@article{mckenney_hale_anderson_larsen_grant_dunn_2023, title={Hidden diversity: comparative functional morphology of humans and other species}, volume={11}, ISSN={["2167-8359"]}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.15148}, abstractNote={Gastrointestinal (GI) morphology plays an important role in nutrition, health, and epidemiology; yet limited data on GI variation have been collected since 1885. Here we demonstrate that students can collect reliable data sets on gut morphology; when they do, they reveal greater morphological variation for some structures in the GI tract than has been documented in the published literature. We discuss trait variability both within and among species, and the implications of that variability for evolution and epidemiology. Our results show that morphological variation in the GI tract is associated with each organ's role in food processing. For example, the length of many structures was found to vary significantly with feeding strategy. Within species, the variability illustrated by the coefficients of variation suggests that selective constraints may vary with function. Within humans, we detected significant Pearson correlations between the volume of the liver and the length of the appendix (t-value = 2.5278, df = 28, p = 0.0174, corr = 0.4311) and colon (t-value = 2.0991, df = 19, p = 0.0494, corr = 0.4339), as well as between the lengths of the small intestine and colon (t-value = 2.1699, df = 17, p = 0.0445, corr = 0.4657), which are arguably the most vital organs in the gut for nutrient absorption. Notably, intraspecific variation in the small intestine can be associated with life history traits. In humans, females demonstrated consistently and significantly longer small intestines than males (t-value15 = 2.245, p = 0.0403). This finding supports the female canalization hypothesis, specifically, increased female investment in the digestion and absorption of lipids.}, journal={PEERJ}, author={McKenney, Erin A. and Hale, Amanda R. and Anderson, Janiaya and Larsen, Roxanne and Grant, Colleen and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2023}, month={Apr} }
 @article{taylor_allf_hopkins_irwin_jewell_nevo_nichols_valeron_evans_sorensen_et al._2023, title={Nature's chefs: Uniting the hidden diversity of food making and preparing species across the tree of life}, volume={4}, ISSN={["1525-3244"]}, DOI={10.1093/biosci/biad026}, abstractNote={Abstract There may be no such thing as a free meal, but many species have evolved mechanisms for other species to consume the literal fruits of their labors. In the present article, inspired by a chef's recognition that such species are “nature's chefs,” we consider food-making species from the plant, animal, and fungal kingdoms, which produce food or mimic food to increase their own fitness. We identify three ways that species can produce or prepare meals—as food, drinks, or lures—and further distinguish between those providing an honest meal and those deceiving consumers with food mimics. By considering these species holistically, we highlight new hypotheses about the ecology and evolution of the widespread phenomenon of organisms that produce food for other organisms. We find surprising and useful generalities and exceptions among species as different as apple trees and anglerfish by examining species interactions across taxa, systems, and disciplines.}, journal={BIOSCIENCE}, author={Taylor, Brad W. and Allf, Bradley and Hopkins, Skylar R. and Irwin, Rebecca E. and Jewell, Michelle and Nevo, Omer and Nichols, Lauren M. and Valeron, Nabila Rodriguez and Evans, Joshua D. and Sorensen, Pia M. and et al.}, year={2023}, month={Apr} }
 @article{lenton_xu_abrams_ghadiali_loriani_sakschewski_zimm_ebi_dunn_svenning_et al._2023, title={Quantifying the human cost of global warming}, volume={5}, ISSN={["2398-9629"]}, DOI={10.1038/s41893-023-01132-6}, abstractNote={Abstract The costs of climate change are often estimated in monetary terms, but this raises ethical issues. Here we express them in terms of numbers of people left outside the ‘human climate niche’—defined as the historically highly conserved distribution of relative human population density with respect to mean annual temperature. We show that climate change has already put ~9% of people (>600 million) outside this niche. By end-of-century (2080–2100), current policies leading to around 2.7 °C global warming could leave one-third (22–39%) of people outside the niche. Reducing global warming from 2.7 to 1.5 °C results in a ~5-fold decrease in the population exposed to unprecedented heat (mean annual temperature ≥29 °C). The lifetime emissions of ~3.5 global average citizens today (or ~1.2 average US citizens) expose one future person to unprecedented heat by end-of-century. That person comes from a place where emissions today are around half of the global average. These results highlight the need for more decisive policy action to limit the human costs and inequities of climate change.}, journal={NATURE SUSTAINABILITY}, author={Lenton, Timothy M. and Xu, Chi and Abrams, Jesse F. and Ghadiali, Ashish and Loriani, Sina and Sakschewski, Boris and Zimm, Caroline and Ebi, Kristie L. and Dunn, Robert R. and Svenning, Jens-Christian and et al.}, year={2023}, month={May} }
 @article{dunn_2023, title={Urban Jungle}, volume={379}, ISSN={["1095-9203"]}, DOI={10.1126/science.adg8089}, abstractNote={Urban environments can and should be rich reservoirs of biodiversity}, number={6639}, journal={SCIENCE}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2023}, month={Mar}, pages={1305–1305} }
 @article{meiklejohn_scheible_boggs_dunn_ricke_2023, title={Using FastID to analyze complex SNP mixtures from indoor dust}, volume={4}, ISSN={["1556-4029"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.15246}, DOI={10.1111/1556-4029.15246}, abstractNote={Forensically relevant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can provide valuable supplemental information to short tandem repeats (STRs) for investigative leads, and genotyping can now be streamlined using massively parallel sequencing (MPS). Dust is an attractive evidence source, as it accumulates on undisturbed surfaces, often is overlooked by perpetrators, and contains sufficient human DNA for analysis. To assess whether SNPs genotyped from indoor dust using MPS could be used to detect known household occupants, 13 households were recruited and provided buccal samples from each occupant and dust from five predefined indoor locations. Thermo Fisher Scientific Precision ID Identity and Ancestry Panels were utilized for SNP genotyping, and sequencing was completed using Illumina® chemistry. FastID, a software developed to permit mixture analysis and identity searching, was used to assess whether known occupants could be detected from associated household dust samples. A modified "subtraction" method was also used in FastID to estimate the percentage of alleles in each dust sample contributed by known and unknown occupants. On average, 72% of autosomal SNPs were recovered from dust samples. When using FastID, (a) 93% of known occupants were detected in at least one indoor dust sample and could not be excluded as contributors to the mixture, and (b) non-contributor alleles were detected in 54% of dust samples (29 ± 11 alleles per dust sample). Overall, this study highlights the potential of analyzing human DNA present in indoor dust to detect known household occupants, which could be valuable for investigative leads.}, journal={JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES}, author={Meiklejohn, Kelly A. and Scheible, Melissa K. R. and Boggs, Laura M. and Dunn, Robert R. and Ricke, Darrell O.}, year={2023}, month={Apr} }
 @article{allf_cooper_larson_dunn_futch_sharova_cavalier_2022, title={Citizen Science as an Ecosystem of Engagement: Implications for Learning and Broadening Participation}, volume={72}, ISSN={0006-3568 1525-3244}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biac035}, DOI={10.1093/biosci/biac035}, abstractNote={Abstract The bulk of research on citizen science participants is project centric, based on an assumption that volunteers experience a single project. Contrary to this assumption, survey responses (n = 3894) and digital trace data (n = 3649) from volunteers, who collectively engaged in 1126 unique projects, revealed that multiproject participation was the norm. Only 23% of volunteers were singletons (who participated in only one project). The remaining multiproject participants were split evenly between discipline specialists (39%) and discipline spanners (38% joined projects with different disciplinary topics) and unevenly between mode specialists (52%) and mode spanners (25% participated in online and offline projects). Public engagement was narrow: The multiproject participants were eight times more likely to be White and five times more likely to hold advanced degrees than the general population. We propose a volunteer-centric framework that explores how the dynamic accumulation of experiences in a project ecosystem can support broad learning objectives and inclusive citizen science.}, number={7}, journal={BioScience}, publisher={Oxford University Press (OUP)}, author={Allf, Bradley C and Cooper, Caren B and Larson, Lincoln R and Dunn, Robert R and Futch, Sara E and Sharova, Maria and Cavalier, Darlene}, year={2022}, month={Jun}, pages={651–663} }
 @article{dunn_2022, title={Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test}, volume={377}, ISSN={["1095-9203"]}, DOI={10.1126/science.add5306}, abstractNote={From regenerating sea slugs to self-medicating sheep, a biologist probes the origins and evolution of behavior}, number={6606}, journal={SCIENCE}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2022}, month={Aug}, pages={582–582} }
 @article{winnicki_dunn_winther-jensen_jess_allin_bruun_2022, title={Does childhood exposure to biodiverse greenspace reduce the risk of developing asthma?}, volume={850}, ISSN={["1879-1026"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157853}, abstractNote={The prevalence of inflammatory diseases is increasing in populations throughout the industrialized world. An increasing proportion of human populations grow up and live in urban areas, probably with reduced exposure to biodiversity, including diverse soil biotas. Decreased exposure to microorganisms from natural environments, in particular in early childhood, has been hypothesized to hamper development of the human immune system and lead to increasing risks of inflammatory diseases, such as asthma. We investigated 40,249 Danish individuals born 1995-2015. Percentage greenspace was assessed in a 2 km buffer around home addresses of individuals. The Danish Biodiversity Map, charting occurrence density of red-listed animals, plants and macrofungi, was used as a proxy for multi-taxon biodiversity. For asthma defined broadly, we found no evidence of decreasing risk of developing asthma with higher levels of biodiversity, while greenspace exposure was associated with higher risk of asthma. In contrast, exposure to total and biodiverse greenspace was associated with reduced risk of developing severe asthma. Exposure to farmland, which in Denmark is heavily industrialized cropland, also showed association with elevated risk of developing asthma, even at relatively low agricultural landcover. In the subset of children growing up in highly urbanized settings, we found high exposures to urban greenspace to be associated with reduced risk of developing asthma. Our results lend limited support to the hypothesis that childhood exposure to biodiverse environments reduces the risk of acquiring inflammatory diseases later in life. However, access to urban greenspace, such as parks, which typically harbour low levels of biodiversity, seems to reduce asthma risk, potentially through exposure to common soil microbiota. Our results suggest that effects of biodiversity exposure on human health is set by a balance between ecosystem services and disservices and that biodiversity conservation is best motivated with other arguments than reduction of risks from inflammatory diseases.}, journal={SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT}, author={Winnicki, Martin Holm and Dunn, Robert R. and Winther-Jensen, Matilde and Jess, Tine and Allin, Kristine Hojgaard and Bruun, Hans Henrik}, year={2022}, month={Dec} }
 @article{gibb_bishop_leahy_parr_lessard_sanders_shik_ibarra-isassi_narendra_dunn_et al._2022, title={Ecological strategies of (pl)ants: Towards a world-wide worker economic spectrum for ants}, volume={7}, ISSN={["1365-2435"]}, DOI={10.1111/1365-2435.14135}, abstractNote={Current global challenges call for a rigorously predictive ecology. Our understanding of ecological strategies, imputed through suites of measurable functional traits, comes from decades of work that largely focussed on plants. However, a key question is whether plant ecological strategies resemble those of other organisms.Among animals, ants have long been recognised to possess similarities with plants: as (largely) central place foragers. For example, individual ant workers play similar foraging roles to plant leaves and roots and are similarly expendable. Frameworks that aim to understand plant ecological strategies through key functional traits, such as the 'leaf economics spectrum', offer the potential for significant parallels with ant ecological strategies.Here, we explore these parallels across several proposed ecological strategy dimensions, including an 'economic spectrum', propagule size-number trade-offs, apparency-defence trade-offs, resource acquisition trade-offs and stress-tolerance trade-offs. We also highlight where ecological strategies may differ between plants and ants. Furthermore, we consider how these strategies play out among the different modules of eusocial organisms, where selective forces act on the worker and reproductive castes, as well as the colony.Finally, we suggest future directions for ecological strategy research, including highlighting the availability of data and traits that may be more difficult to measure, but should receive more attention in future to better understand the ecological strategies of ants. The unique biology of eusocial organisms provides an unrivalled opportunity to bridge the gap in our understanding of ecological strategies in plants and animals and we hope that this perspective will ignite further interest. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.}, journal={FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY}, author={Gibb, Heloise and Bishop, Tom R. and Leahy, Lily and Parr, Catherine L. and Lessard, Jean-Philippe and Sanders, Nathan J. and Shik, Jonathan Z. and Ibarra-Isassi, Javier and Narendra, Ajay and Dunn, Robert R. and et al.}, year={2022}, month={Jul} }
 @article{svenningsen_bowler_hecker_bladt_grescho_dam_dauber_eichenberg_ejrnaes_flojgaard_et al._2022, title={Flying insect biomass is negatively associated with urban cover in surrounding landscapes}, volume={4}, ISSN={["1472-4642"]}, DOI={10.1111/ddi.13532}, abstractNote={Abstract Aim In this study, we assessed the importance of local‐ to landscape‐scale effects of land cover and land use on flying insect biomass. Location Denmark and parts of Germany. Methods We used rooftop‐mounted car nets in a citizen science project (“InsectMobile”) to allow for large‐scale geographic sampling of flying insects. Volunteers sampled insects along 278 five‐km routes in urban, farmland, grassland, wetland and forest landscapes in the summer of 2018. The bulk insect samples were dried overnight to obtain the sample biomass. We extracted proportional land use variables in buffers between 50 and 1,000 m along the routes and compiled them into land cover categories to examine the effect of each land cover, and specific land use types, on insect biomass. Results We found a negative association between urban cover and flying insect biomass (1% increase in urban cover = 1% [95% CI: −3.0 to 0.0] decrease in biomass in Denmark, and a 3% [95% CI: −3.0 to 0.0] decrease in Germany) at a landscape scale (1,000‐m buffer). In Denmark, we also found positive effects of semi‐natural land cover types, that is protected grassland (largest at the landscape scale, 1000 m) and forests (largest at intermediate scales, 250 m). Protected grassland cover had a stronger positive effect on insect biomass than forest cover did. For farmland cover, the positive association with insect biomass was not clearly modified by any variable associated with farmland use intensity. The negative association between insect biomass and urban land cover appeared to be reduced by increased urban green space. Main conclusions Our results show that land cover has an impact on flying insect biomass with the magnitude of this effect varying across spatial scales. However, the vast expanse of grey space in urbanized areas has a direct negative impact on flying insect biomass across all spatial scales examined.}, journal={DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS}, author={Svenningsen, Cecilie S. and Bowler, Diana E. and Hecker, Susanne and Bladt, Jesper and Grescho, Volker and Dam, Nicole M. and Dauber, Jens and Eichenberg, David and Ejrnaes, Rasmus and Flojgaard, Camilla and et al.}, year={2022}, month={Apr} }
 @article{tonione_bi_dunn_lucky_portik_tsutsui_2022, title={Phylogeography and population genetics of a widespread cold-adapted ant, Prenolepis imparis}, volume={8}, ISSN={["1365-294X"]}, DOI={10.1111/mec.16624}, abstractNote={As species arise, evolve and diverge, they are shaped by forces that unfold across short and long timescales and at both local and vast geographical scales. It is rare, however, to be able document this history across broad sweeps of time and space in a single species. Here, we report the results of a continental-scale phylogenomic analysis across the entire range of a widespread species. We analysed sequences of 1402 orthologous ultraconserved element (UCE) loci from 75 individuals to identify population genetic structure and historical demographic patterns across the continent-wide range of a cold-adapted ant, the winter ant, Prenolepis imparis. We recovered five well-supported, genetically isolated clades representing lineages that diverged from 8.2-2.2 million years ago. These include: (i) an early diverging lineage located in Florida, (ii) a lineage that spans the southern United States, (iii) populations that extend across the midwestern and northeastern United States, (iv) populations from the western United States and (v) populations in southwestern Arizona and Mexico. Population genetic analyses revealed little or no gene flow among these lineages, but patterns consistent with more recent gene flow among populations within lineages, and localized structure with migration in the western United States. High support for five major geographical lineages and lack of evidence of contemporary gene flow indicate in situ diversification across the species' range, producing relatively ancient lineages that persisted through subsequent climate change and glaciation during the Quaternary.}, journal={MOLECULAR ECOLOGY}, author={Tonione, Maria Adelena and Bi, Ke and Dunn, Robert R. and Lucky, Andrea and Portik, Daniel M. and Tsutsui, Neil Durie}, year={2022}, month={Aug} }
 @article{beasley_monsur_hu_dunn_madden_2022, title={The bacterial community of childcare centers: potential implications for microbial dispersal and child exposure}, volume={17}, ISSN={["2524-6372"]}, DOI={10.1186/s40793-022-00404-6}, abstractNote={Bacterial communities within built environments reflect differences in sources of bacteria, building design, and environmental contexts. These communities impact the health of their occupants in many ways. Children interact with the built environment differently than do adults as a result of their unique behaviors, size, and developmental status. Consequently, understanding the broader bacterial community to which children are exposed will help inform public health efforts and contribute to our growing understanding of the bacterial community associated with childcare centers.We sampled childcare centers to survey the variation in bacterial community composition across five surfaces found inside and outside twelve classrooms and six centers using 16S rRNA marker gene amplicon sequencing. We then correlated these bacterial community analyses of surfaces with environmental and demographic measures of illumination and classroom occupant density.The childcare environment was dominated by human-associated bacteria with modest input from outdoor sources. Though the bacterial communities of individual childcare centers differed, there was a greater difference in the bacterial community within a classroom than among centers. Surface habitats-fomites-within the classroom, did not differ in community composition despite differing proximity to likely sources of bacteria, and possible environmental filters, such as light. Bacterial communities did correlate with occupant density and differed significantly between high and low usage surfaces.Our results suggest built environments inhabited by young children are similar to functionally equivalent built environments inhabited by adults, despite the different way young children engage with their environment. Ultimately, these results will be useful when further interrogating microbial dispersal and human exposure to microorganisms in built environments that specifically cater to young children.}, number={1}, journal={ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME}, author={Beasley, D. E. and Monsur, M. and Hu, J. and Dunn, R. R. and Madden, A. A.}, year={2022}, month={Mar} }
 @misc{frank_amato_trautwein_maia_liman_nichols_schwenk_breslin_dunn_2022, title={The evolution of sour taste}, volume={289}, ISSN={["1471-2954"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1918}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2021.1918}, abstractNote={The evolutionary history of sour taste has been little studied. Through a combination of literature review and trait mapping on the vertebrate phylogenetic tree, we consider the origin of sour taste, potential cases of the loss of sour taste, and those factors that might have favoured changes in the valence of sour taste-from aversive to appealing. We reconstruct sour taste as having evolved in ancient fish. By contrast to other tastes, sour taste does not appear to have been lost in any major vertebrate taxa. For most species, sour taste is aversive. Animals, including humans, that enjoy the sour taste triggered by acidic foods are exceptional. We conclude by considering why sour taste evolved, why it might have persisted as vertebrates made the transition to land and what factors might have favoured the preference for sour-tasting, acidic foods, particularly in hominins, such as humans.}, number={1968}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={Frank, Hannah E. R. and Amato, Katie and Trautwein, Michelle and Maia, Paula and Liman, Emily R. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Schwenk, Kurt and Breslin, Paul A. S. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2022}, month={Feb} }
 @article{kass_guenard_dudley_jenkins_azuma_fisher_parr_gibb_longino_ward_et al._2022, title={The global distribution of known and undiscovered ant biodiversity}, volume={8}, ISSN={["2375-2548"]}, DOI={10.1126/sciadv.abp9908}, abstractNote={Invertebrates constitute the majority of animal species and are critical for ecosystem functioning and services. Nonetheless, global invertebrate biodiversity patterns and their congruences with vertebrates remain largely unknown. We resolve the first high-resolution (~20-km) global diversity map for a major invertebrate clade, ants, using biodiversity informatics, range modeling, and machine learning to synthesize existing knowledge and predict the distribution of undiscovered diversity. We find that ants and different vertebrate groups have distinct features in their patterns of richness and rarity, underscoring the need to consider a diversity of taxa in conservation. However, despite their phylogenetic and physiological divergence, ant distributions are not highly anomalous relative to variation among vertebrate clades. Furthermore, our models predict that rarity centers largely overlap (78%), suggesting that general forces shape endemism patterns across taxa. This raises confidence that conservation of areas important for small-ranged vertebrates will benefit invertebrates while providing a “treasure map” to guide future discovery.}, number={31}, journal={SCIENCE ADVANCES}, author={Kass, Jamie M. and Guenard, Benoit and Dudley, Kenneth L. and Jenkins, Clinton N. and Azuma, Fumika and Fisher, Brian L. and Parr, Catherine L. and Gibb, Heloise and Longino, John T. and Ward, Philip S. and et al.}, year={2022}, month={Aug} }
 @article{la richeliere_munoz_guenard_dunn_economo_powell_sanders_weiser_abouheif_lessard_2022, title={Warm and arid regions of the world are hotspots of superorganism complexity}, volume={289}, ISSN={["1471-2954"]}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2021.1899}, abstractNote={Biologists have long been fascinated by the processes that give rise to phenotypic complexity of organisms, yet whether there exist geographical hotspots of phenotypic complexity remains poorly explored. Phenotypic complexity can be readily observed in ant colonies, which are superorganisms with morphologically differentiated queen and worker castes analogous to the germline and soma of multicellular organisms. Several ant species have evolved ‘worker polymorphism', where workers in a single colony show quantifiable differences in size and head-to-body scaling. Here, we use 256 754 occurrence points from 8990 ant species to investigate the geography of worker polymorphism. We show that arid regions of the world are the hotspots of superorganism complexity. Tropical savannahs and deserts, which are typically species-poor relative to tropical or even temperate forests, harbour the highest densities of polymorphic ants. We discuss the possible adaptive advantages that worker polymorphism provides in arid environments. Our work may provide a window into the environmental conditions that promote the emergence of highly complex phenotypes.}, number={1968}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={La Richeliere, Frederique and Munoz, Gabriel and Guenard, Benoit and Dunn, Robert R. and Economo, Evan P. and Powell, Scott and Sanders, Nathan J. and Weiser, Michael D. and Abouheif, Ehab and Lessard, Jean-Philippe}, year={2022}, month={Feb} }
 @article{andersen_frisvad_dunn_thrane_2021, title={A Pilot Study on Baseline Fungi and Moisture Indicator Fungi in Danish Homes}, volume={7}, ISSN={["2309-608X"]}, DOI={10.3390/jof7020071}, abstractNote={In many complaint cases regarding bad indoor environments, there is no evidence of visible fungal growth. To determine if the problems are fungi-related, dust sampling is the method of choice among building surveyors. However, there is a need to differentiate between species belonging to a normal, dry indoor environment and species belonging to a damp building envelope. The purposes of this pilot study were to examine which fungal species are present in problem-free Danish homes and to evaluate different detection and identification methods. Analyses showed that the fungal diversity outside was different from the diversity inside and that the composition of fungal species growing indoors was different compared to those found as spores, both indoors and outdoors. Common for most homes were Pseudopithomyceschartarum, Cladosporiumallicinum and Alternaria sect. Infectoriae together with Botrytis spp., Penicilliumdigitatum and Pen. glabrum. The results show that ITS sequencing of dust samples is adequate if supported by thorough building inspections and that food products play as large a role in the composition of the baseline spora as the outdoor air and surrounding vegetation. This pilot study provides a list of baseline fungal species found in Danish homes with a good indoor environment.}, number={2}, journal={JOURNAL OF FUNGI}, author={Andersen, Birgitte and Frisvad, Jens C. and Dunn, Robert R. and Thrane, Ulf}, year={2021}, month={Feb} }
 @book{dunn_2021, place={New York}, title={A natural history of the future : what the laws of biology tell us about the destiny of the human species}, ISBN={9781541619296  9781541619302}, publisher={Basic Books}, author={Dunn, Rob R.}, year={2021} }
 @article{sanders_grunden_dunn_2021, title={A review of clothing microbiology: the history of clothing and the role of microbes in textiles}, volume={17}, ISBN={1744-957X}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2020.0700}, abstractNote={Humans have worn clothing for thousands of years, and since its invention, clothing has evolved from its simple utilitarian function for survival to become an integral part of society. While much consideration has been given to the broad environmental impacts of the textile and laundering industries, little is known about the impact wearing clothing has had on the human microbiome, particularly that of the skin, despite our long history with clothing. This review discusses the history of clothing and the evolution of textiles, what is and is not known about microbial persistence on and degradation of various fibres, and what opportunities for the industrial and environmental application of clothing microbiology exist for the future.}, number={1}, journal={BIOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Sanders, Deaja and Grunden, Amy and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2021} }
 @article{calvert_madden_nichols_haddad_lahne_dunn_mckenney_2021, title={A review of sourdough starters: ecology, practices, and sensory quality with applications for baking and recommendations for future research}, volume={5}, url={https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11389}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.11389}, abstractNote={The practice of sourdough bread-making is an ancient science that involves the development, maintenance, and use of a diverse and complex starter culture. The sourdough starter culture comes in many different forms and is used in bread-making at both artisanal and commercial scales, in countries all over the world. While there is ample scientific research related to sourdough, there is no standardized approach to using sourdough starters in science or the bread industry; and there are few recommendations on future directions for sourdough research. Our review highlights what is currently known about the microbial ecosystem of sourdough (including microbial succession within the starter culture), methods of maintaining sourdough (analogous to land management) on the path to bread production, and factors that influence the sensory qualities of the final baked product. We present new hypotheses for the successful management of sourdough starters and propose future directions for sourdough research and application to better support and engage the sourdough baking community.}, journal={PEERJ}, author={Calvert, Martha D. and Madden, Anne A. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Haddad, Nick M. and Lahne, Jacob and Dunn, Robert R. and McKenney, Erin A.}, year={2021}, month={May} }
 @article{fitzgerald_stuble_nichols_diamond_wentworth_pelini_gotelli_sanders_dunn_penick_2021, title={Abundance of spring- and winter-active arthropods declines with warming}, volume={12}, ISSN={["2150-8925"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3473}, DOI={10.1002/ecs2.3473}, abstractNote={Because ectotherm activity and metabolism are sensitive to temperature, terrestrial arthropods may be especially responsive to ongoing climatic warming. Here, we quantified responses of arthropod abundance to two years of warming in an outdoor temperature manipulation experiment at Duke Forest, North Carolina, USA. Nine open-top chambers were individually heated year-round from 1.5° to 5.5°C above ambient temperature. From two years of monthly pitfall trapping, we collected and identified 4,468 arthropods representing 24 orders. We initially predicted that arthropods would experience the greatest negative effects of experimental warming during the summer months, when temperatures reach their yearly maximum and arthropods may be close to their maximum thermal tolerance limits. Instead, we found that the strongest negative effects on arthropod abundance occurred during the winter and spring, when ambient temperatures are relatively cooler, whereas the effects of experimental warming on abundance were not significant during the summer or fall. During the spring of 2012, the warmest spring on record for the southeastern USA, total arthropod abundance declined 20% per °C of experimental warming. Abundance declines were driven largely by flies (Diptera), which were the most abundant insect order, representing approximately a third of all arthropods collected. The most abundant arthropod family, Mycetophilidae (fungus gnats), declined 64% per °C of warming during the spring of 2012. Although previous research on climatic warming has focused on the impact of maximum yearly temperatures on organismal performance, our results are more consistent with the cool-season sensitivity hypothesis, which posits that arthropods adapted for cooler conditions are likely to face the strongest negative effects of warming during the cooler seasons.}, number={4}, journal={ECOSPHERE}, author={Fitzgerald, Jacquelyn L. and Stuble, Katharine L. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Diamond, Sarah E. and Wentworth, Thomas R. and Pelini, Shannon L. and Gotelli, Nicholas J. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert R. and Penick, Clint A.}, year={2021}, month={Apr} }
 @article{liu_westbury_dussex_mitchell_sinding_heintzman_duchene_kapp_seth_heiniger_et al._2021, title={Ancient and modem genomes unravel the evolutionary history of the rhinoceros family}, volume={184}, ISSN={["1097-4172"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.cell.2021.07.032}, abstractNote={Only five species of the once-diverse Rhinocerotidae remain, making the reconstruction of their evolutionary history a challenge to biologists since Darwin. We sequenced genomes from five rhinoceros species (three extinct and two living), which we compared to existing data from the remaining three living species and a range of outgroups. We identify an early divergence between extant African and Eurasian lineages, resolving a key debate regarding the phylogeny of extant rhinoceroses. This early Miocene (∼16 million years ago [mya]) split post-dates the land bridge formation between the Afro-Arabian and Eurasian landmasses. Our analyses also show that while rhinoceros genomes in general exhibit low levels of genome-wide diversity, heterozygosity is lowest and inbreeding is highest in the modern species. These results suggest that while low genetic diversity is a long-term feature of the family, it has been particularly exacerbated recently, likely reflecting recent anthropogenic-driven population declines.}, number={19}, journal={CELL}, author={Liu, Shanlin and Westbury, Michael V and Dussex, Nicolas and Mitchell, Kieren J. and Sinding, Mikkel-Holger S. and Heintzman, Peter D. and Duchene, David A. and Kapp, Joshua D. and Seth, Johanna and Heiniger, Holly and et al.}, year={2021}, month={Sep}, pages={4874-+} }
