Key publications
Duarte A, Cotter SC, De Gasperin O, Houslay TM, Boncoraglio G, Welch M, Kilner RM (In Press). No evidence of a cleaning mutualism between burying beetles and their phoretic mites.
Sci Rep,
7(1).
Abstract:
No evidence of a cleaning mutualism between burying beetles and their phoretic mites.
Burying beetles (Nicrophorus vespilloides) breed on small vertebrate carcasses, which they shave and smear with antimicrobial exudates. Producing antimicrobials imposes a fitness cost on burying beetles, which rises with the potency of the antimicrobial defence. Burying beetles also carry phoretic mites (Poecilochirus carabi complex), which breed alongside them on the carcass. Here we test the novel hypothesis that P. carabi mites assist burying beetles in clearing the carcass of bacteria as a side-effect of grazing on the carrion. We manipulated the bacterial environment on carcasses and measured the effect on the beetle in the presence and absence of mites. With next-generation sequencing, we investigated how mites influence the bacterial communities on the carcass. We show that mites: 1) cause beetles to reduce the antibacterial activity of their exudates but 2) there are no consistent fitness benefits of breeding alongside mites. We also find that mites increase bacterial diversity and richness on the carcass, but do not reduce bacterial abundance. The current evidence does not support a cleaning mutualism between burying beetles and P. carabi mites, but more work is needed to understand the functional significance and fitness consequences for the beetle of mite-associated changes to the bacterial community on the carcass.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Duarte A, Welch M, Swannack C, Wagner J, Kilner RM (2017). Strategies for managing rival bacterial communities: Lessons from burying beetles. Journal of Animal Ecology, 87(2), 414-427.
Palmer WJ, Duarte A, Schrader M, Day JP, Kilner R, Jiggins FM (2016). A gene associated with social immunity in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 283(1823), 20152733-20152733.
Duarte A, Cotter SC, Reavey CE, Ward RJS, De Gasperin O, Kilner RM (2015). Social immunity of the family: parental contributions to a public good modulated by brood size. Evolutionary Ecology, 30(1), 123-135.
Duarte A, Scholtens E, Weissing FJ (2012). Implications of Behavioral Architecture for the Evolution of Self-Organized Division of Labor. PLoS Computational Biology, 8(3), e1002430-e1002430.
Duarte A, Weissing FJ, Pen I, Keller L (2011). An Evolutionary Perspective on Self-Organized Division of Labor in Social Insects. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 42(1), 91-110.
Publications by category
Journal articles
De Gasperin O, Duarte A, Troscianko J, Kilner RM (In Press). Fitness costs associated with building and maintaining the burying beetle's carrion nest.
Sci Rep,
6Abstract:
Fitness costs associated with building and maintaining the burying beetle's carrion nest.
It is well-known that features of animal nest architecture can be explained by fitness benefits gained by the offspring housed within. Here we focus on the little-tested suggestion that the fitness costs associated with building and maintaining a nest should additionally account for aspects of its architecture. Burying beetles prepare an edible nest for their young from a small vertebrate carcass, by ripping off any fur or feathers and rolling the flesh into a rounded ball. We found evidence that only larger beetles are able to construct rounder carcass nests, and that rounder carcass nests are associated with lower maintenance costs. Offspring success, however, was not explained by nest roundness. Our experiment thus provides rare support for the suggestion that construction and maintenance costs are key to understanding animal architecture.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Duarte A, Cotter SC, De Gasperin O, Houslay TM, Boncoraglio G, Welch M, Kilner RM (In Press). No evidence of a cleaning mutualism between burying beetles and their phoretic mites.
Sci Rep,
7(1).
Abstract:
No evidence of a cleaning mutualism between burying beetles and their phoretic mites.
Burying beetles (Nicrophorus vespilloides) breed on small vertebrate carcasses, which they shave and smear with antimicrobial exudates. Producing antimicrobials imposes a fitness cost on burying beetles, which rises with the potency of the antimicrobial defence. Burying beetles also carry phoretic mites (Poecilochirus carabi complex), which breed alongside them on the carcass. Here we test the novel hypothesis that P. carabi mites assist burying beetles in clearing the carcass of bacteria as a side-effect of grazing on the carrion. We manipulated the bacterial environment on carcasses and measured the effect on the beetle in the presence and absence of mites. With next-generation sequencing, we investigated how mites influence the bacterial communities on the carcass. We show that mites: 1) cause beetles to reduce the antibacterial activity of their exudates but 2) there are no consistent fitness benefits of breeding alongside mites. We also find that mites increase bacterial diversity and richness on the carcass, but do not reduce bacterial abundance. The current evidence does not support a cleaning mutualism between burying beetles and P. carabi mites, but more work is needed to understand the functional significance and fitness consequences for the beetle of mite-associated changes to the bacterial community on the carcass.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Duarte A, Welch M, Swannack C, Wagner J, Kilner RM (2017). Strategies for managing rival bacterial communities: Lessons from burying beetles. Journal of Animal Ecology, 87(2), 414-427.
Palmer WJ, Duarte A, Schrader M, Day JP, Kilner R, Jiggins FM (2016). A gene associated with social immunity in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 283(1823), 20152733-20152733.
De Gasperin O, Duarte A, Kilner RM (2015). Interspecific interactions explain variation in the duration of paternal care in the burying beetle. Animal Behaviour, 109, 199-207.
