Range expansion is associated with increased survival and fecundity in a long-lived bat species.

The speed and dynamics of range expansions shape species distributions and community composition. Despite the critical impact of population growth rates for range expansion, they are neglected in existing empirical studies, which focus on the investigation of selected life-history traits. Here, we present an approach based on non-invasive genetic capture-mark-recapture data for the estimation of adult survival, fecundity and juvenile survival, which determine population growth. We demonstrate the reliability of our method with simulated data, and use it to investigate life-history changes associated with range expansion in 35 colonies of the bat species Rhinolophus hipposideros. Comparing the demographic parameters inferred for 19 of those colonies which belong to an expanding population with those inferred for the remaining 16 colonies from a non-expanding population reveals that range expansion is associated with higher net reproduction. Juvenile survival was the main driver of the observed reproduction increase in this long-lived bat species with low per capita annual reproductive output. The higher average growth rate in the expanding population was not associated with a trade-off between increased reproduction and survival, suggesting that the observed increase in reproduction stems from a higher resource acquisition in the expanding population. Environmental conditions in the novel habitat hence seem to have an important influence on range expansion dynamics, and warrant further investigation for the management of range expansion in both native and invasive species.

Microbody-like organelles as taxonomic markers among Oomycetes.

Zoospores of Oomycetes contain a variety of microbody-like organelles with highly structured matrices. Although in general their function is unknown, the appearance of similar organelles in related taxa suggests the ultrastructural differences could be used as taxonomic characters. This study surveys microbody-like organelles of oomycetous zoospores to determine if this is an additional criterion by which the phylogeny of these fungi can be evaluated. In zoospores of the order Saprolegniales, kinetosome-associated organelles (K-bodies) are found which typically consist of tubular and/or granular matrices. K-bodies are not found associated with kinetosomes in zoospores of the Peronosporales, but microbodies containing tubules, and in some genera marginal plates, are located near the kinetosomes, along the groove, and in other peripheral areas. K-bodies have been reported in only one member of the order Lagenidiales. These K-bodies lack a granular matrix, but contain a single curved plate from which tubules arise, forming a cone. In the one genus of the Leptomitales examined, a similar K-body contains a plate and scattered tubules. Organisms with similar microbody-like organelles are probably more closely related than those with different types of microbody-like organelles. The presence of an organelle resembling K-bodies in zoospores of an alga in the Tribophyceae supports the phylogenetic association between algae and Oomycetes. A complete survey of Oomycete genera may well reveal intermediates between the structurally different types of microbody-like organelles, allowing the reconstruction of the phylogenetic history of an organelle.