 @misc{dunn_sanchez_2021, title={Delicious}, ISBN={9780691218342 069121834X 9780691199474}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv17260vp}, DOI={10.2307/j.ctv17260vp}, publisher={Princeton University Press}, author={Dunn, Rob and Sanchez, Monica}, year={2021}, month={Mar} }
 @article{svenningsen_froslev_bladt_pedersen_larsen_ejrnaes_flojgaard_hansen_heilmann-clausen_dunn_et al._2021, title={Detecting flying insects using car nets and DNA metabarcoding}, volume={17}, ISSN={["1744-957X"]}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2020.0833}, abstractNote={Monitoring insects across space and time is challenging, due to their vast taxonomic and functional diversity. This study demonstrates how nets mounted on rooftops of cars (car nets) and DNA metabarcoding can be applied to sample flying insect richness and diversity across large spatial scales within a limited time period. During June 2018, 365 car net samples were collected by 151 volunteers during two daily time intervals on 218 routes in Denmark. Insect bulk samples were processed with a DNA metabarcoding protocol to estimate taxonomic composition, and the results were compared to known flying insect richness and occurrence data. Insect and hoverfly richness and diversity were assessed across biogeographic regions and dominant land cover types. We detected 15 out of 19 flying insect orders present in Denmark, with high proportions of especially Diptera compared to Danish estimates, and lower insect richness and diversity in urbanized areas. We detected 319 species not known for Denmark and 174 species assessed in the Danish Red List. Our results indicate that the methodology can assess the flying insect fauna at large spatial scales to a wide extent, but may be, like other methods, biased towards certain insect orders.}, number={3}, journal={BIOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Svenningsen, Cecilie S. and Froslev, Tobias Guldberg and Bladt, Jesper and Pedersen, Lene Bruhn and Larsen, Jonas Colling and Ejrnaes, Rasmus and Flojgaard, Camilla and Hansen, Anders Johannes and Heilmann-Clausen, Jacob and Dunn, Robert R. and et al.}, year={2021}, month={Mar} }
 @article{alberdi_andersen_limborg_dunn_gilbert_2021, title={Disentangling host-microbiota complexity through hologenomics}, volume={10}, ISSN={["1471-0064"]}, DOI={10.1038/s41576-021-00421-0}, journal={NATURE REVIEWS GENETICS}, author={Alberdi, Antton and Andersen, Sandra B. and Limborg, Morten T. and Dunn, Robert R. and Gilbert, M. Thomas P.}, year={2021}, month={Oct} }
 @article{dunn_2021, title={Dispatches from life's blurry boundaries
            Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive
            Carl Zimmer
            Dutton, 2021. 368 pp.}, volume={371}, ISSN={0036-8075 1095-9203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abg4672}, DOI={10.1126/science.abg4672}, abstractNote={Carl Zimmer9s Life9s Edge is a departure from his previous work in that it is a book that is as much about what scientists have so far failed to understand as what they have come to understand. As its subtitle suggests, this book is about how life is defined, how life arose, and how we tell life from nonlife.}, number={6534}, journal={Science}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2021}, month={Mar}, pages={1113–1113} }
 @article{chen_gebert_faith_dunn_fierer_barberan_2021, title={Global Patterns and Climatic Controls of Dust-Associated Microbial Communities}, volume={9}, ISSN={["2165-0497"]}, DOI={10.1128/Spectrum.01447-21}, abstractNote={The ubiquity and long-range transport of the microorganisms inhabiting dust can pose a serious risk to human, animal, and plant health. The well-recognized importance of dust-associated microorganisms contrasts starkly with our limited understanding of the factors determining the variation in the composition of these communities at the global scale. Here, we provide the first insight into the global determinants of dust-associated microorganisms by quantifying the environmental factors shaping bacterial and fungal community composition in 467 outdoor settled dust samples collected from 33 countries and 6 continents. Our results show that the global variation in dust-associated bacterial and fungal community composition was, to some degree, predictable from mean annual precipitation and temperature. Notably, our results show that the fungal genera Alternaria and Aspergillus, which contain many species that can serve as triggers of allergenic disease in humans and as plant pathogens, were more abundant in drier regions. Collectively, these results highlight the key influence of climate on the global distribution of dust-associated microorganisms and provide the baseline information needed to build a more comprehensive understanding of how microbial exposures vary across the globe and in response to climate change. IMPORTANCE A broad diversity of microorganisms can be found in dust, with some of these microorganisms capable of causing allergenic disease in human via inhalation or affecting plant health by acting as plant pathogens. However, the spatial variation in dust microbiomes and the environmental factors associated with this variation have not been comprehensively assessed at the global scale. Here, we investigated the bacteria and fungi found in outdoor settled dust samples spanning 33 countries and 6 continents. Our results show that dust-associated bacteria and fungi exhibit climate-driven variability in community composition at the global scale. Our results call for the development of strategies to predict the geographic distribution of dust-associated microorganisms and to identify the potential associations between microbial exposures and the health of humans, animals, and plants.}, number={2}, journal={MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM}, author={Chen, Yongjian and Gebert, Matthew J. and Faith, Seth A. and Dunn, Robert R. and Fierer, Noah and Barberan, Albert}, year={2021}, month={Oct} }
 @article{cooper_hawn_larson_parrish_bowser_cavalier_dunn_haklay_gupta_jelks_et al._2021, title={Inclusion in citizen science: The conundrum of rebranding}, volume={372}, ISSN={0036-8075 1095-9203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abi6487}, DOI={10.1126/science.abi6487}, abstractNote={Does replacing the term “citizen science” do more harm than good?}, number={6549}, journal={Science}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={Cooper, C.B. and Hawn, C. and Larson, L.R. and Parrish, J.K. and Bowser, G. and Cavalier, D. and Dunn, R.R. and Haklay, M. and Gupta, K. and Jelks, N.O. and et al.}, year={2021}, month={Jun}, pages={1386–1388} }
 @article{sheard_rahbek_dunn_sanders_isaac_2021, title={Long-term trends in the occupancy of ants revealed through use of multi-sourced datasets}, volume={17}, ISSN={1744-957X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2021.0240}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2021.0240}, abstractNote={We combined participatory science data and museum records to understand long-term changes in occupancy for 29 ant species in Denmark over 119 years. Bayesian occupancy modelling indicated change in occupancy for 15 species: five increased, four declined and six showed fluctuating trends. We consider how trends may have been influenced by life-history and habitat changes. Our results build on an emerging picture that biodiversity change in insects is more complex than implied by the simple insect decline narrative.}, number={10}, journal={Biology Letters}, publisher={The Royal Society}, author={Sheard, Julie K. and Rahbek, Carsten and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Isaac, Nick J. B.}, year={2021}, month={Oct} }
 @book{sheppard_dunn_madden_2021, title={Methods for the production of fermented beverages and other fermentation products}, number={US11008539B2}, author={Sheppard, John and Dunn, Robert and Madden, Anne}, year={2021} }
 @article{maltecca_dunn_he_mcnulty_schillebeeckx_schwab_shull_fix_tiezzi_2021, title={Microbial composition differs between production systems and is associated with growth performance and carcass quality in pigs}, volume={3}, ISSN={["2524-4671"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-021-00118-z}, DOI={10.1186/s42523-021-00118-z}, abstractNote={Abstract Background The role of the microbiome in livestock production has been highlighted in recent research. Currently, little is known about the microbiome's impact across different systems of production in swine, particularly between selection nucleus and commercial populations. In this paper, we investigated fecal microbial composition in nucleus versus commercial systems at different time points. Results We identified microbial OTUs associated with growth and carcass composition in each of the two populations, as well as the subset common to both. The two systems were represented by individuals with sizeable microbial diversity at weaning. At later times microbial composition varied between commercial and nucleus, with species of the genus Lactobacillus more prominent in the nucleus population. In the commercial populations, OTUs of the genera Lactobacillus and Peptococcus were associated with an increase in both growth rate and fatness. In the nucleus population, members of the genus Succinivibrio were negatively correlated with all growth and carcass traits, while OTUs of the genus Roseburia had a positive association with growth parameters. Lactobacillus and Peptococcus OTUs showed consistent effects for fat deposition and daily gain in both nucleus and commercial populations. Similarly, OTUs of the Blautia genus were positively associated with daily gain and fat deposition. In contrast, an increase in the abundance of the Bacteroides genus was negatively associated with growth performance parameters. Conclusions The current study provides a first characterization of microbial communities' value throughout the pork production systems. It also provides information for incorporating microbial composition into the selection process in the quest for affordable and sustainable protein production in swine.}, number={1}, journal={ANIMAL MICROBIOME}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Maltecca, Christian and Dunn, Rob and He, Yuqing and McNulty, Nathan P. and Schillebeeckx, Constantino and Schwab, Clint and Shull, Caleb and Fix, Justin and Tiezzi, Francesco}, year={2021}, month={Aug} }
 @article{richter_comay_svenningsen_larsen_hecker_tottrup_pe'er_dunn_bonn_marselle_2021, title={Motivation and support services in citizen science insect monitoring: A cross-country study}, volume={263}, ISSN={["1873-2917"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109325}, abstractNote={The design and successful performance of citizen science-based monitoring require an understanding of the motivation and the needs of participants. Herem we use a questionnaire to assess intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and investigate in links between project support service and motivations in 181 participants taking part in three insect-focused citizen science projects in Denmark, Germany and Israel. Across all three countries, main intrinsic motivation for participating in the projects were “to have fun” and to “do something (good) for nature”. Equally important across all countries were extrinsic motivations such as “contribute to science” and “contribute to nature conservation”. Interestingly, differences in the projects (country or program-type) were more strongly related to respondent's motivation than demographic variables such as age and gender. Linking project support services to participants' intrinsic and extrinsic motivations revealed that the intrinsic motivation of “feeling a part of the community” as well as the extrinsic motivation “learning” and the service to provide “training on insect identification” were positively related. Interestingly, the support service of “monetary incentives” was negatively related with the motivation to “conserve species generally” and “conserve insects specifically”. We conclude, that early identification of the citizen scientists' motivation and the assessment of how motivations may change over time are important to foster successful and sustainable citizen science monitoring programs. International networks of (potentially similar) biodiversity monitoring schemes should consider differences in cultural background and citizen scientist's requirements, and accordingly tailor the projects designs to activate, train, and support participants according to their needs.}, journal={BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION}, author={Richter, Anett and Comay, Orr and Svenningsen, Cecilie S. and Larsen, Jonas Colling and Hecker, Susanne and Tottrup, Anders P. and Pe'er, Guy and Dunn, Robert R. and Bonn, Aletta and Marselle, Melissa}, year={2021}, month={Nov} }
 @misc{tonione_bi_dunn_lucky_tsutsui_2021, title={Phylogeography and population genetics of a widespread cold-adapted ant, Prenolepis imparis}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.22541/au.163820316.61117098/v1}, DOI={10.22541/au.163820316.61117098/v1}, abstractNote={Historical climate fluctuations have left genetic signatures on species and populations across North America. Here, we used phylogenetic and population genetic analyses from 1,402 orthologous sequences of 75 individuals obtained through sequencing of Ultraconserved Elements (UCEs) to identify population genetic structure and historical demographic patterns across the range of a widespread, cold-adapted ant, the winter ant, Prenolepis imparis . We relate the genomic patterns to those expected as a result of in situ diversification, maintained connectivity, or recent migration. We recovered five well-supported, genetically isolated clades across the distribution: 1) a basal lineage located in Florida, 2) populations across the southern United States, 3) populations that span the midwestern and northeastern United States, 4) populations from the western United States, and 5) populations in southwestern Arizona and Mexico. Using Bayesian clustering analysis in STRUCTURE and k-means clustering in ADEGENET, we investigated gene flow between these major genetic clades and did not find evidence of gene flow between clades. We did find evidence of localized structure with migration in the western United States clade. High support for five major geographic lineages and lack of evidence of contemporary gene flow indicate in situ diversification across the species’ range, probably influenced by glacial cycles of the late Quaternary.}, publisher={Authorea, Inc.}, author={Tonione, Maria and Bi, Ke and Dunn, Rob and Lucky, Andrea and Tsutsui, Neil}, year={2021}, month={Nov} }
 @article{webster_mcfarland_gebert_oliverio_nichols_dunn_hartmann_fierer_2021, title={Structure and Functional Attributes of Bacterial Communities in Premise Plumbing Across the United States}, volume={55}, ISSN={["1520-5851"]}, DOI={10.1021/acs.est.1c03309}, abstractNote={Microbes that thrive in premise plumbing can have potentially important effects on human health. Yet, how and why plumbing-associated microbial communities vary across broad spatial scales remain undetermined. We characterized the bacterial communities in 496 showerheads collected from across the continental United States. The overall community structure, determined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, revealed high levels of bacterial diversity. Although a large fraction of the observed variation in community composition could not be explained, differences in bacterial community composition were associated with water supply (private well water vs public municipal water), water source (groundwater vs surface water), and associated differences in water chemistry (pH and chlorine). Most notably, showerheads in homes supplied with public water had higher abundances of Blastomonas, Mycobacterium, and Porphyrobacter, while Pseudorhodoplanes, Novosphingobium, and Nitrospira were more abundant in those receiving private well water. We conducted shotgun metagenomic analyses on 92 of these samples to assess differences in genomic attributes. Public water-sourced showerheads had communities enriched in genes related to lipid and xenobiotic metabolisms, virulence factors, and antibiotic resistance. In contrast, genes associated with oxidative stress and membrane transporters were over-represented in communities from private well water-sourced showerheads compared to those supplied by public water systems. These results highlight the broad diversity of bacteria found in premise plumbing across the United States and the role of the water source and treatment in shaping the microbial community structure and functional potential.}, number={20}, journal={ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY}, author={Webster, Tara M. and McFarland, Alexander and Gebert, Matthew J. and Oliverio, Angela M. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Dunn, Robert R. and Hartmann, Erica M. and Fierer, Noah}, year={2021}, month={Oct}, pages={14105–14114} }
 @article{mesquita_nichols_gebert_vanderburgh_bocksberger_lester_kalan_dieguez_mccarthy_agbor_et al._2021, title={Structure of Chimpanzee Gut Microbiomes across Tropical Africa}, volume={6}, ISSN={["2379-5077"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.01269-20}, DOI={10.1128/mSystems.01269-20}, abstractNote={Gut microbial communities are drivers of primate physiology and health, but the factors that influence the gut microbiome in wild primate populations remain largely undetermined. We report data from a continent-wide survey of wild chimpanzee gut microbiota and highlight the effects of genetics, vegetation, and potentially even tool use at different spatial scales on the chimpanzee gut microbiome, including bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic parasites.}, number={3}, journal={MSYSTEMS}, author={Mesquita, Clifton P. Bueno and Nichols, Lauren M. and Gebert, Matthew J. and Vanderburgh, Caihong and Bocksberger, Gaelle and Lester, Jack D. and Kalan, Ammie K. and Dieguez, Paula and McCarthy, Maureen S. and Agbor, Anthony and et al.}, year={2021}, month={Jun} }
 @article{madden_lahue_gordy_little_nichols_calvert_dunn_smukowski heil_2021, title={Sugar‐seeking insects as a source of diverse bread‐making yeasts with enhanced attributes}, volume={39}, ISSN={0749-503X 1097-0061}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/yea.3676}, DOI={10.1002/yea.3676}, abstractNote={Insects represent a particularly interesting habitat in which to search for novel yeasts of value to industry. Insect-associated yeasts have the potential to have traits relevant to modern food and beverage production due to insect-yeast interactions, with such traits including diverse carbohydrate metabolisms, high sugar tolerance, and general stress tolerance. Here, we consider the potential value of insect-associated yeasts in the specific context of baking. We isolated 63 yeast strains from 13 species of hymenoptera from the United States, representing 37 yeast species from 14 genera. Screening for the ability to ferment maltose, a sugar important for bread production, resulted in the identification of 13 strains of Candida, Lachancea, and Pichia species. We assessed their ability to leaven dough. All strains produced baked loaves comparable to a commercial baking strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The same 13 strains were also grown under various sugar and salt conditions relevant to osmotic challenges experienced in the manufacturing processes and the production of sweet dough. We show that many of these yeast strains, most notably strains of Lachancea species, grow at a similar or higher rate and population size as commercial baker's yeast. We additionally assessed the comparative phenotypes and genetics of insect-associated S. cerevisiae strains unable to ferment maltose and identified baking-relevant traits, including variations in the HOG1 signaling pathway and diverse carbohydrate metabolisms. Our results suggest that non-conventional yeasts have high potential for baking and, more generally, showcase the success of bioprospecting in insects for identifying yeasts relevant for industrial uses.}, number={1-2}, journal={Yeast}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Madden, Anne A. and Lahue, Caitlin and Gordy, Claire L. and Little, Joy L. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Calvert, Martha D. and Dunn, Robert R. and Smukowski Heil, Caiti}, year={2021}, month={Nov}, pages={108–127} }
 @article{landis_oliverio_mckenney_nichols_kfoury_biango-daniels_shell_madden_shapiro_sakunala_et al._2021, title={The diversity and function of sourdough starter microbiomes}, volume={10}, ISSN={["2050-084X"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.61644}, DOI={10.7554/eLife.61644}, abstractNote={Humans have relied on sourdough starter microbial communities to make leavened bread for thousands of years, but only a small fraction of global sourdough biodiversity has been characterized. Working with a community-scientist network of bread bakers, we determined the microbial diversity of 500 sourdough starters from four continents. In sharp contrast with widespread assumptions, we found little evidence for biogeographic patterns in starter communities. Strong co-occurrence patterns observed in situ and recreated in vitro demonstrate that microbial interactions shape sourdough community structure. Variation in dough rise rates and aromas were largely explained by acetic acid bacteria, a mostly overlooked group of sourdough microbes. Our study reveals the extent of microbial diversity in an ancient fermented food across diverse cultural and geographic backgrounds.Sourdough bread is an ancient fermented food that has sustained humans around the world for thousands of years. It is made from a sourdough ‘starter culture’ which is maintained, portioned, and shared among bread bakers around the world. The starter culture contains a community of microbes made up of yeasts and bacteria, which ferment the carbohydrates in flour and produce the carbon dioxide gas that makes the bread dough rise before baking. The different acids and enzymes produced by the microbial culture affect the bread’s flavor, texture and shelf life. However, for such a dependable staple, sourdough bread cultures and the mixture of microbes they contain have scarcely been characterized. Previous studies have looked at the composition of starter cultures from regions within Europe. But there has never been a comprehensive study of how the microbial diversity of sourdough starters varies across and between continents. To investigate this, Landis, Oliverio et al. used genetic sequencing to characterize the microbial communities of sourdough starters from the homes of 500 bread bakers in North America, Europe and Australasia. Bread makers often think their bread’s unique qualities are due to the local environment of where the sourdough starter was made. However, Landis, Oliverio et al. found that geographical location did not correlate with the diversity of the starter cultures studied. The data revealed that a group of microbes called acetic acid bacteria, which had been overlooked in past research, were relatively common in starter cultures. Moreover, starters with a greater abundance of this group of bacteria produced bread with a strong vinegar aroma and caused dough to rise at a slower rate. This research demonstrates which species of bacteria and yeast are most commonly found in sourdough starters, and suggests geographical location has little influence on the microbial diversity of these cultures. Instead, the diversity of microbes likely depends more on how the starter culture was made and how it is maintained over time.}, journal={ELIFE}, author={Landis, Elizabeth A. and Oliverio, Angela M. and McKenney, Erin A. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Kfoury, Nicole and Biango-Daniels, Megan and Shell, Leonora K. and Madden, Anne A. and Shapiro, Lori and Sakunala, Shravya and et al.}, year={2021}, month={Jan} }
 @article{vecchi_kossi adakpo_dunn_nichols_penick_sanders_rebecchi_guidetti_2021, title={The toughest animals of the Earth versus global warming: Effects of long-term experimental warming on tardigrade community structure of a temperate deciduous forest}, volume={6}, ISSN={["2045-7758"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7816}, DOI={10.1002/ece3.7816}, abstractNote={Understanding how different taxa respond to global warming is essential for predicting future changes and elaborating strategies to buffer them. Tardigrades are well known for their ability to survive environmental stressors, such as drying and freezing, by undergoing cryptobiosis and rapidly recovering their metabolic function after stressors cease. Determining the extent to which animals that undergo cryptobiosis are affected by environmental warming will help to understand the real magnitude climate change will have on these organisms. Here, we report on the responses of tardigrades within a five-year-long, field-based artificial warming experiment, which consisted of 12 open-top chambers heated to simulate the projected effects of global warming (ranging from 0 to 5.5°C above ambient temperature) in a temperate deciduous forest of North Carolina (USA). To elucidate the effects of warming on the tardigrade community inhabiting the soil litter, three community diversity indices (abundance, species richness, and Shannon diversity) and the abundance of the three most abundant species (Diphascon pingue, Adropion scoticum, and Mesobiotus sp.) were determined. Their relationships with air temperature, soil moisture, and the interaction between air temperature and soil moisture were tested using Bayesian generalized linear mixed models. Despite observed negative effects of warming on other ground invertebrates in previous studies at this site, long-term warming did not affect the abundance, richness, or diversity of tardigrades in this experiment. These results are in line with previous experimental studies, indicating that tardigrades may not be directly affected by ongoing global warming, possibly due to their thermotolerance and cryptobiotic abilities to avoid negative effects of stressful temperatures, and the buffering effect on temperature of the soil litter substrate.}, journal={ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, author={Vecchi, Matteo and Kossi Adakpo, Laurent and Dunn, Robert R. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Penick, Clint A. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Rebecchi, Lorena and Guidetti, Roberto}, year={2021}, month={Jun} }
 @article{dunn_wilson_nichols_gavin_2021, title={Toward a Global Ecology of Fermented Foods}, volume={8}, ISSN={["1537-5382"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/716014}, DOI={10.1086/716014}, abstractNote={The control of microbes in food has been as important to human societies as the domestication of plants and animals. The direct or indirect management of microbes has been critical to food safety, ensuring nutrient availability, and developing desired sensory characteristics in food. Fermentation is more universal than is agriculture inasmuch as it is practiced by agricultural societies, pastoralists, and hunter-gatherers. In addition, fermentation likely predates agriculture, potentially by hundreds of thousands of years. However, we lack a general approach to understanding of (a) when and why technologies associated with fermentation emerged and (b) how those technologies and the microbes associated with them diverged once they emerged. Here we offer a framework for the study of the diversification of fermented foods in and among human societies. In developing this framework, we draw heavily from research on language and more generally cultural diversification.}, journal={CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Wilson, John and Nichols, Lauren M. and Gavin, Michael C.}, year={2021}, month={Aug} }
 @article{demi_taylor_reading_tordoff_dunn_2021, title={Understanding the evolution of nutritive taste in animals: Insights from biological stoichiometry and nutritional geometry}, volume={6}, ISSN={["2045-7758"]}, DOI={10.1002/ece3.7745}, abstractNote={A major conceptual gap in taste biology is the lack of a general framework for understanding the evolution of different taste modalities among animal species. We turn to two complementary nutritional frameworks, biological stoichiometry theory and nutritional geometry, to develop hypotheses for the evolution of different taste modalities in animals. We describe how the attractive tastes of Na-, Ca-, P-, N-, and C-containing compounds are consistent with principles of both frameworks based on their shared focus on nutritional imbalances and consumer homeostasis. Specifically, we suggest that the evolution of multiple nutritive taste modalities can be predicted by identifying individual elements that are typically more concentrated in the tissues of animals than plants. Additionally, we discuss how consumer homeostasis can inform our understanding of why some taste compounds (i.e., Na, Ca, and P salts) can be either attractive or aversive depending on concentration. We also discuss how these complementary frameworks can help to explain the evolutionary history of different taste modalities and improve our understanding of the mechanisms that lead to loss of taste capabilities in some animal lineages. The ideas presented here will stimulate research that bridges the fields of evolutionary biology, sensory biology, and ecology.}, journal={ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, author={Demi, Lee M. and Taylor, Brad W. and Reading, Benjamin J. and Tordoff, Michael G. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2021}, month={Jun} }
 @article{agerbo rasmussen_nielsen_mak_döring_klincke_gopalakrishnan_dunn_kauer_gilbert_2021, title={eDNA‐based biomonitoring at an experimental German vineyard to characterize how management regimes shape ecosystem diversity}, volume={3}, ISSN={2637-4943 2637-4943}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/edn3.131}, DOI={10.1002/edn3.131}, abstractNote={There is growing interest in the application of sustainable agricultural methods to minimize the environmental impact of farming and thus aiding quantification of the actual benefit that such approaches may confer. We applied DNA metabarcoding with the aim of exploring how the diversity of fungi and arthropods were affected by different agricultural management systems (integrated, organic, biodynamic) at the experimental vineyard of Geisenheim (Rheingau, Germany). Data were generated for the bloom and harvest periods in 2017, using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding analysis of both soil and vane trap samples. Our data revealed four principal results. (a) Overall richness of vane trap samples was unaffected by the management systems, likely due to the relatively small scale of the plots compared to the ranges of taxa such as the arthropods caught. In contrast, however, the richness of soil-living taxa appeared to be negatively affected by conventional treatments, especially at harvest. (b) Analysis of similarity revealed that the species composition was significantly differentiated by management systems for both fungal and other taxa in both sample types. (c) Taxonomic analysis of fungi revealed that the management system drove differentiation in the abundance patterns for wine-related fungi. Overall, our study reiterates the potential of eDNA techniques as a tool for assessing how biodiversity is affected by different agricultural management regimes, and we hope such approaches will be adopted in future research aimed at guiding vineyard management decisions.}, number={1}, journal={Environmental DNA}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Agerbo Rasmussen, Jacob and Nielsen, Martin and Mak, Sarah S. T. and Döring, Johanna and Klincke, Franziska and Gopalakrishnan, Shyam and Dunn, Robert R. and Kauer, Randolf and Gilbert, Marcus Thomas Pius}, year={2021}, month={Jan}, pages={70–82} }
 @article{balbin_hull_guest_nichols_dunn_thakur_2020, title={Antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors profile of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli isolated from different environments exposed to anthropogenic activity}, volume={22}, ISSN={["2213-7173"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jgar.2020.05.016}, DOI={10.1016/j.jgar.2020.05.016}, abstractNote={The study aimed to identify the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants and virulence factors in Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli recovered from different anthropogenic areas in North Carolina. Soil samples were collected from different anthropogenic areas, urban and natural. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by using the broth microdilution method. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and analysis were done to identify the AMR determinants and virulence factors. A higher prevalence of Salmonella spp. and E. coli was detected in the urban environment. The Salmonella spp. isolates showed resistance to sulfisoxazole and streptomycin, whereas E. coli was resistant to sulfisoxazole, cefoxitin and ampicillin. Salmonella serotypes Schwarzengrund and Mississippi were identified based on WGS analysis. Aminoglycoside resistance genes and IncFIB and IncFIC(FII) plasmids were detected among Salmonella spp. In general, E. coli was predominated by isolates from phylogroups B1, B2 and D. The multidrug transporter mdfA gene was detected in most of the E. coli from both the urban (100%) and natural (84.5%) environments. The FosA7 gene was detected in an isolate from a residential yard. The pCoo and pB171 plasmids were detected in an urban environment; col(156) and pHN7A8 plasmids were detected in natural environments. The detection of AMR determinants and virulence factors in these bacteria is significant in understanding the occurrence and even the development of AMR. The presence of these determinants in different anthropogenic areas suggests the need to conduct longitudinal studies for comparing the profile of pathogens across different environments.}, journal={JOURNAL OF GLOBAL ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE}, author={Balbin, Michelle M. and Hull, Dawn and Guest, Chloe and Nichols, Lauren and Dunn, Robert and Thakur, Siddhartha}, year={2020}, month={Sep}, pages={578–583} }
