No signature of selection on the C-terminal region of glucose transporter 2 with the evolution of avian nectarivory

Background:Flying birds,especially those that hover,need to meet high energetic demands.Birds that meet this demand through nectarivory face the added challenges of maintaining homeostasis in the face of spikes in blood sugar associated with nectar meals,as well as transporting that sugar to energetically demanding tissues.Nectarivory has evolved many times in birds and we hypothesized that the challenges of this dietary strategy would exert selective pressure on key aspects of metabolic physiology.Specifically,we hypothesized we would find convergent or parallel amino acid substitutions among different nectarivorous lineages in a protein important to sensing,regulating,and transporting glucose,glucose transporter 2(GLUT2).Methods:Genetic sequences for GLUT2 were obtained from ten pairs of nectarivorous and non-nectarivorous sister taxa.We performed PCR amplification of the intracellular C-terminal domain of GLUT2 and adjacent protein domains due to the role of this region in determination of transport rate,substrate specificity and glucosensing.Results:Our findings have ruled out the C-terminal regulatory region of GLUT2 as a target for selection by sugar-rich diet among avian nectarivores,though selection among hummingbirds,the oldest avian nectarivores,cannot be discounted.Conclusion:Our results indicate future studies should examine down-stream targets of GLUT2-mediated glucosensing and insulin secretion,such as insulin receptors and their targets,as potential sites of selection by nectarivory in birds.

Temporal-spatial segregation among hummingbirds foraging on honeydew in a temperate forest in Mexico

Spatial and temporal variation in interactions between hummingbirds and plants have often been examined, and hummingbirds and insects are known to indirectly interact in networks of nectar plants. In a highland temperate forest in Hidalgo, Mexico some oak trees were heavily infested by honeydew-producing insects （family Margarodidae, tribe Xylococcini, genus Strigmacoccus） and the honeydew was consumed by hummingbirds. Here using survival analysis we investigate how the honey- dew produced by dense populations of these margarodids is temporally and spatially partitioned by hummingbirds. We also measured the availability and quality of honeydew exudates, and then we recorded the time until a bird visited and used such re- sources. Four hummingbird species consumed this resource （Atthis eloisa, Hylocharis leucotis, Colibri thalassinus and Eugenes fulgens）. Data from 294 hours of observation on seven focal trees suggested temporal and spatial segregation among visiting birds according to body size and territorial behavior during the most honeydew-limited time. Hummingbird species differed in the dally times they foraged, as well as in the location where honeydew-producing insects were visited on the trees. Temporal and spatial segregation among hummingbird species is interpreted as an adaptation to reduce the risk of aggressive encounters. This may facilitate multispecies coexistence and allow these birds to exploit honeydew more effectively

Bats and their vital ecosystem services:a global review

Bats play crucial ecosystem services as seed dispersers,pollinators,controllers of insects,and nutrient recyclers.However,there has not been a thorough global review evaluating these roles in bats across all biogeographical regions of the world.We reviewed the literature published during the last two decades and identified 283 relevant studies:78 dealt with the control of potential insect pests by bats,80 related to the suppression of other arthropods,60 on the dispersal of native or endemic seeds,11 dealt with the dispersal of seeds of introduced plants,29 on the pollination of native or endemic plants,1 study on pollination of introduced plants,and 24 on the use of guano as fertilizer.Our literature search showed that queries combining the terms“seed dispersal,”“insectivorous bats,”“nectarivorous bats,”“use of guano,”and“ecosystem services”returned 577 studies,but half were experimental in nature.We found that the evaluation of ecosystem services by bats has been mostly conducted in the Neotropical and Palearctic regions.To detect differences across relevant studies,and to explain trends in the study of ecosystem services provided by bats,we performed generalized linear mixed models(GLMM)fitted with a Poisson distribution to analyze potential differences among sampling methods.We identified 409 bat species that provide ecosystem services,752 insect species consumed by bats and 549 plant species either dispersed or pollinated by bats.Our review summarizes the importance of conserving bat populations and the ecological services they provide,which is especially important during the current pandemic.