger Pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius

Cited by 8 publications

References 33 publications

The forgotten fauna: Native vertebrate seed predators on islands

The forgotten fauna: Native vertebrate seed predators on islands

De-Extinction

An agent‐based model determining a successful reintroduction of the extinct passenger pigeon

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