 @article{halawani_dunn_grunden_smith_2020, title={Bacterial exposure leads to variable mortality but not a measurable increase in surface antimicrobials across ant species}, volume={8}, ISSN={["2167-8359"]}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.10412}, abstractNote={Social insects have co-existed with microbial species for millions of years and have evolved a diversity of collective defenses, including the use of antimicrobials. While many studies have revealed strategies that ants use against microbial entomopathogens, and several have shown ant-produced compounds inhibit environmental bacterial growth, few studies have tested whether exposure to environmental bacteria represents a health threat to ants. We compare four ant species’ responses to exposure to Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria in order to broaden our understanding of microbial health-threats to ants and their ability to defend against them. In a first experiment, we measure worker mortality of Solenopsis invicta , Brachymyrmex chinensis , Aphaenogaster rudis , and Dorymyrmex bureni in response to exposure to E. coli and S. epidermidis . We found that exposure to E. coli was lethal for S. invicta and D. bureni , while all other effects of exposure were not different from experimental controls. In a second experiment, we compared the antimicrobial ability of surface extracts from bacteria-exposed and non-exposed S. invicta and B. chinensis worker ants, to see if exposure to E. coli or S. epidermidis led to an increase in antimicrobial compounds. We found no difference in the inhibitory effects from either treatment group in either species. Our results demonstrate the susceptibility to bacteria is varied across ant species. This variation may correlate with an ant species’ use of surface antimicrobials, as we found significant mortality effects in species which also were producing antimicrobials. Further exploration of a wide range of both bacteria and ant species is likely to reveal unique and nuanced antimicrobial strategies and deepen our understanding of how ant societies respond to microbial health threats.}, journal={PEERJ}, author={Halawani, Omar and Dunn, Robert R. and Grunden, Amy M. and Smith, Adrian A.}, year={2020}, month={Dec} }
 @article{dunn_2020, title={Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures}, volume={368}, ISSN={["1095-9203"]}, DOI={10.1126/science.abb5841}, abstractNote={Now more than ever, it is useful to step outside at night and remember the grandeur of the Universe. You can do so while taking out the trash or while wandering the neighborhood wondering what will come over the next months. If you are lucky, you will pause long enough, looking up, to be humbled and awed by the sublimity and scale of what surrounds us. With his new book, Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake reminds the reader that one can have a similarly transcendent experience by pausing and looking down.}, number={6492}, journal={SCIENCE}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2020}, month={May}, pages={722–722} }
 @article{grantham_reich_laber_pacifici_dunn_fierer_gebert_allwood_faith_2020, title={Global forensic geolocation with deep neural networks}, volume={69}, ISSN={["1467-9876"]}, DOI={10.1111/rssc.12427}, abstractNote={Summary An important problem in modern forensic analyses is identifying the provenance of materials at a crime scene, such as biological material on a piece of clothing. This procedure, which is known as geolocation, is conventionally guided by expert knowledge of the biological evidence and therefore tends to be application specific, labour intensive and often subjective. Purely data-driven methods have yet to be fully realized in this domain, because in part of the lack of a sufficiently rich source of data. However, high throughput sequencing technologies can identify tens of thousands of fungi and bacteria taxa by using DNA recovered from a single swab collected from nearly any object or surface. This microbial community, or microbiome, may be highly informative of the provenance of the sample, but data on the spatial variation of microbiomes are sparse and high dimensional and have a complex dependence structure that render them difficult to model with standard statistical tools. Deep learning algorithms have generated a tremendous amount of interest within the machine learning community for their predictive performance in high dimensional problems. We present DeepSpace: a new algorithm for geolocation that aggregates over an ensemble of deep neural network classifiers trained on randomly generated Voronoi partitions of a spatial domain. The DeepSpace algorithm makes remarkably good point predictions; for example, when applied to the microbiomes of over 1300 dust samples collected across continental USA, more than half of geolocation predictions produced by this model fall less than 100 km from their true origin, which is a 60% reduction in error from competing geolocation methods. Moreover, we apply DeepSpace to a novel data set of global dust samples collected from nearly 30 countries, finding that dust-associated fungi alone predict a sample's country of origin with nearly 90% accuracy.}, number={4}, journal={JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY SERIES C-APPLIED STATISTICS}, author={Grantham, Neal S. and Reich, Brian J. and Laber, Eric B. and Pacifici, Krishna and Dunn, Robert R. and Fierer, Noah and Gebert, Matthew and Allwood, Julia S. and Faith, Seth A.}, year={2020}, month={Aug}, pages={909–929} }
 @article{mcdonald_perkins_dunn_mcdonald_cole_feranec_kays_2020, title={High variability within pet foods prevents the identification of native species in pet cats’ diets using isotopic evaluation}, volume={8}, ISSN={2167-8359}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8337}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.8337}, abstractNote={Domestic cats preying on wildlife is a frequent conservation concern but typical approaches for assessing impacts rely on owner reports of prey returned home, which can be biased by inaccurate reporting or by cats consuming prey instead of bringing it home. Isotopes offer an alternative way to quantify broad differences in animal diets. By obtaining samples of pet food from cat owners we predicted that we would have high power to identify cats feeding on wild birds or mammals, given that pet food is thought to have higher C isotope values, due to the pervasive use of corn and/or corn by-products as food ingredients, than native prey. We worked with citizen scientists to quantify the isotopes of 202 cat hair samples and 239 pet food samples from the US and UK. We also characterized the isotopes of 11 likely native prey species from the southeastern US and used mixing models to assess the diet of 47 cats from the same region. Variation in C and N isotope values for cat food was very high, even within the same brand/flavor, suggesting that pet food manufacturers use a wide range of ingredients, and that these may change over time. Cat food and cat hair from the UK had lower C values than the US, presumably reflecting differences in the amount of corn used in the food chains of the two countries. This high variation in pet food reduced our ability to classify cats as hunters of native prey, such that only 43% of the animals could be confidently assigned. If feral or free ranging cats were considered, this uncertainty would be even higher as pet food types would be unknown. Our results question the general assumption that anthropogenic foods always have high C isotope values, because of the high variability we documented within one product type (cat food) and between countries (US vs. UK), and emphasize the need to test a variety of standards before making conclusions from isotope ecology studies.}, journal={PeerJ}, publisher={PeerJ}, author={McDonald, Brandon W. and Perkins, Troi and Dunn, Robert R. and McDonald, Jennifer and Cole, Holly and Feranec, Robert S. and Kays, Roland}, year={2020}, month={Jan}, pages={e8337} }
 @misc{lahue_madden_dunn_smukowski heil_2020, title={History and Domestication of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Bread Baking}, volume={11}, ISSN={["1664-8021"]}, DOI={10.3389/fgene.2020.584718}, abstractNote={The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been instrumental in the fermentation of foods and beverages for millennia. In addition to fermentations like wine, beer, cider, sake, and bread, S. cerevisiae has been isolated from environments ranging from soil and trees, to human clinical isolates. Each of these environments has unique selection pressures that S. cerevisiae must adapt to. Bread dough, for example, requires S. cerevisiae to efficiently utilize the complex sugar maltose; tolerate osmotic stress due to the semi-solid state of dough, high salt, and high sugar content of some doughs; withstand various processing conditions, including freezing and drying; and produce desirable aromas and flavors. In this review, we explore the history of bread that gave rise to modern commercial baking yeast, and the genetic and genomic changes that accompanied this. We illustrate the genetic and phenotypic variation that has been documented in baking strains and wild strains, and how this variation might be used for baking strain improvement. While we continue to improve our understanding of how baking strains have adapted to bread dough, we conclude by highlighting some of the remaining open questions in the field.}, journal={FRONTIERS IN GENETICS}, author={Lahue, Caitlin and Madden, Anne A. and Dunn, Robert R. and Smukowski Heil, Caiti}, year={2020}, month={Nov} }
 @article{reese_madden_joossens_lacaze_dunn_2020, title={Influences of Ingredients and Bakers on the Bacteria and Fungi in Sourdough Starters and Bread}, volume={5}, ISSN={["2379-5042"]}, DOI={10.1128/mSphere.00950-19}, abstractNote={Sourdough starters are complex communities of yeast and bacteria which confer characteristic flavor and texture to sourdough bread. The microbes present in starters can be sourced from ingredients or the baking environment and are typically consistent over time. Herein, we show that even when the recipe and ingredients for starter and bread are identical, different bakers around the globe produce highly diverse starters which then alter bread acidity and flavor. Much of the starter microbial community comes from bread flour, but the diversity is also associated with differences in the microbial community on the hands of bakers. These results indicate that bakers may be a source for yeast and bacteria in their breads and/or that bakers’ jobs are reflected in their skin microbiome.}, number={1}, journal={MSPHERE}, author={Reese, Aspen T. and Madden, Anne A. and Joossens, Marie and Lacaze, Guylaine and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2020} }
 @article{montgomery_dunn_fox_jongejans_leather_saunders_shortall_tingley_wagner_2020, title={Is the insect apocalypse upon us? How to find out}, volume={241}, ISSN={0006-3207}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108327}, DOI={10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108327}, abstractNote={In recent decades, entomologists have documented alarming declines in occurrence, taxonomic richness, and geographic range of insects around the world. Additionally, some recent studies have reported that insect abundance and biomass, often of common species, are rapidly declining, which has led some to dub the phenomenon an “Insect Apocalypse”. Recent reports are sufficiently robust to justify immediate actions to protect insect biodiversity worldwide. We caution, however, that we do not yet have the data to assess large-scale spatial patterns in the severity of insect trends. Most documented collapses are from geographically restricted studies and, alone, do not allow us to draw conclusions about insect declines on continental or global scales, especially with regards to future projections of total insect biomass, abundance, and extinction. There are many challenges to understanding insect declines: only a small fraction of insect species have had any substantial population monitoring, millions of species remain unstudied, and most of the long-term population data for insects come from human-dominated landscapes in western and northern Europe. But there are still concrete steps we can take to improve our understanding of potential declines. Here, we review the challenges scientists face in documenting insect population and diversity trends, including communicating their findings, and recommend research approaches needed to address these challenges.}, journal={Biological Conservation}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Montgomery, Graham A. and Dunn, Robert R. and Fox, Richard and Jongejans, Eelke and Leather, Simon R. and Saunders, Manu E. and Shortall, Chris R. and Tingley, Morgan W. and Wagner, David L.}, year={2020}, month={Jan}, pages={108327} }
 @article{zhao_dunn_zhou_si_ding_2020, title={Island area, not isolation, drives taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of ants on land-bridge islands}, volume={47}, ISSN={["1365-2699"]}, DOI={10.1111/jbi.13860}, abstractNote={Aim To explore the impact of island area and isolation on multiple dimensions of ant biodiversity (taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity) and the underlying processes of community assembly on islands. Location Thousand Island Lake, Zhejiang, China, created by dam construction in 1959. Taxon Ants. Methods We sampled ants on 33 islands, built a species-level phylogenetic tree and measured five morphological traits of all species collected to estimate taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity. We used multiple linear regression models and null models to examine the relationships between diversity metrics and island variables (area and isolation). Results We recorded 97 ant species on the study islands. We verified positive diversity–area relationships for species richness, phylogenetic diversity and functional diversity. However, although functional and phylogenetic community structure were indistinguishable from random communities, phylogenetic structure tended to be clustered, whereas functional structure tended to be overdispersed. Additionally, we found the structure of ant communities shifted from phylogenetic and functional clustering on smaller islands to phylogenetic and functional overdispersion on larger islands. Main conclusions Our results support the hypothesis that environmental filtering is the dominant process structuring ant communities on smaller islands, and that competitive exclusion becomes more important on larger islands. Thus, island area acts as an important filter even though ant community structure on the study islands was indistinguishable from random communities. Moreover, our results show that environmental filtering influences phylogenetic community structure of ants, whereas competitive exclusion influences functional community structure of ants. These findings highlight the need to examine both phylogenetic and functional diversity in order to understand the mechanisms that govern the assembly of natural communities on islands.}, number={8}, journal={JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY}, author={Zhao, Yuhao and Dunn, Robert R. and Zhou, Haonan and Si, Xingfeng and Ding, Ping}, year={2020}, month={Aug}, pages={1627–1637} }
 @article{sheard_nelson_berggreen_boulay_dunn_sanders_2020, title={Testing trade-offs and the dominance-impoverishment rule among ant communities}, volume={47}, ISSN={["1365-2699"]}, DOI={10.1111/jbi.13911}, abstractNote={Aim Ant communities are believed to be structured by competition, with dominant species competitively excluding subordinates (the dominance–impoverishment rule). However, a high number of seemingly similar species coexist, possibly due to interspecific trade-offs. Here, we examine the evidence for the dominance–impoverishment rule across a broad latitudinal gradient and explore whether trade-offs explain coexistence within and among ant communities. Location 40 sites in 19 countries across Europe, western North America and northern South America. Taxon Formicidae. Methods We conducted 2-hr baiting experiments at each site. Three dominance scores were calculated for each species at each site where it occurred. We then examined the relationship between ant dominance and diversity and tested for the generality of three trade-offs (dominance–discovery, dominance–thermal tolerance and dominance–generalism) within and among ant communities along with the possible effects of environmental variables on these trade-offs. Results We found no support for the dominance–impoverishment rule. Instead, overall species richness at baits was positively correlated with the number of dominant species and exhibited a unimodal relationship with the relative abundance of dominant ants. Moreover, we found little consistent evidence for the three interspecific trade-offs. Main conclusion Although total species richness at baits is positively correlated with species richness of dominant species and, to a point, increasing worker numbers of dominants, trade-offs among species do not appear to shape broad-scale patterns of coexistence among ants. Species richness declines only when the numbers of dominant workers are very high. Together, these results suggest that while trade-offs and the dominance–impoverishment rule might promote coexistence or shape ant communities in some locations, the evidence for their being general across communities is scant.}, number={9}, journal={JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY}, author={Sheard, Julie K. and Nelson, Annika S. and Berggreen, Jeppe D. and Boulay, Raphael and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2020}, month={Sep}, pages={1899–1909} }
 @article{chick_lessard_dunn_sanders_2020, title={The Coupled Influence of Thermal Physiology and Biotic Interactions on the Distribution and Density of Ant Species along an Elevational Gradient}, volume={12}, ISSN={["1424-2818"]}, DOI={10.3390/d12120456}, abstractNote={A fundamental tenet of biogeography is that abiotic and biotic factors interact to shape the distributions of species and the organization of communities, with interactions being more important in benign environments, and environmental filtering more important in stressful environments. This pattern is often inferred using large databases or phylogenetic signal, but physiological mechanisms underlying such patterns are rarely examined. We focused on 18 ant species at 29 sites along an extensive elevational gradient, coupling experimental data on critical thermal limits, null model analyses, and observational data of density and abundance to elucidate factors governing species’ elevational range limits. Thermal tolerance data showed that environmental conditions were likely to be more important in colder, more stressful environments, where physiology was the most important constraint on the distribution and density of ant species. Conversely, the evidence for species interactions was strongest in warmer, more benign conditions, as indicated by our observational data and null model analyses. Our results provide a strong test that biotic interactions drive the distributions and density of species in warm climates, but that environmental filtering predominates at colder, high-elevation sites. Such a pattern suggests that the responses of species to climate change are likely to be context-dependent and more specifically, geographically-dependent.}, number={12}, journal={DIVERSITY-BASEL}, author={Chick, Lacy D. and Lessard, Jean-Philippe and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2020}, month={Dec} }
 @misc{allwood_fierer_dunn_2020, title={The Future of Environmental DNA in Forensic Science}, volume={86}, ISSN={["1098-5336"]}, DOI={10.1128/AEM.01504-19}, abstractNote={DNA sequencing technologies continue to improve, and there has been a corresponding expansion of DNA-based applications in the forensic sciences. DNA recovered from dust and environmental debris can be used to identify the organisms associated with these sample types, including bacteria, plants, fungi, and insects. Such results can then be leveraged to discern sample origin or geolocation and investigate individual identification.}, number={2}, journal={APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY}, author={Allwood, Julia S. and Fierer, Noah and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2020}, month={Jan} }
 @article{dunn_amato_archie_arandjelovic_crittenden_nichols_2020, title={The Internal, External and Extended Microbiomes of Hominins}, volume={8}, ISSN={["2296-701X"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2020.00025}, DOI={10.3389/fevo.2020.00025}, abstractNote={The social structure of primates has recently been shown to influence the composition of their microbiomes. What is less clear is how the microbiome composition of primates might influence their social behavior, either in general or with particular reference to hominins. Here we use a comparative approach to understand how microbiomes of hominins have, or might have, changed since the last common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans, roughly six million years ago. We focus on microbiomes associated with social evolution, namely those hosted or influenced by stomachs, intestines, armpits, and food fermentation. In doing so, we highlight the potential influence of microbiomes in hominin evolution while also offering a series of hypotheses and questions with regard to evolution of human stomach acidity, the factors structuring gut microbiomes, the functional consequences of changes in armpit ecology, and whether Homo erectus was engaged in fermentation. We conclude by briefly considering the possibility that hominin social behavior was influenced by prosocial microbes whose fitness was favored by social interactions among individual hominins.}, journal={FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Amato, Katherine R. and Archie, Elizabeth A. and Arandjelovic, Mimi and Crittenden, Alyssa N. and Nichols, Lauren M.}, year={2020}, month={Feb} }
 @article{dunn_amato_archie_arandjelovic_crittenden_nichols_2020, title={The Internal, External and Extended Microbiomes of Hominins (vol 8, 25, 2020)}, volume={8}, ISSN={["2296-701X"]}, DOI={10.3389/fevo.2020.00236}, journal={FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Amato, Katherine R. and Archie, Elizabeth A. and Arandjelovic, Mimi and Crittenden, Alyssa N. and Nichols, Lauren M.}, year={2020}, month={Aug} }
 @article{kays_dunn_parsons_mcdonald_perkins_powers_shell_mcdonald_cole_kikillus_et al._2020, title={The small home ranges and large local ecological impacts of pet cats}, volume={23}, ISSN={1367-9430 1469-1795}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/acv.12563}, DOI={10.1111/acv.12563}, abstractNote={Domestic cats (Felis catus) are a conservation concern because they kill billions of native prey each year, but without spatial context the ecological importance of pets as predators remains uncertain. We worked with citizen scientists to track 925 pet cats from six countries, finding remarkably small home ranges (3.6 ± 5.6 ha). Only three cats ranged > 1 km2 and we found no relationship between home range size and the presence of larger native predators (i.e. coyotes, Canis latrans). Most (75%) cats used primarily (90%) disturbed habitats. Owners reported that their pets killed an average of 3.5 prey items/month, leading to an estimated ecological impact per cat of 14.2-38.9 prey ha−1 yr−1. This is similar or higher than the per-animal ecological impact of wild carnivores but the effect is amplified by the high density of cats in neighborhoods. As a result, pet cats around the world have an ecological impact greater than native predators but concentrated within ~100 m of their homes.}, number={5}, journal={Animal Conservation}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Kays, R. and Dunn, R. R. and Parsons, A. W. and Mcdonald, B. and Perkins, T. and Powers, S. A. and Shell, L. and McDonald, J. L. and Cole, H. and Kikillus, H. and et al.}, year={2020}, month={Mar}, pages={516–523} }
 @article{allwood_fierer_dunn_breen_reich_laber_clifton_grantham_faith_2020, title={Use of standardized bioinformatics for the analysis of fungal DNA signatures applied to sample provenance}, volume={310}, ISSN={["1872-6283"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110250}, abstractNote={The use of environmental trace material to aid criminal investigations is an ongoing field of research within forensic science. The application of environmental material thus far has focused upon a variety of different objectives relevant to forensic biology, including sample provenance (also referred to as sample attribution). The capability to predict the provenance or origin of an environmental DNA sample would be an advantageous addition to the suite of investigative tools currently available. A metabarcoding approach is often used to predict sample provenance, through the extraction and comparison of the DNA signatures found within different environmental materials, such as the bacteria within soil or fungi within dust. Such approaches are combined with bioinformatics workflows and statistical modelling, often as part of large-scale study, with less emphasis on the investigation of the adaptation of these methods to a smaller scale method for forensic use. The present work was investigating a small-scale approach as an adaptation of a larger metabarcoding study to develop a model for global sample provenance using fungal DNA signatures collected from dust swabs. This adaptation was to facilitate a standardized method for consistent, reproducible sample treatment, including bioinformatics processing and final application of resulting data to the available prediction model. To investigate this small-scale method, 76 DNA samples were treated as anonymous test samples and analyzed using the standardized process to demonstrate and evaluate processing and customized sequence data analysis. This testing included samples originating from countries previously used to train the model, samples artificially mixed to represent multiple or mixed countries, as well as outgroup samples. Positive controls were also developed to monitor laboratory processing and bioinformatics analysis. Through this evaluation we were able to demonstrate that the samples could be processed and analyzed in a consistent manner, facilitated by a relatively user-friendly bioinformatic pipeline for sequence data analysis. Such investigation into standardized analyses and application of metabarcoding data is of key importance for the future use of applied microbiology in forensic science.}, journal={FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL}, author={Allwood, Julia S. and Fierer, Noah and Dunn, Robert R. and Breen, Matthew and Reich, Brian J. and Laber, Eric B. and Clifton, Jesse and Grantham, Neal S. and Faith, Seth A.}, year={2020}, month={May} }
 @article{singh_staicu_dunn_fierer_reich_2019, title={A nonparametric spatial test to identify factors that shape a microbiome}, volume={13}, ISSN={1932-6157}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/19-aoas1262}, DOI={10.1214/19-aoas1262}, abstractNote={The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies has made data from DNA material readily available, leading to a surge of microbiome-related research establishing links between markers of microbiome health and specific outcomes. However, to harness the power of microbial communities we must understand not only how they affect us, but also how they can be influenced to improve outcomes. This area has been dominated by methods that reduce community composition to summary metrics, which can fail to fully exploit the complexity of community data. Recently, methods have been developed to model the abundance of taxa in a community, but they can be computationally intensive and do not account for spatial effects underlying microbial settlement. These spatial effects are particularly relevant in the microbiome setting because we expect communities that are close together to be more similar than those that are far apart. In this paper, we propose a flexible Bayesian spike-and-slab variable selection model for presence-absence indicators that accounts for spatial dependence and cross-dependence between taxa while reducing dimensionality in both directions. We show by simulation that in the presence of spatial dependence, popular distance-based hypothesis testing methods fail to preserve their advertised size, and the proposed method improves variable selection. Finally, we present an application of our method to an indoor fungal community found within homes across the contiguous United States.}, number={4}, journal={The Annals of Applied Statistics}, publisher={Institute of Mathematical Statistics}, author={Singh, Susheela P. and Staicu, Ana-Maria and Dunn, Robert R. and Fierer, Noah and Reich, Brian J.}, year={2019}, month={Dec}, pages={2341–2362} }
 @article{lucas_madden_penick_epps_marting_stevens_fergus_dunn_meineke_2019, title={Azteca ants maintain unique microbiomes across functionally distinct nest chambers}, volume={286}, ISSN={["1471-2954"]}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2019.1026}, abstractNote={The microbiome of built structures has considerable influence over an inhabitant's well-being, yet the vast majority of research has focused on human-built structures. Ants are well-known architects, capable of constructing elaborate dwellings, the microbiome of which is underexplored. Here, we explore the bacterial and fungal microbiomes in functionally distinct chambers within and outside the nests of Azteca alfari ants in Cecropia peltata trees. We predicted that A. alfari colonies (1) maintain distinct microbiomes within their nests compared to the surrounding environment, (2) maintain distinct microbiomes among nest chambers used for different functions, and (3) limit both ant and plant pathogens inside their nests. In support of these predictions, we found that internal and external nest sampling locations had distinct microbial communities, and A. alfari maintained lower bacterial richness in their ‘nurseries’. While putative animal pathogens were suppressed in chambers that ants actively inhabited, putative plant pathogens were not, which does not support our hypothesis that A. alfari defends its host trees against microbial antagonists. Our results show that ants influence microbial communities inside their nests similar to studies of human homes. Unlike humans, ants limit the bacteria in their nurseries and potentially prevent the build-up of insect-infecting pathogens. These results highlight the importance of documenting how indoor microbiomes differ among species, which might improve our understanding of how to promote indoor health in human dwellings.}, number={1908}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={Lucas, Jane M. and Madden, Anne A. and Penick, Clint A. and Epps, Mary Jane and Marting, Peter R. and Stevens, Julia L. and Fergus, Daniel J. and Dunn, Robert R. and Meineke, Emily K.}, year={2019}, month={Jul} }
 @article{dunn_reese_eisenhauer_2019, title={Biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships on bodies and in buildings}, volume={3}, ISSN={["2397-334X"]}, DOI={10.1038/s41559-018-0750-9}, abstractNote={Biodiversity underpins the function of ecosystems. Here we discuss how biodiversity–ecosystem function theory could apply to our bodies and buildings, outline practical applications and call for further research.}, number={1}, journal={NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Reese, Aspen T. and Eisenhauer, Nico}, year={2019}, month={Jan}, pages={7–9} }
 @article{fitzpatrick_dunn_2019, title={Contemporary climatic analogs for 540 North American urban areas in the late 21st century}, volume={10}, ISSN={["2041-1723"]}, DOI={10.1038/s41467-019-08540-3}, abstractNote={Abstract A major challenge in articulating human dimensions of climate change lies in translating global climate forecasts into impact assessments that are intuitive to the public. Climate-analog mapping involves matching the expected future climate at a location (e.g., a person’s city of residence) with current climate of another, potentially familiar, location - thereby providing a more relatable, place-based assessment of climate change. For 540 North American urban areas, we used climate-analog mapping to identify the location that has a contemporary climate most similar to each urban area’s expected 2080’s climate. We show that climate of most urban areas will shift considerably and become either more akin to contemporary climates hundreds of kilometers away and mainly to the south or will have no modern equivalent. Combined with an interactive web application, we provide an intuitive means of raising public awareness of the implications of climate change for 250 million urban residents.}, journal={NATURE COMMUNICATIONS}, author={Fitzpatrick, Matthew C. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2019}, month={Feb} }
 @article{beasley_fitzgerald_fowler_keleher_lopez-uribe_dunn_2019, title={Do Bee Wings Adapt for Flight in Urban Environments?}, volume={18}, ISSN={["1938-5412"]}, DOI={10.1656/058.018.0210}, abstractNote={Understanding how organisms respond to urban-associated environmental changes is key to protecting vulnerable species. Bees, in particular, have gained interest due to their economic and ecological roles. We used a geometric morphometric approach to describe changes in wing shape and size in the solitary bee Andrena barbara (Barbara's Miner) collected across an urban landscape. We found that, although the wing morphology suggests a limited dispersal ability in its short and narrow frame, the urban landscape did not significantly explain how wing shape or size vary. Our findings are consistent with other studies that show little variation in wing morphology in urban solitary bees, and suggests that urban habitats may potentially serve an important role in bee conservation.}, number={2}, journal={SOUTHEASTERN NATURALIST}, author={Beasley, DeAnna E. and Fitzgerald, Jacquelyn L. and Fowler, Alison and Keleher, Kirsten and Lopez-Uribe, Margarita M. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2019}, month={May}, pages={183–191} }
