The use of a lacertid lizard as a model for reptile ecotoxicology studies - Part 1 Field demographics and morphology

Amaral, M.; Carretero, Miguel Á.; Bicho, Rita C.; Soares, Amadeu M.V.M.; Mann, Reinier M.

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.12.075

Cited by 56 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Unfortunately, there are few studies on lizards where effects of pollutants on developmental stability have been evaluated. High FA was found in populations of Sceloporus occidentalis inhabiting areas with high use of motor vehicles [44], but FA in femoral pores was found to be unaffected by a mixture of pesticides in Podarcis bocagei inhabiting agroenvironments [45].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…In lizards, high levels of FA have been associated with small island size and inbreeding [37], [38], habitat fragmentation [39], suboptimal incubation temperatures [40]–[43] and pollution ([44], but see [45]). Also, a correlation between FA and performance components potentially influencing fitness has been shown in Psammodromus algirus [46] and in Iberolacerta cyreni [47], where hindlimb asymmetry reduces running speeds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lizards from Urban Areas Are More Asymmetric: Using Fluctuating Asymmetry to Evaluate Environmental Disturbance

et al. 2013

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The increase in human activities that leads to wildlife decline and species extinction poses an urgent need for simple indicators of environmental stress in animal populations. Several studies have suggested that fluctuating asymmetry (FA) can be an easy, direct measure of developmental instability because it is associated to environmental stress and, as such, it can be a useful indicator of population disturbance. We examined three different morphological traits in urban and rural populations of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) to test whether anthropogenic disturbance causes an increase in FA. Compared to rural populations, urban ones showed higher levels of FA in all analyzed traits, thus providing evidence that FA can respond to anthropogenic disturbance. However, we also found significant differences in FA among traits, where femoral pores and subdigital lamellae, traits with a functional relevance, were more stable developmentally compared to supracilliar granules which have no evident function. Unsigned FA [abs(right-left)] exhibited significant, but weak, positive correlations among traits, indicating that developmental noise does not have a uniform effect across characters and thus questioning the view of developmental stability as an organism-wide property. The degree of signed FA (right-left) was more similar between structurally associated traits, possibly as an outcome of morphological integration. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that FA can be a reliable indicator of disturbance provided that it is analyzed on multiple traits simultaneously and examined at the population level.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lizards from Urban Areas Are More Asymmetric: Using Fluctuating Asymmetry to Evaluate Environmental Disturbance

et al. 2013

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“…In ecotoxicology, toxic agents can show effects on individuals, but to generalize these effects and draw conclusions, it is necessary to do a population study (Amaral et al, 2012). Therefore, in this report we described two studies that we performed to evaluate the differences between a population study and an individual study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Random amplified polymorphic DNA reveals that TiO2 nanoparticles are genotoxic to Cucurbita pepo

Moreno-Olivas

Gant

Johnson

et al. 2014

J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. A

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Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs) are used in cosmetics, sunscreens, paints, and toothpaste, among other applications. These NPs are very stable and can be transported and dispersed in wastewater and biosolids. Animal species have shown negative reactions to TiO 2 NPs. However, little is known about their toxicity in plants, specifically the possibility of genotoxic effects. In this study, we used a random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique to study the genotoxic effects of TiO 2 NPs on hydroponically cultivated zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) plants. Seeds were allowed to germinate for 7 d and plants were selected at random for individual and population studies. Four plants were selected for the individual study and 18 for the population study. RAPD profiles of TiO 2 NPs treated plants showed differences in band intensity, loss of bands, or appearance of new bands, compared to untreated plants. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of the genotoxic potential of TiO 2 NPs in zucchini.

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“…Farmers use combinations of different products that have varied over the years because of EU bans and/ or to avoid plant resistance. A more detailed description of the collection sites, including soil-pesticide profiles, is available in the work of Amaral et al (2012).…”

Section: Study Sites and Experimental Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Composition and seasonal variation of epigeic arthropods in field margins of NW Portugal

Simão

Carretero²,

Amaral³

et al. 2015

Turk J Zool

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Field margins act as shelters for different arthropod taxa in agricultural fields. Several factors may promote seasonal changes in arthropod communities, especially in regions with marked seasonality, such as Mediterranean areas. Epigeic arthropods were sampled from the margins of fields located in northwestern Portugal during 2 contrasting seasons, spring and autumn. Organisms were identified to family or order level and seasonal variation in arthropod communities was evaluated. Abundance, group richness, and feeding guild parameters were affected by sampling season, with both abundance and richness being higher in spring. Of the groups captured in both seasons, most evidenced either higher abundance in spring or similar abundance between seasons. Ants constituted one of the most abundant trophic guilds in spring but one of the least captured in autumn, while catches of parasitoids and parasites were not affected by sampling season. Results indicate that the higher taxa approach is useful to distinguish seasonally distinct communities.

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The use of a lacertid lizard as a model for reptile ecotoxicology studies - Part 1 Field demographics and morphology

Cited by 56 publications

References 41 publications

Lizards from Urban Areas Are More Asymmetric: Using Fluctuating Asymmetry to Evaluate Environmental Disturbance

Lizards from Urban Areas Are More Asymmetric: Using Fluctuating Asymmetry to Evaluate Environmental Disturbance

Random amplified polymorphic DNA reveals that TiO2 nanoparticles are genotoxic to Cucurbita pepo

Composition and seasonal variation of epigeic arthropods in field margins of NW Portugal

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