Duarte A, Cotter SC, Reavey CE, Ward RJS, De Gasperin O, Kilner RM (2015). Social immunity of the family: parental contributions to a public good modulated by brood size. Evolutionary Ecology, 30(1), 123-135.
Duarte A, Pen I, Keller L, Weissing FJ (2012). Evolution of self-organized division of labor in a response threshold model. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 66(6), 947-957.
Duarte A, Scholtens E, Weissing FJ (2012). Implications of Behavioral Architecture for the Evolution of Self-Organized Division of Labor. PLoS Computational Biology, 8(3), e1002430-e1002430.
Duarte A, Weissing FJ, Pen I, Keller L (2011). An Evolutionary Perspective on Self-Organized Division of Labor in Social Insects. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 42(1), 91-110.
SIMÕES P, ROSE MR, DUARTE A, GONÇALVES R, MATOS M (2007). Evolutionary domestication in Drosophila subobscura. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 20(2), 758-766.
Matos M, Simões P, Duarte A, Rego C, Avelar T, Rose MR (2004). CONVERGENCE TO a NOVEL ENVIRONMENT: COMPARATIVE METHOD VERSUS EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION. Evolution, 58(7), 1503-1503.
Publications by year
In Press
De Gasperin O, Duarte A, Troscianko J, Kilner RM (In Press). Fitness costs associated with building and maintaining the burying beetle's carrion nest.
Sci Rep,
6Abstract:
Fitness costs associated with building and maintaining the burying beetle's carrion nest.
It is well-known that features of animal nest architecture can be explained by fitness benefits gained by the offspring housed within. Here we focus on the little-tested suggestion that the fitness costs associated with building and maintaining a nest should additionally account for aspects of its architecture. Burying beetles prepare an edible nest for their young from a small vertebrate carcass, by ripping off any fur or feathers and rolling the flesh into a rounded ball. We found evidence that only larger beetles are able to construct rounder carcass nests, and that rounder carcass nests are associated with lower maintenance costs. Offspring success, however, was not explained by nest roundness. Our experiment thus provides rare support for the suggestion that construction and maintenance costs are key to understanding animal architecture.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Duarte A, Cotter SC, De Gasperin O, Houslay TM, Boncoraglio G, Welch M, Kilner RM (In Press). No evidence of a cleaning mutualism between burying beetles and their phoretic mites.
Sci Rep,
7(1).
Abstract:
No evidence of a cleaning mutualism between burying beetles and their phoretic mites.
Burying beetles (Nicrophorus vespilloides) breed on small vertebrate carcasses, which they shave and smear with antimicrobial exudates. Producing antimicrobials imposes a fitness cost on burying beetles, which rises with the potency of the antimicrobial defence. Burying beetles also carry phoretic mites (Poecilochirus carabi complex), which breed alongside them on the carcass. Here we test the novel hypothesis that P. carabi mites assist burying beetles in clearing the carcass of bacteria as a side-effect of grazing on the carrion. We manipulated the bacterial environment on carcasses and measured the effect on the beetle in the presence and absence of mites. With next-generation sequencing, we investigated how mites influence the bacterial communities on the carcass. We show that mites: 1) cause beetles to reduce the antibacterial activity of their exudates but 2) there are no consistent fitness benefits of breeding alongside mites. We also find that mites increase bacterial diversity and richness on the carcass, but do not reduce bacterial abundance. The current evidence does not support a cleaning mutualism between burying beetles and P. carabi mites, but more work is needed to understand the functional significance and fitness consequences for the beetle of mite-associated changes to the bacterial community on the carcass.
Abstract.
Author URL.
2017
Duarte A, Welch M, Swannack C, Wagner J, Kilner RM (2017). Strategies for managing rival bacterial communities: Lessons from burying beetles. Journal of Animal Ecology, 87(2), 414-427.
2016
Palmer WJ, Duarte A, Schrader M, Day JP, Kilner R, Jiggins FM (2016). A gene associated with social immunity in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 283(1823), 20152733-20152733.
2015
De Gasperin O, Duarte A, Kilner RM (2015). Interspecific interactions explain variation in the duration of paternal care in the burying beetle. Animal Behaviour, 109, 199-207.
Duarte A, Cotter SC, Reavey CE, Ward RJS, De Gasperin O, Kilner RM (2015). Social immunity of the family: parental contributions to a public good modulated by brood size. Evolutionary Ecology, 30(1), 123-135.
2012
Duarte A, Pen I, Keller L, Weissing FJ (2012). Evolution of self-organized division of labor in a response threshold model. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 66(6), 947-957.
Duarte A, Scholtens E, Weissing FJ (2012). Implications of Behavioral Architecture for the Evolution of Self-Organized Division of Labor. PLoS Computational Biology, 8(3), e1002430-e1002430.
2011
Duarte A, Weissing FJ, Pen I, Keller L (2011). An Evolutionary Perspective on Self-Organized Division of Labor in Social Insects. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 42(1), 91-110.
2007
SIMÕES P, ROSE MR, DUARTE A, GONÇALVES R, MATOS M (2007). Evolutionary domestication in Drosophila subobscura. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 20(2), 758-766.
2004
Matos M, Simões P, Duarte A, Rego C, Avelar T, Rose MR (2004). CONVERGENCE TO a NOVEL ENVIRONMENT: COMPARATIVE METHOD VERSUS EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION. Evolution, 58(7), 1503-1503.