 @article{lau_ellison_nguyen_penick_demarcos_gotelli_sanders_dunn_cahan_2019, title={Draft Aphaenogaster genomes expand our view of ant genome size variation across climate gradients}, volume={7}, ISSN={["2167-8359"]}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.6447}, abstractNote={Given the abundance, broad distribution, and diversity of roles that ants play in many ecosystems, they are an ideal group to serve as ecosystem indicators of climatic change. At present, only a few whole-genome sequences of ants are available (19 of >16,000 species), mostly from tropical and sub-tropical species. To address this limited sampling, we sequenced genomes of temperate-latitude species from the genus Aphaenogaster , a genus with important seed dispersers. In total, we sampled seven colonies of six species: Aphaenogaster ashmeadi , Aphaenogaster floridana , Aphaenogaster fulva , Aphaenogaster miamiana , Aphaenogaster picea , and Aphaenogaster rudis . The geographic ranges of these species collectively span eastern North America from southern Florida to southern Canada, which encompasses a latitudinal gradient in which many climatic variables are changing rapidly. For the six genomes, we assembled an average of 271,039 contigs into 47,337 scaffolds. The Aphaenogaster genomes displayed high levels of completeness with 96.1% to 97.6% of Hymenoptera BUSCOs completely represented, relative to currently sequenced ant genomes which ranged from 88.2% to 98.5%. Additionally, the mean genome size was 370.5 Mb, ranging from 310.3 to 429.7, which is comparable to that of other sequenced ant genomes (212.8–396.0 Mb) and flow cytometry estimates (210.7–690.4 Mb). In an analysis of currently sequenced ant genomes and the new Aphaenogaster sequences, we found that after controlling for both spatial autocorrelation and phylogenetics ant genome size was marginally correlated with sample site climate similarity. Of all examined climate variables, minimum temperature, and annual precipitation had the strongest correlations with genome size, with ants from locations with colder minimum temperatures and higher levels of precipitation having larger genomes. These results suggest that climate extremes could be a selective force acting on ant genomes and point to the need for more extensive sequencing of ant genomes.}, journal={PEERJ}, author={Lau, Matthew K. and Ellison, Aaron M. and Nguyen, Andrew and Penick, Clint and DeMarcos, Bernice and Gotelli, Nicholas J. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert R. and Cahan, Sara Helms}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
 @article{frank_backe_mcdaniel_green_widney_dunn_2019, title={Exotic urban trees conserve similar natural enemy communities to native congeners but have fewer pests}, volume={7}, ISSN={["2167-8359"]}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.6531}, abstractNote={Urban trees serve a critical conservation function by supporting arthropod and vertebrate communities but are often subject to arthropod pest infestations. Native trees are thought to support richer arthropod communities than exotic trees but may also be more susceptible to herbivorous pests. Exotic trees may be less susceptible to herbivores but provide less conservation value as a consequence. We tested the hypotheses that native species in Acer and Quercus would have more herbivorous pests than exotic congeners and different communities of arthropod natural enemies. The density of scale insects, common urban tree pests, was greatest on a native Acer and a native Quercus than exotic congeners in both years of our research (2012 and 2016) and sometimes reached damaging levels. However, differences in predator and parasitoid abundance, diversity, and communities were not consistent between native and exotic species in either genus and were generally similar. For example, in 2012 neither predator nor parasitoid abundance differed among native and exotic Acer congeners but in 2016 a native species, A. saccharum , had the least of both groups. A native, Q. phellos , had significantly more predators and parasitoids in 2012 than its native and exotic congeners but no differences in 2016. Parasitoid communities were significantly different among Acer species and Quercus species due in each case to greater abundance of a single family on one native tree species. These native and exotic tree species could help conserve arthropod natural enemies and achieve pest management goals.}, journal={PEERJ}, author={Frank, Steven D. and Backe, Kristi M. and McDaniel, Casey and Green, Matthew and Widney, Sarah and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
 @article{just_nichols_dunn_2019, title={Human indoor climate preferences approximate specific geographies}, volume={6}, ISSN={["2054-5703"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180695}, DOI={10.1098/rsos.180695}, abstractNote={Human engineering of the outdoors led to the development of the indoor niche, including home construction. However, it is unlikely that domicile construction mechanics are under direct selection for humans. Nonetheless, our preferences within indoor environments are, or once were, consequential to our fitness. The research of human homes does not usually consider human evolution, and, therefore, we are without previous predictions about indoor climate preference. We worked with citizen scientists to collect indoor climate data from homes ( n = 37) across the USA. We then compared these data to recent global terrestrial climate data (0.5° grid cells, n = 67 420) using a climate dissimilarity index. We also compared some climate-related physiological parameters (e.g. thermoneutral zone (TNZ)) between humans and a selection of non-human primates. On average, our study homes were most similar in climate to the outdoor conditions of west central Kenya. We found that the indoor climates of our study homes largely matched the TNZ of humans and other primates. Overall, we identified the geographical distribution of the global outdoor climate that is most similar to the interiors of our study homes and summarized study home indoor climate preferences.}, number={3}, journal={ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE}, author={Just, Michael G. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
 @article{mathews_epps_blackburn_goshe_grunden_dunn_2019, title={Public questions spur the discovery of new bacterial species associated with lignin bioconversion of industrial waste}, volume={6}, ISSN={["2054-5703"]}, DOI={10.1098/rsos.180748}, abstractNote={A citizen science project found that the greenhouse camel cricket (Diestrammena asynamora) is common in North American homes. Public response was to wonder 'what good are they anyway?' and ecology and evolution guided the search for potential benefit. We predicted that camel crickets and similar household species would likely host bacteria with the ability to degrade recalcitrant carbon compounds. Lignocellulose is particularly relevant as it is difficult to degrade yet is an important feedstock for pulp and paper, chemical and biofuel industries. We screened gut bacteria of greenhouse camel crickets and another household insect, the hide beetle (Dermestes maculatus) for the ability to grow on and degrade lignocellulose components as well as the lignocellulose-derived industrial waste product black liquor. From three greenhouse camel crickets and three hide beetles, 14 bacterial strains were identified that were capable of growth on lignocellulosic components, including lignin. Cedecea lapagei was selected for further study due to growth on most lignocellulose components. The C. lapagei secretome was identified using LC/MS/MS analysis. This work demonstrates a novel source of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria and introduces an effective workflow to identify bacterial enzymes for transforming industrial waste into value-added products. More generally, our research suggests the value of ecologically guided discovery of novel organisms.}, number={3}, journal={ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE}, author={Mathews, Stephanie L. and Epps, Mary Jane and Blackburn, R. Kevin and Goshe, Michael B. and Grunden, Amy M. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2019}, month={Mar} }
 @article{spence beaulieu_hopperstad_dunn_reiskind_2019, title={Simplification of vector communities during suburban succession}, volume={14}, ISSN={1932-6203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215485}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0215485}, abstractNote={Suburbanization is happening rapidly on a global scale, resulting in changes to the species assemblages present in previously undeveloped areas of land. Community-level changes after anthropogenic land-use change have been studied in a variety of organisms, but the effects on arthropods of medical and veterinary importance remain poorly characterized. Shifts in diversity, abundance, and community composition of such arthropods, like mosquitoes, can significantly impact vector-borne disease dynamics due to varying vectorial capacity between different species. In light of these potential implications for vector-borne diseases, we investigated changes in mosquito species assemblage after suburbanization by sampling mosquitoes in neighborhoods of different ages in Wake County, North Carolina, US. We found that independent of housing density and socioeconomic status, mosquito diversity measures decreased as suburban neighborhoods aged. In the oldest neighborhoods, the mosquito assemblage reached a distinct suburban climax community dominated by the invasive, peridomestic container-breeding Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito. Aedes albopictus is a competent vector of many pathogens of human concern, and its dominance in suburban areas places it in close proximity with humans, allowing for heightened potential of host-vector interactions. While further research is necessary to explicitly characterize the effects of mosquito community simplification on vector-borne disease transmission in highly suburbanized areas, the current study demonstrates that suburbanization is disrupting mosquito communities so severely that they do not recover their diversity even 100 years after the initial disturbance. Our understanding of the community-level effects of anthropogenic land-use change on arthropod vectors will become increasingly important as we look to mitigate disease spread in a global landscape that is continually developed and altered by humans.}, number={5}, journal={PLOS ONE}, publisher={Public Library of Science (PLoS)}, author={Spence Beaulieu, Meredith R. and Hopperstad, Kristen and Dunn, Robert R. and Reiskind, Michael H.}, editor={Leisnham, Paul T.Editor}, year={2019}, month={May}, pages={e0215485} }
 @article{leong_bertone_bayless_dunn_trautwein_2018, title={<strong>The Exoskeletons in our Closets: A synthesis of research from the ‘Arthropods of our Homes’ project in Raleigh, NC}, volume={12}, ISSN={1178-9913 1178-9905}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zoosymposia.12.1.7}, DOI={10.11646/zoosymposia.12.1.7}, abstractNote={The history of people living with insects, spiders and their relatives is long, probably as long as humans have been using fixed domiciles (e.g., caves). Studies of caves inhabited by prehistoric people 26,000 years ago suggest arthropod pests already lived alongside our ancestors in those caves (Araújo et al. 2009). Arthropods are also both abundant and diverse in domestic archaeological sites from agricultural civilizations in Egypt, Israel and Europe (Switzerland and Greenland). Arthropods are especially common in association with stored food products and livestock (Panagiotakopulu 2001; Overgaard Nielsen, Mahler, and Rasmussen 2000; Kislev, Hartmann, and Galili 2004).}, number={1}, journal={Zoosymposia}, publisher={Magnolia Press}, author={Leong, Misha and Bertone, Matthew A. and Bayless, Keith M. and Dunn, Robert R. and Trautwein, Michelle D.}, year={2018}, month={Mar}, pages={64–68} }
 @article{mcdonald_hyde_debelius_morton_gonzalez_ackermann_aksenov_behsaz_brennan_chen_et al._2018, title={American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research}, volume={3}, ISSN={["2379-5077"]}, DOI={10.1128/msystems.00031-18}, abstractNote={We show that a citizen science, self-selected cohort shipping samples through the mail at room temperature recaptures many known microbiome results from clinically collected cohorts and reveals new ones. Of particular interest is integrating n = 1 study data with the population data, showing that the extent of microbiome change after events such as surgery can exceed differences between distinct environmental biomes, and the effect of diverse plants in the diet, which we confirm with untargeted metabolomics on hundreds of samples.}, number={3}, journal={MSYSTEMS}, author={McDonald, Daniel and Hyde, Embriette and Debelius, Justine W. and Morton, James T. and Gonzalez, Antonio and Ackermann, Gail and Aksenov, Alexander A. and Behsaz, Bahar and Brennan, Caitriona and Chen, Yingfeng and et al.}, year={2018} }
 @misc{jorgensen_aktipis_brown_carriere_downes_dunn_epstein_frisvold_hawthorne_grohn_et al._2018, title={Antibiotic and pesticide susceptibility and the Anthropocene operating space}, volume={1}, ISSN={["2398-9629"]}, DOI={10.1038/s41893-018-0164-3}, number={11}, journal={NATURE SUSTAINABILITY}, publisher={Springer Nature America, Inc}, author={Jorgensen, Peter Sogaard and Aktipis, Athena and Brown, Zachary and Carriere, Yves and Downes, Sharon and Dunn, Robert R. and Epstein, Graham and Frisvold, George B. and Hawthorne, David and Grohn, Yrjo T. and et al.}, year={2018}, month={Nov}, pages={632–641} }
 @misc{leong_dunn_trautwein_2018, title={Biodiversity and socioeconomics in the city: a review of the luxury effect}, volume={14}, ISSN={["1744-957X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85047348003&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2018.0082}, abstractNote={The ecological dynamics of cities are influenced not only by geophysical and biological factors, but also by aspects of human society. In cities around the world, a pattern of higher biodiversity in affluent neighbourhoods has been termed 'the luxury effect'. The luxury effect has been found globally regarding plant diversity and canopy or vegetative cover. Fewer studies have considered the luxury effect and animals, yet it has been recognized in the distributions of birds, bats, lizards and indoor arthropods. Higher socioeconomic status correlates with higher biodiversity resulting from many interacting factors-the creation and maintenance of green space on private and public lands, the tendency of both humans and other species to favour environmentally desirable areas, while avoiding environmental burdens, as well as enduring legacy effects. The luxury effect is amplified in arid cities and as neighbourhoods age, and reduced in tropical areas. Where the luxury effect exists, benefits of urban biodiversity are unequally distributed, particularly in low-income neighbourhoods with higher minority populations. The equal distribution of biodiversity in cities, and thus the elimination of the luxury effect, is a worthy societal goal.}, number={5}, journal={BIOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Leong, Misha and Dunn, Robert R. and Trautwein, Michelle D.}, year={2018}, month={May} }
 @article{schuttler_sears_orendain_khot_rubenstein_rubenstein_dunn_baird_kandros_o'brien_et al._2018, title={Citizen Science in Schools: Students Collect Valuable Mammal Data for Science, Conservation, and Community Engagement}, volume={69}, ISSN={0006-3568 1525-3244}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy141}, DOI={10.1093/biosci/biy141}, abstractNote={Citizen science has been touted as an effective means to collect large-scale data while engaging the public. We demonstrate that children as young as 9 years old can collect valuable mammal monitoring data using camera traps while connecting with nature and learning through their own scientific discoveries. Indian, Kenyan, Mexican, and American students used camera traps near their schools and detected 13–37 species, all of which were verified by professionals. These data describe rich mammal faunas near schools, sometimes surpassing nearby protected areas, and included five endangered species. Ninety-four percent of the camera traps were set in accordance with scientific protocols, and the teachers reported the experience as highly engaging for their students. Furthermore, the generated photos and results had community-wide impacts involving local politicians, community members, and the media. We show that children can run sensors to contribute valid scientific data important for conservation and research.}, number={1}, journal={BioScience}, publisher={Oxford University Press (OUP)}, author={Schuttler, Stephanie G and Sears, Rebecca S and Orendain, Isabel and Khot, Rahul and Rubenstein, Daniel and Rubenstein, Nancy and Dunn, Robert R and Baird, Elizabeth and Kandros, Kimberly and O'Brien, Timothy and et al.}, year={2018}, month={Dec}, pages={69–79} }
 @article{sheard_quistgaard_dunn_tøttrup_2018, title={Citizen science engagerer børn i naturvidenskab}, volume={2018}, url={https://tidsskrift.dk/mona/article/view/107171}, number={3}, journal={MONA - Matematik- Og Naturfagsdidaktik}, publisher={MONA-Matematik-og Naturfagsdidaktik}, author={Sheard, Julie Koch and Quistgaard, Nana and Dunn, Robert R. and Tøttrup, Anders P.}, year={2018}, pages={25–40} }
 @article{dunn_2018, title={Collaboration: Ants, Art, and Science}, volume={106}, ISSN={["1545-2786"]}, DOI={10.1511/2018.106.3.156}, number={3}, journal={AMERICAN SCIENTIST}, author={Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2018}, pages={156–159} }
 @article{arnan_andersen_gibb_parr_sanders_dunn_angulo_baccaro_bishop_boulay_et al._2018, title={Dominance-diversity relationships in ant communities differ with invasion}, volume={24}, ISSN={["1365-2486"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85053867776&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/gcb.14331}, abstractNote={The relationship between levels of dominance and species richness is highly contentious, especially in ant communities. The dominance-impoverishment rule states that high levels of dominance only occur in species-poor communities, but there appear to be many cases of high levels of dominance in highly diverse communities. The extent to which dominant species limit local richness through competitive exclusion remains unclear, but such exclusion appears more apparent for non-native rather than native dominant species. Here we perform the first global analysis of the relationship between behavioral dominance and species richness. We used data from 1,293 local assemblages of ground-dwelling ants distributed across five continents to document the generality of the dominance-impoverishment rule, and to identify the biotic and abiotic conditions under which it does and does not apply. We found that the behavioral dominance–diversity relationship varies greatly, and depends on whether dominant species are native or non-native, whether dominance is considered as occurrence or relative abundance, and on variation in mean annual temperature. There were declines in diversity with increasing dominance in invaded communities, but diversity increased with increasing dominance in native communities. These patterns occur along the global temperature gradient. However, positive and negative relationships are strongest in the hottest sites. We also found that climate regulates the degree of behavioral dominance, but differently from how it shapes species richness. Our findings imply that, despite strong competitive interactions among ants, competitive exclusion is not a major driver of local richness in native ant communities. Although the dominance-impoverishment rule applies to invaded communities, we propose an alternative dominance-diversification rule for native communities.}, number={10}, journal={GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY}, author={Arnan, Xavier and Andersen, Alan N. and Gibb, Heloise and Parr, Catherine L. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert R. and Angulo, Elena and Baccaro, Fabricio B. and Bishop, Tom R. and Boulay, Raphael and et al.}, year={2018}, month={Oct}, pages={4614–4625} }
 @misc{reese_dunn_2018, title={Drivers of Microbiome Biodiversity: A Review of General Rules, Feces, and Ignorance}, volume={9}, ISSN={["2150-7511"]}, DOI={10.1128/mBio.01294-18}, abstractNote={The alpha diversity of ecologic communities is affected by many biotic and abiotic drivers and, in turn, affects ecosystem functioning. Yet, patterns of alpha diversity in host-associated microbial communities (microbiomes) are poorly studied and the appropriateness of general theory is untested.}, number={4}, journal={MBIO}, author={Reese, Aspen T. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2018} }
 @article{gebert_delgado-baquerizo_oliverio_webster_nichols_honda_chan_adjemian_dunn_fierer_2018, title={Ecological Analyses of Mycobacteria in Showerhead Biofilms and Their Relevance to Human Health}, volume={9}, ISSN={["2150-7511"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.01614-18}, DOI={10.1128/mBio.01614-18}, abstractNote={Bacteria thrive in showerheads and throughout household water distribution systems. While most of these bacteria are innocuous, some are potential pathogens, including members of the genus Mycobacterium that can cause nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung infection, an increasing threat to public health. We found that showerheads in households across the United States and Europe often harbor abundant mycobacterial communities that vary in composition depending on geographic location, water chemistry, and water source, with households receiving water treated with chlorine disinfectants having particularly high abundances of certain mycobacteria. The regions in the United States where NTM lung infections are most common were the same regions where pathogenic mycobacteria were most prevalent in showerheads, highlighting the important role of showerheads in the transmission of NTM infections.}, number={5}, journal={MBIO}, author={Gebert, Matthew J. and Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel and Oliverio, Angela M. and Webster, Tara M. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Honda, Jennifer R. and Chan, Edward D. and Adjemian, Jennifer and Dunn, Robert R. and Fierer, Noah}, year={2018} }
 @article{thoemmes_stewart_hernandez-aguilar_bertone_baltzegar_borski_cohen_coyle_piel_dunn_2018, title={Ecology of sleeping: the microbial and arthropod associates of chimpanzee beds}, volume={5}, ISSN={["2054-5703"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85047125198&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rsos.180382}, abstractNote={The indoor environment created by the construction of homes and other buildings is often considered to be uniquely different from other environments. It is composed of organisms that are less diverse than those of the outdoors and strongly sourced by, or dependent upon, human bodies. Yet, no one has ever compared the composition of species found in contemporary human homes to that of other structures built by mammals, including those of non-human primates. Here we consider the microbes and arthropods found in chimpanzee beds, relative to the surrounding environment ( n = 41 and 15 beds, respectively). Based on the study of human homes, we hypothesized that the microbes found in chimpanzee beds would be less diverse than those on nearby branches and leaves and that their beds would be primarily composed of body-associated organisms. However, we found that differences between wet and dry seasons and elevation above sea level explained nearly all of the observed variation in microbial diversity and community structure. While we can identify the presence of a chimpanzee based on the assemblage of bacteria, the dominant signal is that of environmental microbes. We found just four ectoparasitic arthropod specimens, none of which appears to be specialized on chimpanzees or their structures. These results suggest that the life to which chimpanzees are exposed while in their beds is predominately the same as that of the surrounding environment.}, number={5}, journal={ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE}, author={Thoemmes, Megan S. and Stewart, Fiona A. and Hernandez-Aguilar, R. Adriana and Bertone, Matthew A. and Baltzegar, David A. and Borski, Russell J. and Cohen, Naomi and Coyle, Kaitlin P. and Piel, Alexander K. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2018}, month={May} }
 @book{lau_ellison_nguyen_penick_demarco_gotelli_sanders_dunn_cahan_2018, title={Expanded view of the ecological genomics of ant responses to climate change}, DOI={10.1101/302679}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT Given the abundance, broad distribution, and diversity of roles that ants play in many ecosystems, they are an ideal group to serve as ecosystem indicators of climatic change. At present, only a few whole-genome sequences of ants are available (19 of > 16,000 species), mostly from tropical and sub-tropical species. To address this limited sampling, we sequenced genomes of temperate-latitude species from the genus Aphaenogaster , a genus with important seed dispersers. In total, we sampled seven colonies of six species: A. ashmeadi , A. floridana , A. fulva , A. miamiana , A. picea , and A. rudis . The geographic ranges of these species collectively span eastern North America from southern Florida to southern Canada, which encompasses a latitudinal gradient in which many climatic variables are changing rapidly. For the six genomes, we assembled an average of 271,039 contigs into 47,337 scaffolds. The mean genome size was 370.5 Mb, ranging from 310.3 to 429.7, which is comparable to that of other sequenced ant genomes (212.8 to 396.0 Mb) and flow cytometry estimates (210.7 to 690.4 Mb). In an analysis of currently sequenced ant genomes and the new Aphaenogaster sequences, we found that after controlling for both spatial autocorrelation and phylogenetics ant genome size was marginally correlated with sample site climate similarity. Of all examined climate variables, minimum temperature showed the strongest correlation with genome size, with ants from locations with colder minimum temperatures having larger genomes. These results suggest that temperature extremes could be a selective force acting on ant genomes and point to the need for more extensive sequencing of ant genomes.}, number={302679302679}, journal={bioRxiv}, author={Lau, Matthew K. and Ellison, Aaron M. and Nguyen, Andrew and Penick, Clint and DeMarco, Bernice and Gotelli, Nicholas J. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert and Cahan, Sarah Helms}, year={2018}, month={Apr} }
 @article{penick_halawani_pearson_mathews_lopez-uribe_dunn_smith_2018, title={External immunity in ant societies: sociality and colony size do not predict investment in antimicrobials}, volume={5}, ISSN={["2054-5703"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85042767466&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rsos.171332}, abstractNote={Social insects live in dense groups with a high probability of disease transmission and have therefore faced strong pressures to develop defences against pathogens. For this reason, social insects have been hypothesized to invest in antimicrobial secretions as a mechanism of external immunity to prevent the spread of disease. However, empirical studies linking the evolution of sociality with increased investment in antimicrobials have been relatively few. Here we quantify the strength of antimicrobial secretions among 20 ant species that cover a broad spectrum of ant diversity and colony sizes. We extracted external compounds from ant workers to test whether they inhibited the growth of the bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis . Because all ant species are highly social, we predicted that all species would exhibit some antimicrobial activity and that species that form the largest colonies would exhibit the strongest antimicrobial response. Our comparative approach revealed that strong surface antimicrobials are common to particular ant clades, but 40% of species exhibited no antimicrobial activity at all. We also found no correlation between antimicrobial activity and colony size. Rather than relying on antimicrobial secretions as external immunity to control pathogen spread, many ant species have probably developed alternative strategies to defend against disease pressure.}, number={2}, journal={ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE}, author={Penick, Clint A. and Halawani, Omar and Pearson, Bria and Mathews, Stephanie and Lopez-Uribe, Margarita M. and Dunn, Robert R. and Smith, Adrian A.}, year={2018}, month={Feb} }
 @misc{lahr_dunn_frank_2018, title={Getting ahead of the curve: cities as surrogates for global change}, volume={285}, ISSN={["1471-2954"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85050037726&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2018.0643}, abstractNote={Urbanization represents an unintentional global experiment that can provide insights into how species will respond and interact under future global change scenarios. Cities produce many conditions that are predicted to occur widely in the future, such as warmer temperatures, higher carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and exacerbated droughts. In using cities as surrogates for global change, it is challenging to disentangle climate variables-such as temperature-from co-occurring or confounding urban variables-such as impervious surface-and then to understand the interactive effects of multiple climate variables on both individual species and species interactions. However, such interactions are also difficult to replicate experimentally, and thus the challenges of cities are also their unique advantage. Here, we review insights gained from cities, with a focus on plants and arthropods, and how urban findings agree or disagree with experimental predictions and historical data. We discuss the types of hypotheses that can be best tested in cities, caveats to urban research and how to further validate cities as surrogates for global change. Lastly, we summarize how to achieve the goal of using urban species responses to predict broader regional- and ecosystem-level patterns in the future.}, number={1882}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={Lahr, Eleanor C. and Dunn, Robert R. and Frank, Steven D.}, year={2018}, month={Jul} }
 @article{gibb_sanders_dunn_arnan_vasconcelos_donoso_andersen_silva_bishop_gomez_et al._2018, title={Habitat disturbance selects against both small and large species across varying climates}, volume={41}, ISSN={["1600-0587"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85049238183&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/ecog.03244}, abstractNote={Global extinction drivers, including habitat disturbance and climate change, are thought to affect larger species more than smaller species. However, it is unclear if such drivers interact to affect assemblage body size distributions. We asked how these two key global change drivers differentially affect the interspecific size distributions of ants, one of the most abundant and ubiquitous animal groups on earth. We also asked whether there is evidence of synergistic interactions and whether effects are related to species’ trophic roles. We generated a global dataset on ant body size from 333 local ant assemblages collected by the authors across a broad range of climates and in disturbed and undisturbed habitats. We used head length (range: 0.22–4.55 mm) as a surrogate of body size and classified species to trophic groups. We used generalized linear models to test whether body size distributions changed with climate and disturbance, independent of species richness. Our analysis yielded three key results: 1) climate and disturbance showed independent associations with body size; 2) assemblages included more small species in warmer climates and fewer large species in wet climates; and 3) both the largest and smallest species were absent from disturbed ecosystems, with predators most affected in both cases. Our results indicate that temperature, precipitation and disturbance have differing effects on the body size distributions of local communities, with no evidence of synergistic interactions. Further, both large and small predators may be vulnerable to global change, particularly through habitat disturbance.}, number={7}, journal={ECOGRAPHY}, author={Gibb, H. and Sanders, N. J. and Dunn, R. R. and Arnan, X. and Vasconcelos, H. L. and Donoso, D. A. and Andersen, A. N. and Silva, R. R. and Bishop, T. R. and Gomez, C. and et al.}, year={2018}, month={Jul}, pages={1184–1193} }
 @article{savage_youngsteadt_ernst_powers_dunn_frank_2018, title={Homogenizing an urban habitat mosaic: arthropod diversity declines in New York City parks after Super Storm Sandy}, volume={28}, ISSN={["1939-5582"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85040223231&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1002/eap.1643}, abstractNote={Abstract The frequency and intensity of hurricanes are increasing globally, and anthropogenic modifications in cities have created systems that may be particularly vulnerable to their negative effects. Organisms living in cities are exposed to variable levels of chronic environmental stress. However, whether chronic stress ameliorates or exacerbates the negative effects of hurricanes remains an open question. Here, we consider two hypotheses about the simultaneous consequences of acute disturbances from hurricanes and chronic stress from urbanization for the structure of urban arthropod communities. The tipping point hypothesis posits that organisms living in high stress habitats are less resilient than those in low stress habitats because they are living near the limits of their environmental tolerances; while the disturbance tolerance hypothesis posits that high stress habitats host organisms pre‐adapted for coping with disturbance, making them more resilient to the effects of storms. We used a before‐after‐control‐impact design in the street medians and city parks of Manhattan (New York City, New York, USA) to compare arthropod communities before and after Super Storm Sandy in sites that were flooded and unflooded during the storm. Our evidence supported the disturbance tolerance hypothesis. Significant compositional differences between street medians and city parks before the storm disappeared after the storm; similarly, unflooded city parks had significantly different arthropod composition while flooded sites were indistinguishable. These differences were driven by reduced occurrences and abundances of arthropods in city parks. Finally, those arthropod groups that were most tolerant to urban stress were also the most tolerant to flooding. Our results suggest that the species that survive in high stress environments are likely to be the ones that thrive in response to acute disturbance. As storms become increasingly common and extreme, this juxtaposition in responses to storm‐associated disturbance may lead to diversity loss in cities, potentially leading entire urban landscapes to mirror the reduced diversity of street medians.}, number={1}, journal={ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS}, author={Savage, Amy M. and Youngsteadt, Elsa and Ernst, Andrew F. and Powers, Shelby A. and Dunn, Robert R. and Frank, Steven D.}, year={2018}, month={Jan}, pages={225–236} }
