Phenotypic differentiation in a resilient dung beetle species induced by forest conversion into cattle pastures

• Published in: Evolutionary ecology Vol. 33; no. 3; pp. 385 - 402
• Main Authors: Soto, C. Soledad, Giombini, Mariano I., Giménez Gómez, Victoria C., Zurita, Gustavo A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Animal Ecology; anthropogenic activities; Anthropogenic factors; Beef cattle; Beetles; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Body size; burrowing; Canthon; Canthon quinquemaculatus; Cattle; Conversion; Differentiation (biology); Dung; dung beetles; Ecological function; Ecological monitoring; Ecological niches; Ecology; Ecosystems; Environmental conditions; environmental factors; evolution; Evolutionary Biology; feces; females; femur; Food resources; Forests; functional diversity; Functional morphology; habitat destruction; Habitats; Human influences; intraspecific variation; land use change; Life Sciences; males; Morphology; Niche (Ecology); Niches; Original Paper; Pasture; Pastures; phenotype; phenotypic plasticity; Plant Sciences; Rare species; Resource availability; Sexual dimorphism; subtropics; tibia; Phenotypic variation; Quantitative traits; Functional morphology; Habitat loss; Plasticity

Forest conversion into lands for different uses is a widespread practice in tropical and subtropical regions. Such anthropogenic disturbance drastically modifies environmental conditions and availability of resources for species (ecological niche). While many species usually disappear or become rare...