Project 13
Adaptation through niche construction and microbiome function in Onthophagus beetles

Led by Armin Moczek

This project on Onthophagus dung beetles investigates the roles of the microbiome and larval conditioning in facilitating ecological specialisation across dung types, responses to novel anthropogenic challenges such as antibiotics and toxins, and enabling plastic responses to natural environmental fluctuations. We are testing whether novel microbiome members result in the acquisition and stable non-genetic inheritance of novel functions.

Publications

Transgenerational developmental effects of species-specific, maternally transmitted microbiota in Onthophagus dung beetles.
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Parker ES, Dury GJ, Moczek AP. 2018. Ecological Entomology DOI: 10.1111/een.12703
 
Diplogastrellus nematodes are sexually transmitted mutualists that alter the bacterial and fungal communities of their beetle host.
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Ledón-Rettig CC, Moczek AP, Ragsdale EJ. 2018. PNAS DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1809606115.
 
Evidence of developmental niche construction in dung beetles: effects on growth, scaling and reproductive success
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Schwab DB, Casasa S, Moczek AP. 2017. Ecol Lett 188(6):679-692.
 
Developmental and ecological benefits of the maternally transmitted microbiota in a dung beetle.
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Schwab DB, Riggs HE, Newton ILG, Moczek AP. 2016. Am Nat 188(6):679-692.

Blog posts

Maternally transmitted dung beetle microbiota are species-specific, and impact host development across generations
Parker ES, Moczek AP. 29 Nov 2018.
 
Developmental niche construction in dung beetles
Schwab DB, Casasa S, Moczek AP. 16 Oct 2017.
 
Mum’s microbes are important for dung beetle development
Falkenberg KJ. 28 Nov 2016.

EES predictions this project tests

vi. in addition to selection, adaptive variants are propagated through repeated environmental induction, non-genetic inheritance, learning and cultural transmission
x. niche construction will be systematically biased towards environmental changes that are well suited to the constructor’s phenotype, or that of its descendants, and enhance the constructor’s, or its descendant’s, fitness