 @article{eyer_matsuura_vargo_kobayashi_yashiro_suehiro_himuro_yokoi_guenard_dunn_et al._2018, title={Inbreeding tolerance as a pre-adapted trait for invasion success in the invasive ant Brachyponera chinensis}, volume={27}, ISSN={["1365-294X"]}, DOI={10.1111/mec.14910}, abstractNote={Identifying traits that facilitate species introductions and successful invasions of ecosystems represents a key issue in ecology. Following their establishment into new environments, many non-native species exhibit phenotypic plasticity with post-introduction changes in behaviour, morphology or life history traits that allow them to overcome the presumed loss of genetic diversity resulting in inbreeding and reduced adaptive potential. Here, we present a unique strategy in the invasive ant Brachyponera chinensis (Emery), in which inbreeding tolerance is a pre-adapted trait for invasion success, allowing this ant to cope with genetic depletion following a genetic bottleneck. We report for the first time that inbreeding is not a consequence of the founder effect following introduction, but it is due to mating between sister queens and their brothers that pre-exists in native populations which may have helped it circumvent the cost of invasion. We show that a genetic bottleneck does not affect the genetic diversity or the level of heterozygosity within colonies and suggest that generations of sib-mating in native populations may have reduced inbreeding depression through purifying selection of deleterious alleles. This work highlights how a unique life history may pre-adapt some species for biological invasions.}, number={23}, journal={MOLECULAR ECOLOGY}, author={Eyer, Pierre-Andre and Matsuura, Kenji and Vargo, Edward L. and Kobayashi, Kazuya and Yashiro, Toshihisa and Suehiro, Wataru and Himuro, Chihiro and Yokoi, Tomoyuki and Guenard, Benoit and Dunn, Robert R. and et al.}, year={2018}, month={Dec}, pages={4711–4724} }
 @article{stevenson_peterson_dunn_2018, title={Leveraging natural capital to solve the shared education and conservation crisis}, volume={32}, ISSN={["1523-1739"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85033786403&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/cobi.13039}, abstractNote={Article impact statement: Promoting natural capital in schools mitigates educational inequalities and preserves biodiversity.}, number={2}, journal={CONSERVATION BIOLOGY}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Stevenson, Kathryn T. and Peterson, M. Nils and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2018}, month={Apr}, pages={490–492} }
 @misc{shade_dunn_blowes_keil_bohannan_herrmann_kusel_lennon_sanders_storch_et al._2018, title={Macroecology to Unite All Life, Large and Small}, volume={33}, ISSN={["1872-8383"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85052993616&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1016/j.tree.2018.08.005}, abstractNote={Macroecology is the study of the mechanisms underlying general patterns of ecology across scales. A major focus of research within macroecology is understanding biodiversity patterns and their underlying processes. The field of macroecology has been biased towards charismatic macroorganisms (also known as macrobes), and has largely ignored insights and breadth that can be gained by considering microorganisms. We argue that microbial ecology and macroecology are united by common currencies (individuals and species), as well as by comparable challenges of documenting their distributions and abundances. Future directions that would lead to a unified macroecology include: expansion of spatial and temporal scales to encompass the diversity of microbes; synthesis-driven, systematic comparisons of macrobial and microbial macroecological patterns and processes; and support of interdisciplinary approaches in training, publishing, and funding to equitably value macrobial and microbial insights into understanding the rules and exceptions of life. Macroecology is the study of the mechanisms underlying general patterns of ecology across scales. Research in microbial ecology and macroecology have long been detached. Here, we argue that it is time to bridge the gap, as they share a common currency of species and individuals, and a common goal of understanding the causes and consequences of changes in biodiversity. Microbial ecology and macroecology will mutually benefit from a unified research agenda and shared datasets that span the entirety of the biodiversity of life and the geographic expanse of the Earth. Macroecology is the study of the mechanisms underlying general patterns of ecology across scales. Research in microbial ecology and macroecology have long been detached. Here, we argue that it is time to bridge the gap, as they share a common currency of species and individuals, and a common goal of understanding the causes and consequences of changes in biodiversity. Microbial ecology and macroecology will mutually benefit from a unified research agenda and shared datasets that span the entirety of the biodiversity of life and the geographic expanse of the Earth. in microbial ecology, the structural gene that encodes the 16S small subunit of the ribosome. It includes both highly conserved and hypervariable regions, which are used for primer design to capture broad phylogenetic diversity and for assessing phylogenetic divergence, respectively. generally positive relationship between the mean abundance a species attains at individual sites, and the number or proportion of all sampled sites at which it is found. variety of species. Biodiversity can be measured using the currencies of individuals and species. These currencies can be used to estimate biodiversity for local communities, planet Earth, and every scale of spatial observation in between. assessment of how the number of species changes as function of an environmental gradient. practice of defining highly resolved microbial taxonomic units by identical nucleotide sequences of marker genes. Also called amplicon sequence variants, sequence variants, oligotypes, and zero-radius OTUs. alpha diversity metric that considers the relationship between the number of species and the number of individuals within species. concept that, within a microbial community, there are several microbial taxa that are capable of performing the same function in the same conditions, and, presumably, at the same rate. sequencing of taxonomically informative marker genes amplified from individuals. in microbial ecology, a gene that is present in only one copy within a microbial genome and encodes a function necessary for life (typically involved in central metabolism). marker sequence flanked by ribosomal operons that is used to phylogenetically distinguish eukaryotic microorganisms, especially fungi. study of the rules and mechanisms (processes) underpinning general patterns of ecology across scales [2Brown J.H. Macroecology. University of Chicago Press, 1995Google Scholar]. in microbial ecology, genes and their sequences that have been used as a signature of microbial diversity. An example is the 16S rRNA gene for bacteria and archaea and the ITS region for fungi. small container containing organisms and substrate that can be replicated and manipulated in the laboratory. Microbial mesocosms can have natural or artificial substrate, like soil or microbiological medium, respectively, and can be seeded with wild communities from a particular habitat or inoculated with specified cultivable members. It is expected that the influences of captivity away from nature (sometimes called container effects) can be minimized in microbial mesocosms. This is because microbial individuals, and their expected effective ranges for interactions with each other and with their environment, are small relative to the volume of the container. sequencing of taxonomically informative marker genes amplified from an environmental sample that contains mixed populations or communities. General primers that target a conserved nucleotide sequence are used to amplify the signal of marker genes from a mixed microbial community. These sequences are typically multiplexed for sequencing, and then they can be used with databases of known sequences to build phylogeny, assign taxonomy, assess alpha diversity, and create an species-by-sample table (OTU table, as in Figure 1A) for community analysis. sequencing of all nucleic acid extracted from an environmental sample, without targeted amplification. Also known as shotgun metagenome sequencing, this method is commonly applied to microbial communities to assess functional potential by annotating sequences against a database of known functional genes. broadly defined as those organisms too small to be visible with the naked eye, including viruses, bacteria, archaea, protists, a subset of fungi, or even the smallest arthropods (such as face mites). When evolutionarily defined, microorganisms include the domains of bacteria and archaea (previously, prokaryotes), which were the first evolved lineages that through endosymbiosis gave rise to eukarya. species concept that is based on morphology, and is commonly used in the fields of entomology and botany. Unidentifiable individuals with shared physical characteristics are grouped artificially into an operational taxonomic unit without reference to other distinguishing traits. number or proportion of sites in which a species is detected. approximations of species that are commonly used in the field of microbial ecology, arbitrarily defined as informed by the technology used to observe the microorganisms. For example, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing datasets often define OTUs at 97% gene sequence identity. Thus, all sequences that are 97% similar would be counted towards a single OTU. nonsexual mechanisms for transferring genetic material, common among single-celled organisms like bacteria, archaea, protists, and fungi. within a dataset, taxa that are observed only once and in an abundance of one individual. In microbial ecology, this often refers to a singly observed unique sequence of a marker gene. depicts the number of individuals (N) of each species in a sample, and is often expressed as a relationship between the logarithm of N plotted against species rank (from the most to the least abundant species). relates the number of species (S) to the area of the plot (gray squares) in which species richness is sampled (A). In the nested SAR, larger areas should be therefore contiguous and should encompass all the smaller areas. However, empirical SARs are often constructed based on much smaller samples, which are assumed to be representative of the whole contiguous and mutually adjacent areas.}, number={10}, journal={TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION}, author={Shade, Ashley and Dunn, Robert R. and Blowes, Shane A. and Keil, Petr and Bohannan, Brendan J. M. and Herrmann, Martina and Kusel, Kirsten and Lennon, Jay T. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Storch, David and et al.}, year={2018}, month={Oct}, pages={731–744} }
 @article{reese_pereira_schintlmeister_berry_wagner_hale_wu_jiang_durand_zhou_et al._2018, title={Microbial nitrogen limitation in the mammalian large intestine}, volume={3}, ISSN={["2058-5276"]}, DOI={10.1038/s41564-018-0267-7}, abstractNote={Resource limitation is a fundamental factor governing the composition and function of ecological communities. However, the role of resource supply in structuring the intestinal microbiome has not been established and represents a challenge for mammals that rely on microbial symbionts for digestion: too little supply might starve the microbiome while too much might starve the host. We present evidence that microbiota occupy a habitat that is limited in total nitrogen supply within the large intestines of 30 mammal species. Lowering dietary protein levels in mice reduced their faecal concentrations of bacteria. A gradient of stoichiometry along the length of the gut was consistent with the hypothesis that intestinal nitrogen limitation results from host absorption of dietary nutrients. Nitrogen availability is also likely to be shaped by host-microbe interactions: levels of host-secreted nitrogen were altered in germ-free mice and when bacterial loads were reduced via experimental antibiotic treatment. Single-cell spectrometry revealed that members of the phylum Bacteroidetes consumed nitrogen in the large intestine more readily than other commensal taxa did. Our findings support a model where nitrogen limitation arises from preferential host use of dietary nutrients. We speculate that this resource limitation could enable hosts to regulate microbial communities in the large intestine. Commensal microbiota may have adapted to nitrogen-limited settings, suggesting one reason why excess dietary protein has been associated with degraded gut-microbial ecosystems.}, number={12}, journal={NATURE MICROBIOLOGY}, author={Reese, Aspen T. and Pereira, Fatima C. and Schintlmeister, Arno and Berry, David and Wagner, Michael and Hale, Laura P. and Wu, Anchi and Jiang, Sharon and Durand, Heather K. and Zhou, Xiyou and et al.}, year={2018}, month={Dec}, pages={1441–1450} }
 @book{dunn_2018, place={New York}, title={Never home alone: from microbes to millipedes, camel crickets, and honeybees, the natural history of where we live}, publisher={Basic Books}, author={Dunn, Rob R.}, year={2018} }
 @article{madden_epps_fukami_irwin_sheppard_sorger_dunn_2018, title={The ecology of insect–yeast relationships and its relevance to human industry}, volume={285}, ISSN={0962-8452 1471-2954}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.2733}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2017.2733}, abstractNote={Many species of yeast are integral to human society. They produce many of our foods, beverages and industrial chemicals, challenge us as pathogens, and provide models for the study of our own biology. However, few species are regularly studied and much of their ecology remains unclear, hindering the development of knowledge that is needed to improve the relationships between humans and yeasts. There is increasing evidence that insects are an essential component of ascomycetous yeast ecology. We propose a ‘dispersal–encounter hypothesis' whereby yeasts are dispersed by insects between ephemeral, spatially disparate sugar resources, and insects, in turn, obtain the benefits of an honest signal from yeasts for the sugar resources. We review the relationship between yeasts and insects through three main examples: social wasps, social bees and beetles, with some additional examples from fruit flies. Ultimately, we suggest that over the next decades, consideration of these ecological and evolutionary relationships between insects and yeasts will allow prediction of where new yeast diversity is most likely to be discovered, particularly yeasts with traits of interest to human industry.}, number={1875}, journal={Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences}, publisher={The Royal Society}, author={Madden, Anne A. and Epps, Mary Jane and Fukami, Tadashi and Irwin, Rebecca E. and Sheppard, John and Sorger, D. Magdalena and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2018}, month={Mar}, pages={20172733} }
 @article{mckenney_koelle_dunn_yoder_2018, title={The ecosystem services of animal microbiomes}, volume={27}, ISSN={["1365-294X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85043510920&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/mec.14532}, abstractNote={Microbiologists often evaluate microbial community dynamics by formulating functional hypotheses based on ecological processes. Indeed, many of the methods and terms currently used to describe animal microbiomes derive from ecology and evolutionary biology. As our understanding of the composition and functional dynamics of "the microbiome" grows, we increasingly refer to the host as an ecosystem within which microbial processes play out. Even so, an ecosystem service framework that extends to the context of the host has thus far been lacking. Here, we argue that ecosystem services are a useful framework with which to consider the value of microbes to their hosts. We discuss those "microbiome services" in the specific context of the mammalian gut, providing a context from which to develop new hypotheses and to evaluate microbial functions in future studies and novel systems.}, number={8}, journal={MOLECULAR ECOLOGY}, publisher={Wiley-Blackwell}, author={McKenney, E. A. and Koelle, K. and Dunn, R. R. and Yoder, A. D.}, year={2018}, month={Apr}, pages={2164–2172} }
 @article{ryan_adamson_aktipis_andersen_austin_barnes_beasley_bedell_briggs_chapman_et al._2018, title={The role of citizen science in addressing grand challenges in food and agriculture research}, volume={285}, ISSN={0962-8452 1471-2954}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1977}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2018.1977}, abstractNote={The power of citizen science to contribute to both science and society is gaining increased recognition, particularly in physics and biology. Although there is a long history of public engagement in agriculture and food science, the term ‘citizen science’ has rarely been applied to these efforts. Similarly, in the emerging field of citizen science, most new citizen science projects do not focus on food or agriculture. Here, we convened thought leaders from a broad range of fields related to citizen science, agriculture, and food science to highlight key opportunities for bridging these overlapping yet disconnected communities/fields and identify ways to leverage their respective strengths. Specifically, we show that (i) citizen science projects are addressing many grand challenges facing our food systems, as outlined by the United States National Institute of Food and Agriculture, as well as broader Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations Development Programme, (ii) there exist emerging opportunities and unique challenges for citizen science in agriculture/food research, and (iii) the greatest opportunities for the development of citizen science projects in agriculture and food science will be gained by using the existing infrastructure and tools of Extension programmes and through the engagement of urban communities. Further, we argue there is no better time to foster greater collaboration between these fields given the trend of shrinking Extension programmes, the increasing need to apply innovative solutions to address rising demands on agricultural systems, and the exponential growth of the field of citizen science.}, number={1891}, journal={Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences}, publisher={The Royal Society}, author={Ryan, S. F. and Adamson, N. L. and Aktipis, A. and Andersen, L. K. and Austin, R. and Barnes, L. and Beasley, M. R. and Bedell, K. D. and Briggs, S. and Chapman, B. and et al.}, year={2018}, month={Nov}, pages={20181977} }
 @article{beasley_penick_boateng_menninger_dunn_2018, title={Urbanization disrupts latitude-size rule in 17-year cicadas}, volume={8}, ISSN={["2045-7758"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85041238816&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1002/ece3.3879}, abstractNote={Many ectotherms show a decrease in body size with increasing latitude due to changes in climate, a pattern termed converse Bergmann's rule. Urban conditions-particularly warmer temperatures and fragmented landscapes-may impose stresses on development that could disrupt these body size patterns. To test the impact of urbanization on development and latitudinal trends in body size, we launched a citizen science project to collect periodical cicadas (Magicicada septendecim) from across their latitudinal range during the 2013 emergence of Brood II. Periodical cicadas are long-lived insects whose distribution spans a broad latitudinal range covering both urban and rural habitats. We used a geometric morphometric approach to assess body size and developmental stress based on fluctuating asymmetry in wing shape. Body size of rural cicadas followed converse Bergmann's rule, but this pattern was disrupted in urban habitats. In the north, urban cicadas were larger than their rural counterparts, while southern populations showed little variation in body size between habitats. We detected no evidence of differences in developmental stress due to urbanization. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that urbanization disrupts biogeographical trends in body size, and this pattern highlights how the effects of urbanization may differ over a species' range.}, number={5}, journal={ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, author={Beasley, DeAnna E. and Penick, Clint A. and Boateng, Nana S. and Menninger, Holly L. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2018}, month={Mar}, pages={2534–2541} }
 @article{lahr_dunn_frank_2018, title={Variation in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance among red maple (Acer rubrum) urban planted cultivars and wildtype trees in the southeastern United States}, volume={13}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85047493933&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0197866}, abstractNote={Photosynthesis is a fundamental process that trees perform over fluctuating environmental conditions. This study of red maple (Acer rubrum L.) characterizes photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency in planted cultivars relative to wildtype trees. Red maple is common in cities, yet there is little understanding of how physiological processes affect the long-term growth, condition, and ecosystem services provided by urban trees. In the first year of our study, we measured leaf-level gas exchange and performed short-term temperature curves on urban planted cultivars and on suburban and rural wildtype trees. In the second year, we compared urban planted cultivars and urban wildtype trees. In the first year, urban planted trees had higher maximum rates of photosynthesis and higher overall rates of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance throughout the summer, relative to suburban or rural wildtype trees. Urban planted trees again had higher maximum rates of photosynthesis in the second year. However, urban wildtype trees had higher water use efficiency as air temperatures increased and similar overall rates of photosynthesis, relative to cultivars, in mid and late summer. Our results show that physiological differences between cultivars and wildtype trees may relate to differences in their genetic background and their responses to local environmental conditions, contingent on the identity of the horticultural variety. Overall, our results suggest that wildtype trees should be considered for some urban locations, and our study is valuable in demonstrating how site type and tree type can inform tree planting strategies and improve long-term urban forest sustainability.}, number={5}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Lahr, Eleanor C. and Dunn, Robert R. and Frank, Steven D.}, year={2018}, month={May} }
 @article{choudoir_barberan_menninger_dunn_fierer_2018, title={Variation in range size and dispersal capabilities of microbial taxa}, volume={99}, ISSN={["1939-9170"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85041452927&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1002/ecy.2094}, abstractNote={Geographic range size can span orders of magnitude for plant and animal species, with the study of why range sizes vary having preoccupied biogeographers for decades. In contrast, there have been few comparable studies of how range size varies across microbial taxa and what traits may be associated with this variation. We determined the range sizes of 74,134 bacterial and archaeal taxa found in settled dust collected from 1,065 locations across the United States. We found that most microorganisms have small ranges and few have large ranges, a pattern similar to the range size distributions commonly observed for macrobes. However, contrary to expectations, those microbial taxa that were locally abundant did not necessarily have larger range sizes. The observed differences in microbial range sizes were generally predictable from taxonomic identity, phenotypic traits, genomic attributes, and habitat preferences, findings that provide insight into the factors shaping patterns of microbial biogeography.}, number={2}, journal={ECOLOGY}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Choudoir, Mallory J. and Barberan, Albert and Menninger, Holly L. and Dunn, Rob R. and Fierer, Noah}, year={2018}, month={Feb}, pages={322–334} }
 @article{gibb_dunn_sanders_grossman_photakis_abril_agosti_andersen_angulo_armbrecht_et al._2017, title={A global database of ant species abundances}, volume={98}, ISSN={["1939-9170"]}, DOI={10.1002/ecy.1682}, abstractNote={What forces structure ecological assemblages? A key limitation to general insights about assemblage structure is the availability of data that are collected at a small spatial grain (local assemblages) and a large spatial extent (global coverage). Here, we present published and unpublished data from 51 ,388 ant abundance and occurrence records of more than 2,693 species and 7,953 morphospecies from local assemblages collected at 4,212 locations around the world. Ants were selected because they are diverse and abundant globally, comprise a large fraction of animal biomass in most terrestrial communities, and are key contributors to a range of ecosystem functions. Data were collected between 1949 and 2014, and include, for each geo-referenced sampling site, both the identity of the ants collected and details of sampling design, habitat type, and degree of disturbance. The aim of compiling this data set was to provide comprehensive species abundance data in order to test relationships between assemblage structure and environmental and biogeographic factors. Data were collected using a variety of standardized methods, such as pitfall and Winkler traps, and will be valuable for studies investigating large-scale forces structuring local assemblages. Understanding such relationships is particularly critical under current rates of global change. We encourage authors holding additional data on systematically collected ant assemblages, especially those in dry and cold, and remote areas, to contact us and contribute their data to this growing data set.}, number={3}, journal={ECOLOGY}, author={Gibb, Heloise and Dunn, Rob R. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Grossman, Blair F. and Photakis, Manoli and Abril, Silvia and Agosti, Donat and Andersen, Alan N. and Angulo, Elena and Armbrecht, Inge and et al.}, year={2017}, month={Mar}, pages={883–884} }
 @article{perrin_fogleman_newburg_allen_2017, title={A longitudinal study of human milk composition in the second year postpartum: implications for human milk banking}, volume={13}, ISSN={["1740-8709"]}, DOI={10.1111/mcn.12239}, abstractNote={While the composition of human milk has been studied extensively in the first year of lactation, there is a paucity of data regarding human milk composition beyond one year postpartum. Policies vary at milk banks around the world regarding how long lactating women are eligible to donate their milk. The primary purpose of this study is to describe longitudinal changes in human milk composition in the second year postpartum to support the development of evidence based guidelines regarding how long lactating women can donate human milk to a milk bank. Nineteen lactating women in North Carolina provided monthly milk samples from 11 months to 17 months postpartum (N = 131), and two non-profit milk banks provided (N = 33) pooled, unpasteurized milk samples from 51 approved donors less than one year postpartum. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the concentration of total protein, lactoferrin, lysozyme, Immunoglobulin A, oligosaccharides and sodium in longitudinal samples of mother's milk between 11 and 17 months postpartum, while zinc and calcium concentrations declined, and no changes were observed in lactose, fat, iron and potassium. Human milk in the second year postpartum contained significantly higher concentrations of total protein, lactoferrin, lysozyme and Immunoglobulin A, than milk bank samples, and significantly lower concentrations of zinc, calcium, iron and oligosaccharides. Accepting milk bank donations beyond one year postpartum is a potential strategy for increasing the supply of donor milk, but may require mineral fortification.}, number={1}, journal={MATERNAL AND CHILD NUTRITION}, author={Perrin, Maryanne T. and Fogleman, April D. and Newburg, David S. and Allen, Jonathan C.}, year={2017}, month={Jan} }
 @article{penick_diamond_sanders_dunn_2017, title={Beyond thermal limits: comprehensive metrics of performance identify key axes of thermal adaptation in ants}, volume={31}, ISSN={["1365-2435"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85010641179&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/1365-2435.12818}, abstractNote={Summary
How species respond to temperature change depends in large part on their physiology. Physiological traits, such as critical thermal limits (CTmax and CTmin), provide estimates of thermal performance but may not capture the full impacts of temperature on fitness. Rather, thermal performance likely depends on a combination of traits—including thermal limits—that vary among species.
Here we examine how thermal limits correlate with the main components that influence fitness in ants. First, we compare how temperature affected colony survival and growth in two ant species that differ in their responses to warming in the field—Aphaenogaster rudis (heat-intolerant) and Temnothorax curvispinosus (heat-tolerant). We then extended our study to compare CTmax, thermal requirements of brood, and yearly activity season among a broader set of ant species.
While thermal limits were higher for workers of T. curvispinosus than A. rudis, T. curvispinosus colonies also required higher temperatures for survival and colony growth. This pattern generalized across 17 ant species, such that species whose foragers had a high CTmax also required higher temperatures for brood development. Finally, species whose foragers had a high CTmax had relatively short activity seasons compared with less heat-tolerant species.
The relationships between CTmax, thermal requirements of brood, and seasonal activity suggest two main strategies for growth and development in changing thermal environments: one where ants forage at higher temperatures over a short activity season, and another where ants forage at lower temperatures for an extended activity season. Where species fall on this spectrum may influence a broad range of life-history characteristics and aid in explaining the current distributions of ants as well as their responses to future climate change.


This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.}, number={5}, journal={FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY}, author={Penick, Clint A. and Diamond, Sarah E. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2017}, month={May}, pages={1091–1100} }
 @book{spicer rice_wild_dunn_2017, title={Dr. Eleanor's book of common ants of Chicago}, publisher={Chicago: The University of Chicago Press}, author={Spicer Rice, E. and Wild, A.L and Dunn, R.R.}, year={2017} }
 @article{maclean_penick_dunn_diamond_2017, title={Experimental winter warming modifies thermal performance and primes acorn ants for warm weather}, volume={100}, ISSN={0022-1910}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.05.010}, DOI={10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.05.010}, abstractNote={The frequency of warm winter days is increasing under global climate change, but how organisms respond to warmer winters is not well understood. Most studies focus on growing season responses to warming. Locomotor performance is often highly sensitive to temperature, and can determine fitness outcomes through a variety of mechanisms including resource acquisition and predator escape. As a consequence, locomotor performance, and its impacts on fitness, may be strongly affected by winter warming in winter-active species. Here we use the acorn ant, Temnothorax curvispinosus, to explore how thermal performance (temperature-driven plasticity) in running speed is influenced by experimental winter warming of 3–5 °C above ambient in a field setting. We used running speed as a measure of performance as it is a common locomotor trait that influences acquisition of nest sites and food in acorn ants. Experimental winter warming significantly altered thermal performance for running speed at high (26 and 36 °C) but not low test temperatures (6 and 16 °C). Although we saw little differentiation in thermal performance at cooler test temperatures, we saw a marked increase in running speed at the hotter test temperatures for ants that experienced warmer winters compared with those that experienced cooler winters. Our results provide evidence that overwintering temperatures can substantially influence organismal performance, and suggest that we cannot ignore overwintering effects when forecasting organismal responses to environmental changes in temperature.}, journal={Journal of Insect Physiology}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={MacLean, Heidi J. and Penick, Clint A. and Dunn, Robert R. and Diamond, Sarah E.}, year={2017}, month={Jul}, pages={77–81} }
 @article{parr_dunn_sanders_weiser_photakis_bishop_fitzpatrick_arnan_baccaro_brandao_et al._2017, title={GlobalAnts: a new database on the geography of ant traits (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)}, volume={10}, ISSN={["1752-4598"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85008262955&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/icad.12211}, abstractNote={In recent years the focus in ecology has shifted from species to a greater emphasis on functional traits. In tandem with this shift, a number of trait databases have been developed covering a range of taxa. Here, we introduce the GlobalAnts database.
Globally, ants are dominant, diverse and provide a range of ecosystem functions. The database represents a significant tool for ecology in that it (i) contributes to a global archive of ant traits (morphology, ecology and life history) which complements existing ant databases and (ii) promotes a trait-based approach in ant and other insect ecology through a broad set of standardised traits.
The GlobalAnts database is unique in that it represents the largest online database of functional traits with associated georeferenced assemblage-level data (abundance and/or occupancy) for any animal group with 9056 ant species and morphospecies records for entire local assemblages across 4416 sites.
We describe the structure of the database, types of traits included and present a summary of data coverage. The value of the database is demonstrated through an initial examination of trait distributions across subfamilies, continents and biomes.
Striking biogeographic differences in ant traits are highlighted which raise intriguing questions as to the mechanisms generating them.}, number={1}, journal={INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY}, author={Parr, Catherine L. and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Weiser, Michael D. and Photakis, Manoli and Bishop, Tom R. and Fitzpatrick, Matthew C. and Arnan, Xavier and Baccaro, Fabricio and Brandao, Carlos R. F. and et al.}, year={2017}, month={Jan}, pages={5–20} }
 @article{diamond_chick_penick_nichols_cahan_dunn_ellison_sandersk_gotelli_2017, title={Heat tolerance predicts the importance of species interaction effects as the climate changes}, volume={57}, ISSN={["1557-7023"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85029143849&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1093/icb/icx008}, abstractNote={Few studies have quantified the relative importance of direct effects of climate change on communities versus indirect effects that are mediated thorough species interactions, and the limited evidence is conflicting. Trait-based approaches have been popular in studies of climate change, but can they be used to estimate direct versus indirect effects? At the species level, thermal tolerance is a trait that is often used to predict winners and losers under scenarios of climate change. But thermal tolerance might also inform when species interactions are likely to be important because only subsets of species will be able to exploit the available warmer climatic niche space, and competition may intensify in the remaining, compressed cooler climatic niche space. Here, we explore the relative roles of the direct effects of temperature change and indirect effects of species interactions on forest ant communities that were heated as part of a large-scale climate manipulation at high- and low-latitude sites in eastern North America. Overall, we found mixed support for the importance of negative species interactions (competition), but found that the magnitude of these interaction effects was predictable based on the heat tolerance of the focal species. Forager abundance and nest site occupancy of heat-intolerant species were more often influenced by negative interactions with other species than by direct effects of temperature. Our findings suggest that measures of species-specific heat tolerance may roughly predict when species interactions will influence responses to global climate change.}, number={1}, journal={INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY}, author={Diamond, Sarah E. and Chick, Lacy and Penick, Clint A. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Cahan, Sara Helms and Dunn, Robert R. and Ellison, Aaron M. and Sandersk, Nathan J. and Gotelli, Nicholas J.}, year={2017}, month={Jul}, pages={112–120} }
 @article{lopez-uribe_appler_youngsteadt_dunn_frank_tarpy_2017, title={Higher immunocompetence is associated with higher genetic diversity in feral honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera)}, volume={18}, ISSN={["1572-9737"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85013371895&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s10592-017-0942-x}, number={3}, journal={CONSERVATION GENETICS}, author={Lopez-Uribe, Margarita M. and Appler, R. Holden and Youngsteadt, Elsa and Dunn, Robert R. and Frank, Steven D. and Tarpy, David R.}, year={2017}, month={Jun}, pages={659–666} }
 @inproceedings{bertone_leong_bayless_trautwein_2017, title={Indoor arthropod communities and distributions in U.S. homes}, booktitle={9th International conference on urban pests}, author={Bertone, M.A. and Leong, M. and Bayless, K.M. and Trautwein, M.D.}, editor={Davies, M. P. and Pfeiffer, C. and Robinson, W. H.Editors}, year={2017}, pages={17–23} }
 @book{dunn_2017, place={New York}, title={Never out of season: How having the food we want when we want it threatens our food supply and our future}, publisher={Little Brown Books}, author={Dunn, Rob R.}, year={2017} }
 @article{michael_rangel_bowern_colwell_kirby_botero_dunn_dunn_mccarter_coelho_et al._2017, title={Process-based modelling shows how climate and demography shape language diversity}, volume={26}, ISSN={["1466-8238"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85008474181&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/geb.12563}, abstractNote={AimTwo fundamental questions about human language demand answers: why are so many languages spoken today and why is their geographical distribution so uneven? Although hypotheses have been proposed ...}, number={5}, journal={GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY}, author={Michael, Gavin C. and Rangel, Thiago F. and Bowern, Claire and Colwell, Robert K. and Kirby, Kathryn R. and Botero, Carlos A. and Dunn, Michael and Dunn, Robert R. and McCarter, Joe and Coelho, Marco Tulio Pacheco and et al.}, year={2017}, month={May}, pages={584–591} }
 @article{suehiro_hyodo_tanaka_himuro_yokoi_dobata_guenard_dunn_vargo_tsuji_et al._2017, title={Radiocarbon analysis reveals expanded diet breadth associates with the invasion of a predatory ant}, volume={7}, ISSN={["2045-2322"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85032802285&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1038/s41598-017-15105-1}, abstractNote={Abstract Invasions are ecologically destructive and can threaten biodiversity. Trophic flexibility has been proposed as a mechanism facilitating invasion, with more flexible species better able to invade. The termite hunting needle ant Brachyponera chinensis was introduced from East Asia to the United States where it disrupts native ecosystems. We show that B. chinensis has expanded dietary breadth without shifting trophic position in its introduced range. Transect sampling of ants and termites revealed a negative correlation between the abundance of B. chinensis and the abundance of other ants in introduced populations, but this pattern was not as strong in the native range. Both termite and B. chinensis abundance were higher in the introduced range than in native range. Radiocarbon ( 14 C) analysis revealed that B. chinensis has significantly younger ‘diet age’, the time lag between carbon fixation by photosynthesis and its use by the consumer, in the introduced range than in the native range, while stable isotope analyses showed no change. These results suggest that in the introduced range B. chinensis remains a termite predator but also feeds on other consumer invertebrates with younger diet ages such as herbivorous insects. Radiocarbon analysis allowed us to elucidate cryptic dietary change associated with invasion success.}, number={1}, journal={SCIENTIFIC REPORTS}, author={Suehiro, Wataru and Hyodo, Fujio and Tanaka, Hiroshi O. and Himuro, Chihiro and Yokoi, Tomoyuki and Dobata, Shigeto and Guenard, Benoit and Dunn, Robert R. and Vargo, Edward L. and Tsuji, Kazuki and et al.}, year={2017}, month={Nov} }
 @article{youngsteadt_ernst_dunn_frank_2017, title={Responses of arthropod populations to warming depend on latitude: evidence from urban heat islands}, volume={23}, ISSN={["1365-2486"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85006106453&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/gcb.13550}, abstractNote={Biological effects of climate change are expected to vary geographically, with a strong signature of latitude. For ectothermic animals, there is systematic latitudinal variation in the relationship between climate and thermal performance curves, which describe the relationship between temperature and an organism's fitness. Here, we ask whether these documented latitudinal patterns can be generalized to predict arthropod responses to warming across mid- and high temperate latitudes, for taxa whose thermal physiology has not been measured. To address this question, we used a novel natural experiment consisting of a series of urban warming gradients at different latitudes. Specifically, we sampled arthropods from a single common street tree species across temperature gradients in four US cities, located from 35.8 to 42.4° latitude. We captured 6746 arthropods in 34 families from 111 sites that varied in summer average temperature by 1.7–3.4 °C within each city. Arthropod responses to warming within each city were characterized as Poisson regression coefficients describing change in abundance per °C for each family. Family responses in the two midlatitude cities were heterogeneous, including significantly negative and positive effects, while those in high-latitude cities varied no more than expected by chance within each city. We expected high-latitude taxa to increase in abundance with warming, and they did so in one of the two high-latitude cities; in the other, Queens (New York City), most taxa declined with warming, perhaps due to habitat loss that was correlated with warming in this city. With the exception of Queens, patterns of family responses to warming were consistent with predictions based on known latitudinal patterns in arthropod physiology relative to regional climate. Heterogeneous responses in midlatitudes may be ecologically disruptive if interacting taxa respond oppositely to warming.}, number={4}, journal={GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY}, author={Youngsteadt, Elsa and Ernst, Andrew F. and Dunn, Robert R. and Frank, Steven D.}, year={2017}, month={Apr}, pages={1436–1447} }
 @article{boomsma_brady_dunn_gadau_heinze_keller_moreau_sanders_schrader_schultz_et al._2017, title={The Global Ant Genomics Alliance (GAGA)}, volume={25}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85039766464&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, journal={Myrmecological News}, author={Boomsma, J.J. and Brady, S.G. and Dunn, R.R. and Gadau, J. and Heinze, J. and Keller, L. and Moreau, C.S. and Sanders, N.J. and Schrader, L. and Schultz, T.R. and et al.}, year={2017}, pages={61–66} }
 @article{dunn_nunn_horvath_2017, title={The Global Synanthrome Project: A Call for an Exhaustive Study of Human Associates}, volume={33}, ISSN={["1471-5007"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85001090545&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1016/j.pt.2016.09.007}, abstractNote={Here we coin the term synanthrome to describe all of the species we interact with. We propose that the time is now here for The Global Synanthrome Project to describe all of our interacting species and how they have changed through time and across space. This effort must involve natural history, ecology, and evolutionary biology in addition to genomics studies that are already underway.}, number={1}, journal={TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Nunn, Charles L. and Horvath, Julie E.}, year={2017}, month={Jan}, pages={4–7} }
 @article{leong_bertone_savage_bayless_dunn_trautwein_2017, title={The Habitats Humans Provide: Factors affecting the diversity and composition of arthropods in houses}, volume={7}, ISSN={["2045-2322"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85033553350&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1038/s41598-017-15584-2}, abstractNote={Abstract The indoor biome is a novel habitat which recent studies have shown exhibit not only high microbial diversity, but also high arthropod diversity. Here, we analyze findings from a survey of 50 houses (southeastern USA) within the context of additional survey data concerning house and room features, along with resident behavior, to explore how arthropod diversity and community composition are influenced by physical aspects of rooms and their usage, as well as the lifestyles of human residents. We found that indoor arthropod diversity is strongly influenced by access to the outdoors and carpeted rooms hosted more types of arthropods than non-carpeted rooms. Arthropod communities were similar across most room types, but basements exhibited more unique community compositions. Resident behavior such as house tidiness, pesticide usage, and pet ownership showed no significant influence on arthropod community composition. Arthropod communities across all rooms in houses exhibit trophic structure—with both generalized predators and scavengers included in the most frequently found groups. These findings suggest that indoor arthropods serve as a connection to the outdoors, and that there is still much yet to be discovered about their impact on indoor health and the unique ecological dynamics within our homes.}, number={1}, journal={SCIENTIFIC REPORTS}, author={Leong, Misha and Bertone, Matthew A. and Savage, Amy M. and Bayless, Keith M. and Dunn, Robert R. and Trautwein, Michelle D.}, year={2017}, month={Nov} }
 @article{stensgaard_dunn_vennervald_rahbek_2017, title={The neglected geography of human pathogens and diseases}, volume={1}, ISSN={2397-334X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/S41559-017-0190}, DOI={10.1038/S41559-017-0190}, number={7}, journal={Nature Ecology & Evolution}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Stensgaard, Anna-Sofie and Dunn, Robert R. and Vennervald, Birgitte J. and Rahbek, Carsten}, year={2017}, month={Jun} }
 @article{schuttler_glenn_belair_hohm_humphries_pasion_dunn_kays_2017, title={What's in Your School Yard? Using Citizen Science Wildlife Cameras to Conduct Authentic Scientific Investigations}, volume={041}, ISSN={0887-2376}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.2505/4/ss17_041_01_63}, DOI={10.2505/4/ss17_041_01_63}, number={01}, journal={Science Scope}, publisher={National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)}, author={Schuttler, Stephanie and Glenn, David and Belair, Catherine and Hohm, Jordan and Humphries, Denise and Pasion, Dayson and Dunn, Robert and Kays, Roland}, year={2017} }
 @article{bertone_leong_bayless_malow_dunn_trautwein_2016, title={Arthropods of the great indoors: characterizing diversity inside urban and suburban homes}, volume={4}, ISSN={2167-8359}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1582}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.1582}, abstractNote={Although humans and arthropods have been living and evolving together for all of our history, we know very little about the arthropods we share our homes with apart from major pest groups. Here we surveyed, for the first time, the complete arthropod fauna of the indoor biome in 50 houses (located in and around Raleigh, North Carolina, USA). We discovered high diversity, with a conservative estimate range of 32-211 morphospecies, and 24-128 distinct arthropod families per house. The majority of this indoor diversity (73%) was made up of true flies (Diptera), spiders (Araneae), beetles (Coleoptera), and wasps and kin (Hymenoptera, especially ants: Formicidae). Much of the arthropod diversity within houses did not consist of synanthropic species, but instead included arthropods that were filtered from the surrounding landscape. As such, common pest species were found less frequently than benign species. Some of the most frequently found arthropods in houses, such as gall midges (Cecidomyiidae) and book lice (Liposcelididae), are unfamiliar to the general public despite their ubiquity. These findings present a new understanding of the diversity, prevalence, and distribution of the arthropods in our daily lives. Considering their impact as household pests, disease vectors, generators of allergens, and facilitators of the indoor microbiome, advancing our knowledge of the ecology and evolution of arthropods in homes has major economic and human health implications.}, number={1}, journal={PeerJ}, publisher={PeerJ}, author={Bertone, Matthew A. and Leong, Misha and Bayless, Keith M. and Malow, Tara L.F. and Dunn, Robert R. and Trautwein, Michelle D.}, year={2016}, month={Jan}, pages={e1582} }
 @article{tripp_lendemer_barberán_dunn_fierer_2016, title={Biodiversity gradients in obligate symbiotic organisms: exploring the diversity and traits of lichen propagules across the United States}, volume={43}, ISSN={0305-0270}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12746}, DOI={10.1111/jbi.12746}, abstractNote={Aim Large-scale distributions of plants and animals have been studied extensively and form the foundation for core concepts and paradigms in biogeography and macroecology. Much less attention has been given to other groups of organisms, particularly obligate symbiotic organisms. We present the first quantitative assessment of how spatial and environmental variables shape the abundance and distribution of obligate symbiotic organisms across nearly an entire subcontinent, using lichen propagules as an example. Location The contiguous United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Methods We use DNA sequence-based analyses of lichen reproductive propagules from settled dust samples collected from nearly 1300 home exteriors to reconstruct biogeographical correlates of lichen taxonomic and functional diversity. Results Contrary to expectations, we found a weak but significant reverse latitudinal gradient in lichen propagule diversity. Diversity was not impacted by urbanization or human population density. We show that propagules of asexually reproducing species have wider geographical ranges than propagules from sexually reproducing species, likely reflecting the lichenized nature of asexual spores that disperse both the mycobiont and photobiont versus non-lichenized sexual spores, which disperse only the mycobiont. Main Conclusions Our findings of a reverse latitudinal gradient and a relative lack of impact of urbanization on lichen propagules and/or lichen-forming fungal spores suggest that core concepts in biogeography are better informed via consideration of additional patterns from other, less well studied groups of organisms.}, number={8}, journal={Journal of Biogeography}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Tripp, Erin A. and Lendemer, James C. and Barberán, Albert and Dunn, Robert R. and Fierer, Noah}, year={2016}, month={Mar}, pages={1667–1678} }
 @article{diamond_nichols_pelini_penick_barber_cahan_dunn_ellison_sanders_gotelli_2016, title={Climatic warming destabilizes forest ant communities}, volume={2}, ISSN={2375-2548}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600842}, DOI={10.1126/sciadv.1600842}, abstractNote={A field-based climate warming experiment reveals a loss of dynamical community stability due to altered species interactions.}, number={10}, journal={Science Advances}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={Diamond, Sarah E. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Pelini, Shannon L. and Penick, Clint A. and Barber, Grace W. and Cahan, Sara Helms and Dunn, Robert R. and Ellison, Aaron M. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Gotelli, Nicholas J.}, year={2016}, month={Oct}, pages={e1600842} }
 @article{dunn_beasley_2016, title={Democratizing evolutionary biology, lessons from insects}, volume={18}, ISSN={2214-5745}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2016.10.005}, DOI={10.1016/j.cois.2016.10.005}, abstractNote={The engagement of the public in the scientific process is an old practice. Yet with recent advances in technology, the role of the citizen scientist in studying evolutionary processes has increased. Insects provide ideal models for understanding these evolutionary processes at large scales. This review highlights how insect-based citizen science has led to the expansion of specimen collections and reframed research questions in light of new observations and unexpected discoveries. Given the rapid expansion of human-modified (and inhabited) environments, the degree to which the public can participate in insect-based citizen science will allow us to track and monitor evolutionary trends at a global scale.}, journal={Current Opinion in Insect Science}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Dunn, Robert R and Beasley, DeAnna E}, year={2016}, month={Dec}, pages={89–92} }
 @article{council_savage_urban_ehlers_skene_platt_dunn_horvath_2016, title={Diversity and evolution of the primate skin microbiome}, volume={283}, ISSN={["1471-2954"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84955584333&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2015.2586}, abstractNote={Skin microbes play a role in human body odour, health and disease. Compared with gut microbes, we know little about the changes in the composition of skin microbes in response to evolutionary changes in hosts, or more recent behavioural and cultural changes in humans. No studies have used sequence-based approaches to consider the skin microbe communities of gorillas and chimpanzees, for example. Comparison of the microbial associates of non-human primates with those of humans offers unique insights into both the ancient and modern features of our skin-associated microbes. Here we describe the microbes found on the skin of humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, rhesus macaques and baboons. We focus on the bacterial and archaeal residents in the axilla using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. We find that human skin microbial communities are unique relative to those of other primates, in terms of both their diversity and their composition. These differences appear to reflect both ancient shifts during millions of years of primate evolution and more recent changes due to modern hygiene.}, number={1822}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={Council, Sarah E. and Savage, Amy M. and Urban, Julie M. and Ehlers, Megan E. and Skene, J. H. Pate and Platt, Michael L. and Dunn, Robert R. and Horvath, Julie E.}, year={2016}, month={Jan} }
 @article{leong_bertone_bayless_dunn_trautwein_2016, title={Exoskeletons and economics: indoor arthropod diversity increases in affluent neighbourhoods}, volume={12}, ISSN={1744-9561 1744-957X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0322}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2016.0322}, abstractNote={In urban ecosystems, socioeconomics contribute to patterns of biodiversity. The ‘luxury effect’, in which wealthier neighbourhoods are more biologically diverse, has been observed for plants, birds, bats and lizards. Here, we used data from a survey of indoor arthropod diversity (defined throughout as family-level richness) from 50 urban houses and found that house size, surrounding vegetation, as well as mean neighbourhood income best predict the number of kinds of arthropods found indoors. Our finding, that homes in wealthier neighbourhoods host higher indoor arthropod diversity (consisting of primarily non-pest species), shows that the luxury effect can extend to the indoor environment. The effect of mean neighbourhood income on indoor arthropod diversity was particularly strong for individual houses that lacked high surrounding vegetation ground cover, suggesting that neighbourhood dynamics can compensate for local choices of homeowners. Our work suggests that the management of neighbourhoods and cities can have effects on biodiversity that can extend from trees and birds all the way to the arthropod life in bedrooms and basements.}, number={8}, journal={Biology Letters}, publisher={The Royal Society}, author={Leong, Misha and Bertone, Matthew A. and Bayless, Keith M. and Dunn, Robert R. and Trautwein, Michelle D.}, year={2016}, month={Aug}, pages={20160322} }
 @article{miller_beasley_dunn_archie_2016, title={Lactobacilli Dominance and Vaginal pH: Why Is the Human Vaginal Microbiome Unique?}, volume={7}, ISSN={["1664-302X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85009179764&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.3389/fmicb.2016.01936}, abstractNote={The human vaginal microbiome is dominated by bacteria from the genus Lactobacillus, which create an acidic environment thought to protect women against sexually transmitted pathogens and opportunistic infections. Strikingly, lactobacilli dominance appears to be unique to humans; while the relative abundance of lactobacilli in the human vagina is typically >70%, in other mammals lactobacilli rarely comprise more than 1% of vaginal microbiota. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain humans' unique vaginal microbiota, including humans' distinct reproductive physiology, high risk of STDs, and high risk of microbial complications linked to pregnancy and birth. Here, we test these hypotheses using comparative data on vaginal pH and the relative abundance of lactobacilli in 26 mammalian species and 50 studies (N = 21 mammals for pH and 14 mammals for lactobacilli relative abundance). We found that non-human mammals, like humans, exhibit the lowest vaginal pH during the period of highest estrogen. However, the vaginal pH of non-human mammals is never as low as is typical for humans (median vaginal pH in humans = 4.5; range of pH across all 21 non-human mammals = 5.4-7.8). Contrary to disease and obstetric risk hypotheses, we found no significant relationship between vaginal pH or lactobacilli relative abundance and multiple metrics of STD or birth injury risk (P-values ranged from 0.13 to 0.99). Given the lack of evidence for these hypotheses, we discuss two alternative explanations: the common function hypothesis and a novel hypothesis related to the diet of agricultural humans. Specifically, with regard to diet we propose that high levels of starch in human diets have led to increased levels of glycogen in the vaginal tract, which, in turn, promotes the proliferation of lactobacilli. If true, human diet may have paved the way for a novel, protective microbiome in human vaginal tracts. Overall, our results highlight the need for continuing research on non-human vaginal microbial communities and the importance of investigating both the physiological mechanisms and the broad evolutionary processes underlying human lactobacilli dominance.}, number={DEC}, journal={FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY}, author={Miller, Elizabeth A. and Beasley, DeAnna E. and Dunn, Robert R. and Archie, Elizabeth A.}, year={2016}, month={Dec} }
 @article{miller_beasley_dunn_archie_2016, title={Lactobacilli Dominance and Vaginal pH: Why Is the Human Vaginal Microbiome Unique?}, volume={7}, ISSN={1664-302X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.01936}, DOI={doi: 10.3389%2Ffmicb.2016.01936}, journal={Frontiers in Microbiology}, publisher={Frontiers Media SA}, author={Miller, Elizabeth A. and Beasley, DeAnna E. and Dunn, Robert R. and Archie, Elizabeth A.}, year={2016}, month={Dec} }
 @article{karlik_epps_dunn_penick_2016, title={Life Inside an Acorn: How Microclimate and Microbes Influence Nest Organization in Temnothorax Ants}, volume={122}, ISSN={["1439-0310"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84983511133&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/eth.12525}, abstractNote={Nests provide a buffer against environmental variation, but conditions may also vary at different locations within a nest. Conditions can vary based on abiotic factors, such as moisture and temperature, as well as biotic factors, such as the presence of microbes and potential pathogens. Therefore, characterizing how animals adjust their position inside their nests to track microclimate preferences while at the same time preventing pathogen exposure is necessary to understand the benefits nests provide. Here we studied how colonies of the acorn-nesting ant Temnothorax curvispinosus responded to experimental manipulation of moisture, temperature, and microbial growth inside their nests. Colonies showed no response to differences in moisture and moved to the bottom of the acorn regardless of moisture treatment. When nests were heated from the top to simulate warming by the sun, workers preferentially moved brood to the warm, upper half of the acorn, which would stimulate brood development. Finally, the strongest factor that influenced colony position was the presence of microbes inside the nest—colonies avoided the bottom of the nest when it was inoculated with microbes, and colonies in new acorns shifted to the top of the acorn over time as mold and other microbes had time to grow. The relatively strong response of T. curvispinosus to microbial growth inside their nests suggests that pathogen pressures—in addition to microclimate—have a significant impact on how colonies use nest spaces. Social insects are known to invest heavily in antimicrobial compounds that kill or slow the growth of microbes, but avoidance may represent an additional line of defense to prevent pathogen exposure.}, number={10}, journal={ETHOLOGY}, author={Karlik, Joseph and Epps, Mary Jane and Dunn, Robert R. and Penick, Clint A.}, year={2016}, month={Oct}, pages={790–797} }
 @article{savage_hills_driscoll_fergus_grunden_dunn_2016, title={Microbial diversity of extreme habitats in human homes}, volume={4}, ISSN={2167-8359}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2376}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.2376}, abstractNote={High-throughput sequencing techniques have opened up the world of microbial diversity to scientists, and a flurry of studies in the most remote and extreme habitats on earth have begun to elucidate the key roles of microbes in ecosystems with extreme conditions. These same environmental extremes can also be found closer to humans, even in our homes. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing techniques to assess bacterial and archaeal diversity in the extreme environments inside human homes (e.g., dishwashers, hot water heaters, washing machine bleach reservoirs, etc.). We focused on habitats in the home with extreme temperature, pH, and chemical environmental conditions. We found a lower diversity of microbes in these extreme home environments compared to less extreme habitats in the home. However, we were nonetheless able to detect sequences from a relatively diverse array of bacteria and archaea. Habitats with extreme temperatures alone appeared to be able to support a greater diversity of microbes than habitats with extreme pH or extreme chemical environments alone. Microbial diversity was lowest when habitats had both extreme temperature and one of these other extremes. In habitats with both extreme temperatures and extreme pH, taxa with known associations with extreme conditions dominated. Our findings highlight the importance of examining interactive effects of multiple environmental extremes on microbial communities. Inasmuch as taxa from extreme environments can be both beneficial and harmful to humans, our findings also suggest future work to understand both the threats and opportunities posed by the life in these habitats.}, number={9}, journal={PeerJ}, publisher={PeerJ}, author={Savage, Amy M. and Hills, Justin and Driscoll, Katherine and Fergus, Daniel J. and Grunden, Amy M. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2016}, month={Sep}, pages={e2376} }
 @article{craine_barberán_lynch_menninger_dunn_fierer_2016, title={Molecular analysis of environmental plant DNA in house dust across the United States}, volume={33}, ISSN={0393-5965 1573-3025}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10453-016-9451-5}, DOI={10.1007/s10453-016-9451-5}, number={1}, journal={Aerobiologia}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Craine, Joseph M. and Barberán, Albert and Lynch, Ryan C. and Menninger, Holly L. and Dunn, Robert R. and Fierer, Noah}, year={2016}, month={Jul}, pages={71–86} }
 @article{gramkow_ernst_dunn_saslis-lagoudakis_2016, title={Phylogenetics of psychoactive plants in neuro-targeted bioprospecting 24852989}, volume={81}, ISSN={0032-0943 1439-0221}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/S-0036-1596186}, DOI={10.1055/S-0036-1596186}, number={S 01}, journal={Planta Medica}, publisher={Georg Thieme Verlag KG}, author={Gramkow, MH and Ernst, M and Dunn, RR and Saslis-Lagoudakis, CH}, year={2016}, month={Dec}, pages={S1–S381} }
 @article{lopez-uribe_sconiers_frank_dunn_tarpy_2016, title={Reduced cellular immune response in social insect lineages}, volume={12}, ISSN={["1744-957X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84962545223&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2015.0984}, abstractNote={Social living poses challenges for individual fitness because of the increased risk of disease transmission among conspecifics. Despite this challenge, sociality is an evolutionarily successful lifestyle, occurring in the most abundant and diverse group of organisms on earth—the social insects. Two contrasting hypotheses predict the evolutionary consequences of sociality on immune systems. The social group hypothesis posits that sociality leads to stronger individual immune systems because of the higher risk of disease transmission in social species. By contrast, the relaxed selection hypothesis proposes that social species have evolved behavioural immune defences that lower disease risk within the group, resulting in lower immunity at the individual level. We tested these hypotheses by measuring the encapsulation response in 11 eusocial and non-eusocial insect lineages. We built phylogenetic mixed linear models to investigate the effect of behaviour, colony size and body size on cellular immune response. We found a significantly negative effect of colony size on encapsulation response (Markov chain Monte Carlo generalized linear mixed model (mcmcGLMM) p < 0.05; phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that insects living in large societies may rely more on behavioural mechanisms, such as hygienic behaviours, than on immune function to reduce the risk of disease transmission among nest-mates.}, number={3}, journal={BIOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Lopez-Uribe, Margarita M. and Sconiers, Warren B. and Frank, Steven D. and Dunn, Robert R. and Tarpy, David R.}, year={2016}, month={Mar} }
 @article{vitone_stofer_steininger_hulcr_dunn_lucky_2016, title={School of ants goes to college: Integrating citizen science into the general education classroom increases engagement with science}, volume={15}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84956672537&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.22323/2.15010203}, abstractNote={Citizen science has proven useful in advancing scientific research, but participant learning outcomes are not often assessed. This case study describes the implementation and tailoring of an in-depth assessment of the educational impact of two citizen science projects in an undergraduate, general education course. Mixed-methods assessment of citizen science within a college classroom demonstrates that public participation in scientific research can positively alter attitudes towards science. The timing and type of assessments yielded significantly different results and qualitative assessment provided depth and context. However, disentangling the impact of the course from participation in the projects is the biggest challenge.}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Science Communication}, author={Vitone, T. and Stofer, K.A. and Steininger, M.S. and Hulcr, J. and Dunn, R. and Lucky, A.}, year={2016} }
 @article{marchin_broadhead_bostic_dunn_hoffmann_2016, title={Stomatal acclimation to vapour pressure deficit doubles transpiration of small tree seedlings with warming}, volume={39}, ISSN={0140-7791}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pce.12790}, DOI={10.1111/pce.12790}, abstractNote={Future climate change is expected to increase temperature (T) and atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD) in many regions, but the effect of persistent warming on plant stomatal behaviour is highly uncertain. We investigated the effect of experimental warming of 1.9–5.1 °C and increased VPD of 0.5–1.3 kPa on transpiration and stomatal conductance (gs) of tree seedlings in the temperate forest understory (Duke Forest, North Carolina, USA). We observed peaked responses of transpiration to VPD in all seedlings, and the optimum VPD for transpiration (Dopt) shifted proportionally with increasing chamber VPD. Warming increased mean water use of Carya by 140% and Quercus by 150%, but had no significant effect on water use of Acer. Increased water use of ring-porous species was attributed to (1) higher air T and (2) stomatal acclimation to VPD resulting in higher gs and more sensitive stomata, and thereby less efficient water use. Stomatal acclimation maintained homeostasis of leaf T and carbon gain despite increased VPD, revealing that short-term stomatal responses to VPD may not be representative of long-term exposure. Acclimation responses differ from expectations of decreasing gs with increasing VPD and may necessitate revision of current models based on this assumption.}, number={10}, journal={Plant, Cell & Environment}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Marchin, Renée M. and Broadhead, Alice A. and Bostic, Laura E. and Dunn, Robert R. and Hoffmann, William A.}, year={2016}, month={Aug}, pages={2221–2234} }
 @article{mckenney_dunn_urban_stalls_millis_flythe_stevens_2016, title={Symbiosis in the Soil: Citizen Microbiology in Middle and High School Classrooms †}, volume={17}, ISSN={1935-7877 1935-7885}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v17i1.1016}, DOI={10.1128/jmbe.v17i1.1016}, abstractNote={Microorganisms are vital to environmental health, yet their association with disease often overshadows these benefits. Building citizen-science activities around the positive role of microorganisms and an understanding of their ubiquity can begin to dispel misconceptions while simultaneously engaging the public in research. Here, we describe a citizen-science microbiology project geared toward implementation in middle and high school classrooms. Students culture environmental microorganisms and document microbial diversity of plant root systems compared with adjacent bulk soil. Results contribute data toward research on microbiome recruitment of weeds and other successful plants while addressing core topics in science education.}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={McKenney, Erin and Dunn, Robert R. and Urban, Julie M. and Stalls, Jennifer and Millis, Courtney and Flythe, Taylar and Stevens, Julia L.}, year={2016}, month={Mar}, pages={60–62} }
 @article{dunn_cooper_cavelier_urban_2016, title={The Tragedy of the Unexamined Cat: Why K–12 and University Education Are Still in the Dark Ages and How Citizen Science Allows for a Renaissance}, volume={17}, ISSN={1935-7877 1935-7885}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v17i1.1049}, DOI={10.1128/jmbe.v17i1.1049}, abstractNote={At the end of the dark ages, anatomy was taught as though everything that could be known was known. Scholars learned about what had been discovered rather than how to make discoveries. This was true even though the body (and the rest of biology) was very poorly understood. The renaissance eventually brought a revolution in how scholars (and graduate students) were trained and worked. This revolution never occurred in K–12 or university education such that we now teach young students in much the way that scholars were taught in the dark ages, we teach them what is already known rather than the process of knowing. Citizen science offers a way to change K–12 and university education and, in doing so, complete the renaissance. Here we offer an example of such an approach and call for change in the way students are taught science, change that is more possible than it has ever been and is, nonetheless, five hundred years delayed.}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Cooper, Caren B. and Cavelier, Darlene and Urban, Julie}, year={2016}, month={Mar}, pages={4–6} }
 @article{morrison_morrison_buchheit_dunn_battley_thompson_2016, title={The canalized parental roles of a Eudyptes penguin constrain provisioning and growth of chicks during nutritional stress}, volume={70}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84957676904&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s00265-016-2060-z}, number={4}, journal={Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology}, author={Morrison, K.W. and Morrison, N.C. and Buchheit, R.M. and Dunn, R. and Battley, P.F. and Thompson, D.R.}, year={2016}, pages={467–479} }
 @article{penick_crofton_holden appler_frank_dunn_tarpy_2016, title={The contribution of human foods to honey bee diets in a mid-sized metropolis}, volume={2}, ISSN={2058-5543}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jue/juw001}, DOI={10.1093/jue/juw001}, abstractNote={Concern for honey bee health has implicated both urbanization and nutritional stress as factors contributing to honey bee declines. The expansion of urban areas has resulted in reduced foraging habitat for bees, while at the same time introducing new food sources, such as foods unintentionally provided by humans as litter or in waste containers. While human foods play an important role in the diets of other urban animals, the extent to which honey bees feed on these resources has not been well characterized. Here, we compared the amount of human foods in honey bee diets across a rural-urban gradient in North Carolina, USA, using stable isotopes of carbon (δ 13 C). Human-produced sugars—primarily sugarcane and corn syrup—have a characteristic isotope signature that can be used to quantify the relative amount of human foods in animal diets. We predicted that urban bees would have an increase in δ 13 C if they were feeding on human-produced sugars, but we found no change in δ 13 C between urban and rural colonies. Instead, we found an increase in δ 13 C in managed bees in both habitats, which is indicative of supplemental sugar feeding by beekeepers. Rather than switching to human food sources, urban bees seem to be feeding on urban flowers or insect-produced honeydew. This suggests an important role for urban flowers and green spaces in maintaining healthy pollinator populations in cities.}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Urban Ecology}, publisher={Oxford University Press (OUP)}, author={Penick, Clint A. and Crofton, Catherine A. and Holden Appler, R. and Frank, Steven D. and Dunn, Robert R. and Tarpy, David R.}, year={2016}, pages={juw001} }
 @article{madden_barberán_bertone_menninger_dunn_fierer_2016, title={The diversity of arthropods in homes across the United States as determined by environmental DNA analyses}, volume={25}, ISSN={0962-1083 1365-294X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.13900}, DOI={10.1111/mec.13900}, abstractNote={We spend most of our lives inside homes, surrounded by arthropods that impact our property as pests and our health as disease vectors and producers of sensitizing allergens. Despite their relevance to human health and well-being, we know relatively little about the arthropods that exist in our homes and the factors structuring their diversity. As previous work has been limited in scale by the costs and time associated with collecting arthropods and the subsequent morphological identification, we used a DNA-based method for investigating the arthropod diversity in homes via high-throughput marker gene sequencing of home dust. Settled dust samples were collected by citizen scientists from both inside and outside more than 700 homes across the United States, yielding the first continental-scale estimates of arthropod diversity associated with our residences. We were able to document food webs and previously unknown geographic distributions of diverse arthropods - from allergen producers to invasive species and nuisance pests. Home characteristics, including the presence of basements, home occupants and surrounding land use, were more useful than climate parameters in predicting arthropod diversity in homes. These noninvasive, scalable tools and resultant findings not only provide the first continental-scale maps of household arthropod diversity, but our analyses also provide valuable baseline information on arthropod allergen exposures and the distributions of invasive pests inside homes.}, number={24}, journal={Molecular Ecology}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Madden, Anne A. and Barberán, Albert and Bertone, Matthew A. and Menninger, Holly L. and Dunn, Robert R. and Fierer, Noah}, year={2016}, month={Nov}, pages={6214–6224} }
 @article{urban_fergus_savage_ehlers_menninger_dunn_horvath_2016, title={The effect of habitual and experimental antiperspirant and deodorant product use on the armpit microbiome}, volume={4}, ISSN={2167-8359}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1605}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.1605}, abstractNote={An ever expanding body of research investigates the human microbiome in general and the skin microbiome in particular. Microbiomes vary greatly from individual to individual. Understanding the factors that account for this variation, however, has proven challenging, with many studies able to account statistically for just a small proportion of the inter-individual variation in the abundance, species richness or composition of bacteria. The human armpit has long been noted to host a high biomass bacterial community, and recent studies have highlighted substantial inter-individual variation in armpit bacteria, even relative to variation among individuals for other body habitats. One obvious potential explanation for this variation has to do with the use of personal hygiene products, particularly deodorants and antiperspirants. Here we experimentally manipulate product use to examine the abundance, species richness, and composition of bacterial communities that recolonize the armpits of people with different product use habits. In doing so, we find that when deodorant and antiperspirant use were stopped, culturable bacterial density increased and approached that found on individuals who regularly do not use any product. In addition, when antiperspirants were subsequently applied, bacterial density dramatically declined. These culture-based results are in line with sequence-based comparisons of the effects of long-term product use on bacterial species richness and composition. Sequence-based analyses suggested that individuals who habitually use antiperspirant tended to have a greater richness of bacterial OTUs in their armpits than those who use deodorant. In addition, individuals who used antiperspirants or deodorants long-term, but who stopped using product for two or more days as part of this study, had armpit communities dominated by Staphylococcaceae, whereas those of individuals in our study who habitually used no products were dominated by Corynebacterium . Collectively these results suggest a strong effect of product use on the bacterial composition of armpits. Although stopping the use of deodorant and antiperspirant similarly favors presence of Staphylococcaceae over Corynebacterium , their differential modes of action exert strikingly different effects on the richness of other bacteria living in armpit communities.}, number={2}, journal={PeerJ}, publisher={PeerJ}, author={Urban, Julie and Fergus, Daniel J. and Savage, Amy M. and Ehlers, Megan and Menninger, Holly L. and Dunn, Robert R. and Horvath, Julie E.}, year={2016}, month={Feb}, pages={e1605} }
 @book{dunn_2016, title={The evolution of human skin and the thousands of species it sustains, with ten hypothesis of relevance to doctors}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85006511532&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/978-3-319-41088-3_5}, journal={Personalized, Evolutionary, and Ecological Dermatology}, author={Dunn, R.R.}, year={2016}, pages={57–66} }
 @article{stanton-geddes_nguyen_chick_vincent_vangala_dunn_ellison_sanders_gotelli_cahan_2016, title={Thermal reactionomes reveal divergent responses to thermal extremes in warm and cool-climate ant species}, volume={17}, ISSN={["1471-2164"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84978766840&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1186/s12864-016-2466-z}, abstractNote={The distributions of species and their responses to climate change are in part determined by their thermal tolerances. However, little is known about how thermal tolerance evolves. To test whether evolutionary extension of thermal limits is accomplished through enhanced cellular stress response (enhanced response), constitutively elevated expression of protective genes (genetic assimilation) or a shift from damage resistance to passive mechanisms of thermal stability (tolerance), we conducted an analysis of the reactionome: the reaction norm for all genes in an organism's transcriptome measured across an experimental gradient. We characterized thermal reactionomes of two common ant species in the eastern U.S, the northern cool-climate Aphaenogaster picea and the southern warm-climate Aphaenogaster carolinensis, across 12 temperatures that spanned their entire thermal breadth.We found that at least 2 % of all genes changed expression with temperature. The majority of upregulation was specific to exposure to low temperatures. The cool-adapted A. picea induced expression of more genes in response to extreme temperatures than did A. carolinensis, consistent with the enhanced response hypothesis. In contrast, under high temperatures the warm-adapted A. carolinensis downregulated many of the genes upregulated in A. picea, and required more extreme temperatures to induce down-regulation in gene expression, consistent with the tolerance hypothesis. We found no evidence for a trade-off between constitutive and inducible gene expression as predicted by the genetic assimilation hypothesis.These results suggest that increases in upper thermal limits may require an evolutionary shift in response mechanism away from damage repair toward tolerance and prevention.}, number={1}, journal={BMC GENOMICS}, author={Stanton-Geddes, John and Nguyen, Andrew and Chick, Lacy and Vincent, James and Vangala, Mahesh and Dunn, Robert R. and Ellison, Aaron M. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Gotelli, Nicholas J. and Cahan, Sara Helms}, year={2016}, month={Mar} }
 @article{reese_savage_youngsteadt_mcguire_koling_watkins_frank_dunn_2016, title={Urban stress is associated with variation in microbial species composition-but not richness-in Manhattan}, volume={10}, ISSN={["1751-7370"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84942133913&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1038/ismej.2015.152}, abstractNote={The biological diversity and composition of microorganisms influences both human health outcomes and ecological processes; therefore, understanding the factors that influence microbial biodiversity is key to creating healthy, functional landscapes in which to live. In general, biological diversity is predicted to be limited by habitat size, which for green areas is often reduced in cities, and by chronic disturbance (stress). These hypotheses have not previously been tested in microbial systems in direct comparison to macroorganisms. Here we analyzed bacterial, fungal and ant communities in small road medians (average area 0.0008 km(2)) and larger parks (average area 0.64 km(2)) across Manhattan (NYC). Bacterial species richness was not significantly different between medians and parks, but community composition was significantly distinct. In contrast, ant communities differed both in composition and richness with fewer ant species in medians than parks. Fungi showed no significant variation in composition or richness but had few shared taxa between habitats or sites. The diversity and composition of microbes appears less sensitive to habitat patchiness or urban stress than those of macroorganisms. Microbes and their associated ecosystem services and functions may be more resilient to the negative effects of urbanization than has been previously appreciated.}, number={3}, journal={ISME JOURNAL}, author={Reese, Aspen T. and Savage, Amy and Youngsteadt, Elsa and McGuire, Krista L. and Koling, Adam and Watkins, Olivia and Frank, Steven D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2016}, month={Mar}, pages={751–760} }
 @article{meineke_youngsteadt_dunn_frank_2016, title={Urban warming reduces aboveground carbon storage}, volume={283}, ISSN={0962-8452 1471-2954}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.1574}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2016.1574}, abstractNote={A substantial amount of global carbon is stored in mature trees. However, no experiments to date test how warming affects mature tree carbon storage. Using a unique, citywide, factorial experiment, we investigated how warming and insect herbivory affected physiological function and carbon sequestration (carbon stored per year) of mature trees. Urban warming increased herbivorous arthropod abundance on trees, but these herbivores had negligible effects on tree carbon sequestration. Instead, urban warming was associated with an estimated 12% loss of carbon sequestration, in part because photosynthesis was reduced at hotter sites. Ecosystem service assessments that do not consider urban conditions may overestimate urban tree carbon storage. Because urban and global warming are becoming more intense, our results suggest that urban trees will sequester even less carbon in the future.}, number={1840}, journal={Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences}, publisher={The Royal Society}, author={Meineke, Emily and Youngsteadt, Elsa and Dunn, Robert R. and Frank, Steven D.}, year={2016}, month={Oct}, pages={20161574} }
 @article{jørgensen_wernli_carroll_dunn_harbarth_levin_so_schlüter_laxminarayan_2016, title={Use antimicrobials wisely}, volume={537}, ISSN={0028-0836 1476-4687}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/537159A}, DOI={10.1038/537159A}, abstractNote={The United Nations must reframe action on antimicrobial resistance as the defence of a common resource, argue Peter S. Jørgensen, Didier Wernli and colleagues.}, number={7619}, journal={Nature}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Jørgensen, Peter S. and Wernli, Didier and Carroll, Scott P. and Dunn, Robert R. and Harbarth, Stephan and Levin, Simon A. and So, Anthony D. and Schlüter, Maja and Laxminarayan, Ramanan}, year={2016}, month={Sep}, pages={159–161} }
 @article{halse-gramkow_ernst_rønsted_dunn_saslis-lagoudakis_2016, title={Using evolutionary tools to search for novel psychoactive plants}, volume={14}, ISSN={1479-2621 1479-263X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1479262116000344}, DOI={10.1017/s1479262116000344}, abstractNote={Abstract Bioprospecting is the search for valuable products from natural sources. Given that most species are poorly known, a key question is where to search. Ethnodirected bioprospecting approaches use traditional knowledge in the process of selecting plants to screen for desired properties. A complementary approach is to utilize phylogenetic analyses based on traditional uses or known chemistry to identify lineages in which desired properties are most likely to be found. Novel discoveries of plant bioactivity from these approaches can aid the development of treatments for diseases with unmet medical needs. For example, neurological disorders are a growing concern, and psychoactive plants used in traditional medicine may provide botanical sources for bioactivity relevant for treating diseases related to the brain and nervous system. However, no systematic study has explored the diversity and phylogenetic distribution of psychoactive plants. We compiled a database of 501 psychoactive plant species and their properties from published sources. We mapped these plant attributes on a phylogenetic tree of all land plant genera and showed that psychoactive properties are not randomly distributed on the phylogeny of land plants; instead certain plant lineages show overabundance of psychoactive properties. Furthermore, employing a ‘hot nodes’ approach to identify these lineages, we can narrow down our search for novel psychoactive plants to 8.5% of all plant genera for psychoactivity in general and 1–4% for specific categories of psychoactivity investigated. Our results showcase the potential of using a phylogenetic approach to bioprospect plants for psychoactivity and can serve as foundation for future investigations.}, number={4}, journal={Plant Genetic Resources}, publisher={Cambridge University Press (CUP)}, author={Halse-Gramkow, Morten and Ernst, Madeleine and Rønsted, Nina and Dunn, Robert R. and Saslis-Lagoudakis, C. Haris}, year={2016}, month={Oct}, pages={246–255} }
 @article{gibb_sanders_dunn_watson_photakis_abril_andersen_angulo_armbrecht_arnan_et al._2015, title={Climate mediates the effects of disturbance on ant assemblage structure}, volume={282}, ISSN={["1471-2954"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84929997136&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2015.0418}, abstractNote={Many studies have focused on the impacts of climate change on biological assemblages, yet little is known about how climate interacts with other major anthropogenic influences on biodiversity, such as habitat disturbance. Using a unique global database of 1128 local ant assemblages, we examined whether climate mediates the effects of habitat disturbance on assemblage structure at a global scale. Species richness and evenness were associated positively with temperature, and negatively with disturbance. However, the interaction among temperature, precipitation and disturbance shaped species richness and evenness. The effect was manifested through a failure of species richness to increase substantially with temperature in transformed habitats at low precipitation. At low precipitation levels, evenness increased with temperature in undisturbed sites, peaked at medium temperatures in disturbed sites and remained low in transformed sites. In warmer climates with lower rainfall, the effects of increasing disturbance on species richness and evenness were akin to decreases in temperature of up to 9°C. Anthropogenic disturbance and ongoing climate change may interact in complicated ways to shape the structure of assemblages, with hot, arid environments likely to be at greatest risk.}, number={1808}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={Gibb, Heloise and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert R. and Watson, Simon and Photakis, Manoli and Abril, Silvia and Andersen, Alan N. and Angulo, Elena and Armbrecht, Inge and Arnan, Xavier and et al.}, year={2015}, month={Jun} }
 @article{barberan_ladau_leff_pollard_menninger_dunn_fierer_2015, title={Continental-scale distributions of dust-associated bacteria and fungi}, volume={112}, ISSN={["1091-6490"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84928914690&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1073/pnas.1420815112}, abstractNote={Significance We inhale thousands of microbial cells when we breathe in outdoor air, and some of these airborne microbes can serve as pathogens or triggers of allergic disorders. Using settled dust samples from ∼1,200 locations, we generated the first atlas, to our knowledge, of airborne bacterial and fungal distributions across the continental United States. We found that airborne microbial communities, such as terrestrial plants and animals, exhibit nonrandom geographic patterns, and we identified the factors that shape the continental-scale distributions of microbial taxa. Furthermore, we found that the airborne microbes found in urban and more rural areas are not distinct in composition, but the dust-associated communities found in more urbanized areas are more homogeneous across the United States.}, number={18}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA}, author={Barberan, Albert and Ladau, Joshua and Leff, Jonathan W. and Pollard, Katherine S. and Menninger, Holly L. and Dunn, Robert R. and Fierer, Noah}, year={2015}, month={May}, pages={5756–5761} }
 @article{youngsteadt_dale_terando_dunn_frank_2015, title={Do cities simulate climate change? A comparison of herbivore response to urban and global warming}, volume={21}, ISSN={["1365-2486"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84916930773&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/gcb.12692}, abstractNote={Cities experience elevated temperature, CO2, and nitrogen deposition decades ahead of the global average, such that biological response to urbanization may predict response to future climate change. This hypothesis remains untested due to a lack of complementary urban and long-term observations. Here, we examine the response of an herbivore, the scale insect Melanaspis tenebricosa, to temperature in the context of an urban heat island, a series of historical temperature fluctuations, and recent climate warming. We survey M. tenebricosa on 55 urban street trees in Raleigh, NC, 342 herbarium specimens collected in the rural southeastern United States from 1895 to 2011, and at 20 rural forest sites represented by both modern (2013) and historical samples. We relate scale insect abundance to August temperatures and find that M. tenebricosa is most common in the hottest parts of the city, on historical specimens collected during warm time periods, and in present-day rural forests compared to the same sites when they were cooler. Scale insects reached their highest densities in the city, but abundance peaked at similar temperatures in urban and historical datasets and tracked temperature on a decadal scale. Although urban habitats are highly modified, species response to a key abiotic factor, temperature, was consistent across urban and rural-forest ecosystems. Cities may be an appropriate but underused system for developing and testing hypotheses about biological effects of climate change. Future work should test the applicability of this model to other groups of organisms.}, number={1}, journal={GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY}, author={Youngsteadt, Elsa and Dale, Adam G. and Terando, Adam J. and Dunn, Robert R. and Frank, Steven D.}, year={2015}, month={Jan}, pages={97–105} }
 @article{martin_adams_bateman_bik_hawks_hird_hughes_kembel_kinney_kolokotronis_et al._2015, title={Evolution of the indoor biome}, volume={30}, ISSN={0169-5347}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.TREE.2015.02.001}, DOI={10.1016/J.TREE.2015.02.001}, abstractNote={•We review literature on evolution in the indoor biome. •The indoor biome is an expansive and expanding habitat. •Study of the indoor biome combines evolutionary biology, ecology, architecture, anthropology, building science, and human ecology. •Studies of the indoor biome are well suited for citizen science projects, public outreach, and large-scale international collaborations. Few biologists have studied the evolutionary processes at work in indoor environments. Yet indoor environments comprise approximately 0.5% of ice-free land area – an area as large as the subtropical coniferous forest biome. Here we review the emerging subfield of ‘indoor biome’ studies. After defining the indoor biome and tracing its deep history, we discuss some of its evolutionary dimensions. We restrict our examples to the species found in human houses – a subset of the environments constituting the indoor biome – and offer preliminary hypotheses to advance the study of indoor evolution. Studies of the indoor biome are situated at the intersection of evolutionary ecology, anthropology, architecture, and human ecology and are well suited for citizen science projects, public outreach, and large-scale international collaborations. Few biologists have studied the evolutionary processes at work in indoor environments. Yet indoor environments comprise approximately 0.5% of ice-free land area – an area as large as the subtropical coniferous forest biome. Here we review the emerging subfield of ‘indoor biome’ studies. After defining the indoor biome and tracing its deep history, we discuss some of its evolutionary dimensions. We restrict our examples to the species found in human houses – a subset of the environments constituting the indoor biome – and offer preliminary hypotheses to advance the study of indoor evolution. Studies of the indoor biome are situated at the intersection of evolutionary ecology, anthropology, architecture, and human ecology and are well suited for citizen science projects, public outreach, and large-scale international collaborations. Robert H. Whittaker first developed the biome concept to classify the different realms of life found on Earth. His classification scheme was based on two abiotic factors – precipitation and temperature – that he viewed to have the largest impact on the distribution of species and their traits and function. Subsequent biome classification systems have considered the biomes found in the absence of human agency and so exclude much of Earth's terrestrial area. One exception is the anthrome framework, which includes biomes engendered by humans [2]. However, even anthromes deal only with outdoor environments. the ecological realm comprising species that reside and can (although do not necessarily always) reproduce in enclosed and semi-enclosed built structures. the space enclosed by walled and roofed structures built by organisms to shelter themselves, their symbiotic partners, or stored goods. For the purposes of this review we focus on the indoor environments created by humans.}, number={4}, journal={Trends in Ecology & Evolution}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Martin, Laura J. and Adams, Rachel I. and Bateman, Ashley and Bik, Holly M. and Hawks, John and Hird, Sarah M. and Hughes, David and Kembel, Steven W. and Kinney, Kerry and Kolokotronis, Sergios-Orestis and et al.}, year={2015}, month={Apr}, pages={223–232} }
 @article{savage_hackett_guenard_youngsteadt_dunn_2015, title={Fine-scale heterogeneity across Manhattan's urban habitat mosaic is associated with variation in ant composition and richness}, volume={8}, ISSN={["1752-4598"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84929312219&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/icad.12098}, abstractNote={Global urbanisation is rapidly expanding and most of the world's humans now live in cities. Most ecological studies have, however, focused on protected areas. To address this issue, we tested predictions from studies of protected areas in urban ecosystems. Because most cities are heterogeneous habitat mosaics which include habitats with varying levels of chronic environmental stress, we focused on predictions from studies of less modified ecosystems about community-wide responses to variation in chronic stress. We sampled ants across Manhattan's urban habitat mosaic, at sites with varying levels of chronic environmental stress. Many predictions derived from less modified ecosystems were supported by our findings: despite being the most intensively sampled habitat, high stress urban medians had less variability in ant composition –both within and among sites – than either urban parks or urban forests, the lowest stress habitat – urban forests-had significantly more accumulated species and a higher number of unique species than higher stress habitats, and urban parks, which have intermediate levels of chronic environmental stress, also had intermediate levels of variation in among-site species composition, accumulated species richness, and the incidence of unique species. The most common species also differed across Manhattan's urban habitat mosaic. Nevertheless, the prediction that exotic species would occur more frequently in higher stress habitats was not supported; exotic species were equally common across all habitats. These findings suggest that fine-scale heterogeneity in the chronic stress of urban habitats may be an underappreciated, but important structuring force for urban animal communities.}, number={3}, journal={INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY}, author={Savage, Amy M. and Hackett, Britne and Guenard, Benoit and Youngsteadt, Elsa K. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2015}, month={May}, pages={216–228} }
 @article{grantham_reich_pacifici_laber_menninger_henley_barberán_leff_fierer_dunn_2015, title={Fungi Identify the Geographic Origin of Dust Samples}, volume={10}, ISSN={1932-6203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0122605}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0122605}, abstractNote={There is a long history of archaeologists and forensic scientists using pollen found in a dust sample to identify its geographic origin or history. Such palynological approaches have important limitations as they require time-consuming identification of pollen grains, a priori knowledge of plant species distributions, and a sufficient diversity of pollen types to permit spatial or temporal identification. We demonstrate an alternative approach based on DNA sequencing analyses of the fungal diversity found in dust samples. Using nearly 1,000 dust samples collected from across the continental U.S., our analyses identify up to 40,000 fungal taxa from these samples, many of which exhibit a high degree of geographic endemism. We develop a statistical learning algorithm via discriminant analysis that exploits this geographic endemicity in the fungal diversity to correctly identify samples to within a few hundred kilometers of their geographic origin with high probability. In addition, our statistical approach provides a measure of certainty for each prediction, in contrast with current palynology methods that are almost always based on expert opinion and devoid of statistical inference. Fungal taxa found in dust samples can therefore be used to identify the origin of that dust and, more importantly, we can quantify our degree of certainty that a sample originated in a particular place. This work opens up a new approach to forensic biology that could be used by scientists to identify the origin of dust or soil samples found on objects, clothing, or archaeological artifacts.}, number={4}, journal={PLOS ONE}, publisher={Public Library of Science (PLoS)}, author={Grantham, Neal S. and Reich, Brian J. and Pacifici, Krishna and Laber, Eric B. and Menninger, Holly L. and Henley, Jessica B. and Barberán, Albert and Leff, Jonathan W. and Fierer, Noah and Dunn, Robert R.}, editor={Rokas, AntonisEditor}, year={2015}, month={Apr}, pages={e0122605} }
 @article{palopoli_fergus_minot_pei_simison_fernandez-silva_thoemmes_dunn_trautwein_2015, title={Global divergence of the human follicle mite Demodex folliculorum: Persistent associations between host ancestry and mite lineages}, volume={112}, ISSN={["0027-8424"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84952683497&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1073/pnas.1512609112}, abstractNote={Significance Mites live in human hair follicles and have been implicated in medically important skin disorders, but we know surprisingly little about these residents of our skin. By analyzing the variation segregating among 241 mite sequences isolated from 70 human hosts, we showed that hosts with different regional ancestries harbor distinct lineages of mites and that these associations can persist despite generations spent in a new geographic region. These results suggest that some mite populations are better able to survive and reproduce on hosts from certain geographic regions. Improving our understanding of human follicle mites promises to shed light on human evolution and to provide important contextual information for their role in human health.}, number={52}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA}, author={Palopoli, Michael F. and Fergus, Daniel J. and Minot, Samuel and Pei, Dorothy T. and Simison, W. Brian and Fernandez-Silva, Iria and Thoemmes, Megan S. and Dunn, Robert R. and Trautwein, Michelle}, year={2015}, month={Dec}, pages={15958–15963} }
 @article{youngsteadt_henderson_savage_ernst_dunn_frank_2015, title={Habitat and species identity, not diversity, predict the extent of refuse consumption by urban arthropods}, volume={21}, ISSN={["1365-2486"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84923107777&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/gcb.12791}, abstractNote={Urban green spaces provide ecosystem services to city residents, but their management is hindered by a poor understanding of their ecology. We examined a novel ecosystem service relevant to urban public health and esthetics: the consumption of littered food waste by arthropods. Theory and data from natural systems suggest that the magnitude and resilience of this service should increase with biological diversity. We measured food removal by presenting known quantities of cookies, potato chips, and hot dogs in street medians (24 sites) and parks (21 sites) in New York City, USA. At the same sites, we assessed ground-arthropod diversity and abiotic conditions, including history of flooding during Hurricane Sandy 7 months prior to the study. Arthropod diversity was greater in parks (on average 11 hexapod families and 4.7 ant species per site), than in medians (nine hexapod families and 2.7 ant species per site). However, counter to our diversity-based prediction, arthropods in medians removed 2–3 times more food per day than did those in parks. We detected no effect of flooding (at 19 sites) on this service. Instead, greater food removal was associated with the presence of the introduced pavement ant (Tetramorium sp. E) and with hotter, drier conditions that may have increased arthropod metabolism. When vertebrates also had access to food, more was removed, indicating that arthropods and vertebrates compete for littered food. We estimate that arthropods alone could remove 4–6.5 kg of food per year in a single street median, reducing its availability to less desirable fauna such as rats. Our results suggest that species identity and habitat may be more relevant than diversity for predicting urban ecosystem services. Even small green spaces such as street medians provide ecosystem services that may complement those of larger habitat patches across the urban landscape.}, number={3}, journal={GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY}, author={Youngsteadt, Elsa and Henderson, Ryanna C. and Savage, Amy M. and Ernst, Andrew F. and Dunn, Robert R. and Frank, Steven D.}, year={2015}, month={Mar}, pages={1103–1115} }
 @article{dunn_2015, title={Rob Dunn}, volume={25}, ISSN={["1879-0445"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84926359899&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1016/j.cub.2014.12.039}, number={6}, journal={CURRENT BIOLOGY}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2015}, month={Mar}, pages={R212–R214} }
 @article{diamond_dunn_frank_haddad_martin_2015, title={Shared and unique responses of insects to the interaction of urbanization and background climate}, volume={11}, ISSN={2214-5745}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.COIS.2015.10.001}, DOI={10.1016/J.COIS.2015.10.001}, abstractNote={Urbanization profoundly alters biological systems; yet the predictability of responses to urbanization based on key biological traits, the repeatability of these patterns among cities, and how the impact of urbanization on biological systems varies as a function of background climatic conditions remain unknown. We use insects as a focal system to review the major patterns of responses to urbanization, and develop a framework for exploring the shared and unique features that characterize insect responses to urbanization and how responses to urbanization might systematically vary along background environmental gradients in climate. We then illustrate this framework using established patterns in insect macrophysiology.}, journal={Current Opinion in Insect Science}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Diamond, Sarah E and Dunn, Robert R and Frank, Steven D and Haddad, Nick M and Martin, Ryan A}, year={2015}, month={Oct}, pages={71–77} }
 @article{penick_savage_dunn_2015, title={Stable isotopes reveal links between human food inputs and urban ant diets}, volume={282}, ISSN={0962-8452 1471-2954}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.2608}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2014.2608}, abstractNote={The amount of energy consumed within an average city block is an order of magnitude higher than that consumed in any other ecosystem over a similar area. This is driven by human food inputs, but the consequence of these resources for urban animal populations is poorly understood. We investigated the role of human foods in ant diets across an urbanization gradient in Manhattan using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes. We found that some—but not all—ant species living in Manhattan's most urbanized habitats had δ 13 C signatures associated with processed human foods. In particular, pavement ants ( Tetramorium sp. E) had increased levels of δ 13 C similar to δ 13 C levels in human fast foods. The magnitude of this effect was positively correlated with urbanization. By contrast, we detected no differences in δ 15 N, suggesting Tetramorium feeds at the same trophic level despite shifting to human foods. This pattern persisted across the broader ant community; species in traffic islands used human resources more than park species. Our results demonstrate that the degree urban ants exploit human resources changes across the city and among species, and this variation could play a key role in community structure and ecosystem processes where human and animal food webs intersect.}, number={1806}, journal={Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences}, publisher={The Royal Society}, author={Penick, Clint A. and Savage, Amy M. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2015}, month={May}, pages={20142608} }
 @article{marchin_salk_hoffmann_dunn_2015, title={Temperature alone does not explain phenological variation of diverse temperate plants under experimental warming}, volume={21}, ISSN={["1365-2486"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84937524423&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/gcb.12919}, abstractNote={Anthropogenic climate change has altered temperate forest phenology, but how these trends will play out in the future is controversial. We measured the effect of experimental warming of 0.6–5.0 °C on the phenology of a diverse suite of 11 plant species in the deciduous forest understory (Duke Forest, North Carolina, USA) in a relatively warm year (2011) and a colder year (2013). Our primary goal was to dissect how temperature affects timing of spring budburst, flowering, and autumn leaf coloring for functional groups with different growth habits, phenological niches, and xylem anatomy. Warming advanced budburst of six deciduous woody species by 5–15 days and delayed leaf coloring by 18–21 days, resulting in an extension of the growing season by as much as 20–29 days. Spring temperature accumulation was strongly correlated with budburst date, but temperature alone cannot explain the diverse budburst responses observed among plant functional types. Ring-porous trees showed a consistent temperature response pattern across years, suggesting these species are sensitive to photoperiod. Conversely, diffuse-porous species responded differently between years, suggesting winter chilling may be more important in regulating budburst. Budburst of the ring-porous Quercus alba responded nonlinearly to warming, suggesting evolutionary constraints may limit changes in phenology, and therefore productivity, in the future. Warming caused a divergence in flowering times among species in the forest community, resulting in a longer flowering season by 10-16 days. Temperature was a good predictor of flowering for only four of the seven species studied here. Observations of interannual temperature variability overpredicted flowering responses in spring-blooming species, relative to our warming experiment, and did not consistently predict even the direction of flowering shifts. Experiments that push temperatures beyond historic variation are indispensable for improving predictions of future changes in phenology.}, number={8}, journal={GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY}, author={Marchin, Renee M. and Salk, Carl F. and Hoffmann, William A. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2015}, month={Aug}, pages={3138–3151} }
 @article{beasley_koltz_lambert_fierer_dunn_2015, title={The Evolution of Stomach Acidity and Its Relevance to the Human Microbiome}, volume={10}, ISSN={1932-6203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0134116}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0134116}, abstractNote={Gastric acidity is likely a key factor shaping the diversity and composition of microbial communities found in the vertebrate gut. We conducted a systematic review to test the hypothesis that a key role of the vertebrate stomach is to maintain the gut microbial community by filtering out novel microbial taxa before they pass into the intestines. We propose that species feeding either on carrion or on organisms that are close phylogenetic relatives should require the most restrictive filter (measured as high stomach acidity) as protection from foreign microbes. Conversely, species feeding on a lower trophic level or on food that is distantly related to them (e.g. herbivores) should require the least restrictive filter, as the risk of pathogen exposure is lower. Comparisons of stomach acidity across trophic groups in mammal and bird taxa show that scavengers and carnivores have significantly higher stomach acidities compared to herbivores or carnivores feeding on phylogenetically distant prey such as insects or fish. In addition, we find when stomach acidity varies within species either naturally (with age) or in treatments such as bariatric surgery, the effects on gut bacterial pathogens and communities are in line with our hypothesis that the stomach acts as an ecological filter. Together these results highlight the importance of including measurements of gastric pH when investigating gut microbial dynamics within and across species.}, number={7}, journal={PLOS ONE}, publisher={Public Library of Science (PLoS)}, author={Beasley, DeAnna E. and Koltz, Amanda M. and Lambert, Joanna E. and Fierer, Noah and Dunn, Rob R.}, editor={Li, XiangzhenEditor}, year={2015}, month={Jul}, pages={e0134116} }
 @article{barberán_dunn_reich_pacifici_laber_menninger_morton_henley_leff_miller_et al._2015, title={The ecology of microscopic life in household dust}, volume={282}, ISSN={0962-8452 1471-2954}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.1139}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2015.1139}, abstractNote={We spend the majority of our lives indoors; yet, we currently lack a comprehensive understanding of how the microbial communities found in homes vary across broad geographical regions and what factors are most important in shaping the types of microorganisms found inside homes. Here, we investigated the fungal and bacterial communities found in settled dust collected from inside and outside approximately 1200 homes located across the continental US, homes that represent a broad range of home designs and span many climatic zones. Indoor and outdoor dust samples harboured distinct microbial communities, but these differences were larger for bacteria than for fungi with most indoor fungi originating outside the home. Indoor fungal communities and the distribution of potential allergens varied predictably across climate and geographical regions; where you live determines what fungi live with you inside your home. By contrast, bacterial communities in indoor dust were more strongly influenced by the number and types of occupants living in the homes. In particular, the female : male ratio and whether a house had pets had a significant influence on the types of bacteria found inside our homes highlighting that who you live with determines what bacteria are found inside your home.}, number={1814}, journal={Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences}, publisher={The Royal Society}, author={Barberán, Albert and Dunn, Robert R. and Reich, Brian J. and Pacifici, Krishna and Laber, Eric B. and Menninger, Holly L. and Morton, James M. and Henley, Jessica B. and Leff, Jonathan W. and Miller, Shelly L. and et al.}, year={2015}, month={Sep}, pages={20151139} }
 @book{dunn_2015, title={The man who touched his own heart: True tales of science, surgery, and mystery}, ISBN={9780316225793}, publisher={New York: Little, Brown and Company}, author={Dunn, R. R.}, year={2015} }
 @article{stuble_patterson_rodriguez-cabal_ribbons_dunn_sanders_2014, title={Ant-mediated seed dispersal in a warmed world}, volume={2}, ISSN={["2167-8359"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84897937116&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.286}, abstractNote={Climate change affects communities both directly and indirectly via changes in interspecific interactions. One such interaction that may be altered under climate change is the ant-plant seed dispersal mutualism common in deciduous forests of eastern North America. As climatic warming alters the abundance and activity levels of ants, the potential exists for shifts in rates of ant-mediated seed dispersal. We used an experimental temperature manipulation at two sites in the eastern US (Harvard Forest in Massachusetts and Duke Forest in North Carolina) to examine the potential impacts of climatic warming on overall rates of seed dispersal (using Asarum canadense seeds) as well as species-specific rates of seed dispersal at the Duke Forest site. We also examined the relationship between ant critical thermal maxima (CTmax) and the mean seed removal temperature for each ant species. We found that seed removal rates did not change as a result of experimental warming at either study site, nor were there any changes in species-specific rates of seed dispersal. There was, however, a positive relationship between CTmax and mean seed removal temperature, whereby species with higher CTmax removed more seeds at hotter temperatures. The temperature at which seeds were removed was influenced by experimental warming as well as diurnal and day-to-day fluctuations in temperature. Taken together, our results suggest that while temperature may play a role in regulating seed removal by ants, ant plant seed-dispersal mutualisms may be more robust to climate change than currently assumed.}, number={1}, journal={PEERJ}, author={Stuble, Katharine L. and Patterson, Courtney M. and Rodriguez-Cabal, Mariano A. and Ribbons, Relena R. and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2014}, month={Mar} }
 @article{marchin_dunn_hoffmann_2014, title={Are winter-active species vulnerable to climate warming? A case study with the wintergreen terrestrial orchid, Tipularia discolor}, volume={176}, ISSN={["1432-1939"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84921938451&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s00442-014-3074-8}, number={4}, journal={OECOLOGIA}, author={Marchin, Renee M. and Dunn, Robert R. and Hoffmann, William A.}, year={2014}, month={Dec}, pages={1161–1172} }
 @article{menke_harte_dunn_2014, title={Changes in ant community composition caused by 20 years of experimental warming vs. 13 years of natural climate shift}, volume={5}, ISSN={["2150-8925"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84900011363&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1890/es13-00234.1}, abstractNote={Predicting the effects of climate change on community composition is hampered by the lack of integration between long term data sets tracking the effects of natural climate change and the results of experimental climate manipulations. Here we compare the effects of change in climate through time to experimental warming on the composition of high elevation ant communities at the Rocky Mountain Biological Station in Gothic Colorado. We take advantage of a 20-year continuously running warming experiment which has increased soil temperature by 1.5°C and advanced snowmelt by 10 days and compare the effects of this experimental warming to natural changes in climate over the past 13 years across three sites spread along a 420-m elevation gradient representing a roughly 1°C difference in average annual soil temperature and average advanced snowmelt of 2 weeks. We compared ant community data collected at all four sites in 1997 to collections made at the same sites in 2010. From 1997 to 2010 there was a community wide shift in ant composition along the natural climate gradient with ant communities shifting to higher elevations. Ant communities in the experimental warming site also changed, but they shifted orthogonally to those along the gradient. Interestingly, after 20 years of experimental warming, there is little discernible effect on ant communities in experimentally warmed plots compared to control plots. This discrepancy between the climate manipulation and elevation gradient is probably an effect of the spatial scale of the experimental warming. Ants respond to experimental warming in complex ways due to the physical location of their nests and their foraging area. This is a concern for warming experiments, but one that is hard to address for species that cover even modest areas in their foraging.}, number={1}, journal={ECOSPHERE}, author={Menke, Sean B. and Harte, John and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2014}, month={Jan} }
 @article{dunn_eggleston_lindquist_2014, title={EFFECTS OF SUBSTRATE TYPE ON DEMOGRAPHIC RATES OF EASTERN OYSTER (CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA)}, volume={33}, ISSN={["1943-6319"]}, DOI={10.2983/035.033.0117}, abstractNote={Several restored oyster (Crassostrea virginica Gmelin) reefs in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, have experienced recent population crashes, potentially caused in part by clionid boring sponge infestation of the marl rock (a calcium carbonatemud composite material) commonly used as a reef substrate and of the shells of oysters that colonize the marl reef foundation. The composition and porosity of marl may make it vulnerable to infestation by carbonate bioeroders, particularly clionid sponges. The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of carbonate (CaCO3; oyster shell, marl) versus noncarbonate (non-CaCO3; granite, concrete) reef-building substrates on C. virginica demographic rates, including oyster density and oyster growth, on experimental reefs constructed along the salinity gradients of two estuaries in coastal North Carolina. There were no differences in oyster density among substrate types through the first 6 mo of reef sampling, although at 12 mo after reef construction, differences in density among substrates had emerged. Sites in high-salinity areas had much greater oyster recruitment than up-estuary, lower salinity locations. Early-life growth (<6 mo) of oysters was assessed for recruits to experimental reefs, with few differences seen in oyster mean valve length or growth rate on different substrate types. These results support consideration of non-CaCO3 materials, particularly concrete, for future oyster reef restoration, especially in high-salinity areas where the boring sponge Cliona is abundant, because both oyster density and growth were similar on oyster shell and concrete substrates as long as 1 y after reef construction.}, number={1}, journal={JOURNAL OF SHELLFISH RESEARCH}, author={Dunn, Robert P. and Eggleston, David B. and Lindquist, Niels}, year={2014}, month={Apr}, pages={177–185} }
 @article{meineke_dunn_frank_2014, title={Early pest development and loss of biological control are associated with urban warming}, volume={10}, ISSN={["1744-957X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84961991682&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2014.0586}, abstractNote={Climate warming is predicted to cause many changes in ectotherm communities, one of which is phenological mismatch, wherein one species' development advances relative to an associated species or community. Phenological mismatches already lead to loss of pollination services, and we predict that they also cause loss of biological control. Here, we provide evidence that a pest develops earlier due to urban warming but that phenology of its parasitoid community does not similarly advance. This mismatch is associated with greater egg production that likely leads to more pests on trees.}, number={11}, journal={BIOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Meineke, Emily K. and Dunn, Robert R. and Frank, Steven D.}, year={2014}, month={Nov} }
 @article{lucky_savage_nichols_castracani_shell_grasso_mori_dunn_2014, title={Ecologists, educators, and writers collaborate with the public to assess backyard diversity in The School of Ants Project}, volume={5}, ISSN={["2150-8925"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84905233273&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1890/es13-00364.1}, abstractNote={Citizen science can generate data that would not exist otherwise while increasing public scientific literacy. However, the quality and use of citizen science data have been criticized in the recent ecological literature. We need an approach that advances eco-evolutionary understanding, achieves education goals and incorporates public participation into as many aspects of the scientific process as possible. We collaborated with public participants to make new discoveries about the distribution and ecology of ants while informing the next studies that participants and scientists might perform together. We implemented the School of Ants (SoA) program in which participants sample ants that are identified by taxonomic experts. Using a comprehensive framework that meets the needs of multiple agents, we also developed outreach materials about ant biology, collaborated with educators to incorporate SoA into classroom science, and launched an international SoA module in Italy. In the first 17 months, SoA volunteers collected ants at 500 unique sites across the USA-including all 50 states and Washington, D.C. To address concerns about the validity of citizen scientist-derived data, we conducted a ground truthing trial that confirmed that trained and untrained volunteers were equally effective at collecting ants. Data from SoA samples indicate that ant diversity varies across wide geographic scales and that there can be high levels of native ant diversity where people live. SoA volunteers collected 7 exotic and 107 native ant species. Although exotic ants were common, ants native to North America occurred in ∼70% of all sites. Many of the ants common in backyards were species that tend to be very poorly studied. For example, citizen scientists documented a range extension of more than 2000 miles for the Asian Needle Ant, Pachycondyla chinensis. Using SoA data as a starting point, we collaborated with a science writer to produce a free, interactive iBook about the common ants in North America; the book included distribution maps such as that for P. chinensis informed by participant collections. Moving forward, we plan to leverage this existing framework to address more complex ecological and evolutionary questions in partnership with our public participants.}, number={7}, journal={ECOSPHERE}, author={Lucky, Andrea and Savage, Amy M. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Castracani, Cristina and Shell, Leonora and Grasso, Donato A. and Mori, Alessandra and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2014}, month={Jul} }
 @article{harris_livieri_dunn_2014, title={Ectoparasites in Black-footed Ferrets (Mustela nigripes) from the Largest Reintroduced Population of the Conata Basin, South Dakota, USA}, volume={50}, ISSN={["1943-3700"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84921425016&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.7589/2013-03-048}, abstractNote={The black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes, is an endangered carnivore endemic to the grasslands of North America. We present the first investigation of ectoparasites associated with black-footed ferrets since reintroduction. We sampled more than 200 individuals from one of the largest and most successful reintroduced populations located in the Conata Basin of South Dakota, USA. We compared our findings with ectoparasite assemblages of sympatric carnivores and historic ferret records. We collected more than 1,000 ectoparasites consisting mainly of three flea and tick species, two of which were known historically from South Dakota. Despite our extensive sampling efforts, we did not detect any lice. This is notable because a putative host-specific louse, Neotrichodectes sp., was presumed to have gone extinct when black-footed ferrets were extirpated from the wild. The ectoparasite assemblage on black-footed ferrets comprised only generalist parasites, particularly those found on their prey such as prairie dogs (Cynomys sp.). Oropsylla hirsuta was the most abundant ectoparasite, representing 57% of all ectoparasites detected; a flea vector important in the persistence and transmission of plague. Black-footed ferrets like other endangered species undergo repeated parasite removal and vaccination efforts to facilitate population recovery, which may have unintentionally contributed to their depauperate ectoparasite community.}, number={2}, journal={JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES}, author={Harris, Nyeema C. and Livieri, Travis M. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2014}, month={Apr}, pages={340–343} }
 @article{pelini_diamond_nichols_stuble_ellison_sanders_dunn_gotelli_2014, title={Geographic differences in effects of experimental warming on ant species diversity and community composition}, volume={5}, ISSN={["2150-8925"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84919786449&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1890/es14-00143.1}, abstractNote={Ecological communities are being reshaped by climatic change. Losses and gains of species will alter community composition and diversity but these effects are likely to vary geographically and may be hard to predict from uncontrolled “natural experiments”. In this study, we used open-top warming chambers to simulate a range of warming scenarios for ground-nesting ant communities at a northern (Harvard Forest, MA) and southern (Duke Forest, NC) study site in the eastern US. After 2.5 years of experimental warming, we found no significant effects of accumulated growing degree days or soil moisture on ant diversity or community composition at the northern site, but a decrease in asymptotic species richness and changes in community composition at the southern site. However, fewer than 10% of the species at either site responded significantly to the warming treatments. Our results contrast with those of a comparable natural experiment conducted along a nearby elevational gradient, in which species richness and composition responded strongly to changes in temperature and other correlated variables. Together, our findings provide some support for the prediction that warming will have a larger negative effect on ecological communities in warmer locales at lower latitudes and suggest that predicted responses to warming may differ between controlled field experiments and unmanipulated thermal gradients.}, number={10}, journal={ECOSPHERE}, author={Pelini, S. L. and Diamond, S. E. and Nichols, L. M. and Stuble, K. L. and Ellison, A. M. and Sanders, N. J. and Dunn, R. R. and Gotelli, N. J.}, year={2014}, month={Oct} }
 @article{just_norton_traud_antonelli_poteate_backus_snyder-beattie_sanders_dunn_2014, title={Global biogeographic regions in a human-dominated world: the case of human diseases}, volume={5}, ISSN={["2150-8925"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84919788790&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1890/es14-00201.1}, abstractNote={Since the work of Alfred Russel Wallace, biologists have sought to divide the world into biogeographic regions that reflect the history of continents and evolution. These divisions not only guide conservation efforts, but are also the fundamental reference point for understanding the distribution of life. However, the biogeography of human-associated species—such as pathogens, crops, or even house guests—has been largely ignored or discounted. As pathogens have the potential for direct consequences on the lives of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife it is prudent to examine their potential biogeographic history. Furthermore, if distinct regions exist for human-associated pathogens, it would provide possible connections between human wellbeing and pathogen distributions, and, more generally, humans and the deep evolutionary history of the natural world. We tested for the presence of biogeographic regions for diseases of humans due to pathogens using country-level disease composition data and compared the regions for vectored and non-vectored diseases. We found discrete biogeographic regions for diseases, with a stronger influence of biogeography on vectored than non-vectored diseases. We also found significant correlations between these biogeographic regions and environmental or socio-political factors. While some biogeographic regions reflected those already documented for birds or mammals, others reflected colonial history. From the perspective of diseases caused by pathogens, humans have altered but not evaded the influence of ancient biogeography. This work is the necessary first step in examining the biogeographic relationship between humans and their associates.}, number={11}, journal={ECOSPHERE}, author={Just, Michael G. and Norton, Jacob F. and Traud, Amanda L. and Antonelli, Tim and Poteate, Aaron S. and Backus, Gregory A. and Snyder-Beattie, Andrew and Sanders, R. Wyatt and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2014}, month={Nov} }
 @article{guénard_cardinal-de casas_dunn_2014, title={High diversity in an urban habitat: are some animal assemblages resilient to long-term anthropogenic change?}, volume={18}, ISSN={1083-8155 1573-1642}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11252-014-0406-8}, DOI={10.1007/s11252-014-0406-8}, number={2}, journal={Urban Ecosystems}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Guénard, Benoit and Cardinal-De Casas, Adrianna and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2014}, month={Aug}, pages={449–463} }
 @article{miravete_roura-pascual_dunn_gómez_2014, title={How many and which ant species are being accidentally moved around the world?}, volume={10}, ISSN={1744-9561 1744-957X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.0518}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2014.0518}, abstractNote={Human transportation facilitates the dispersal of exotic ants, but few studies have quantified the magnitude and geography of these movements. We used several non-parametric indices to estimate the number of species successfully introduced to or established in new regions. We also compared their source biogeographic realms to assess the importance of geographical origin in determining the likelihood of establishment after introduction. Occurrence data on exotic ants derive from studies of three temperate regions. Our results suggest that the numbers of introduced or established ants may be much larger than the numbers so far documented. Ants introduced or established in new regions tend to arrive from the same or neighbouring realms, as would be expected if exotic species tend to match climates and if arrival/establishment is dependent upon higher trade rates from neighbouring countries.}, number={8}, journal={Biology Letters}, publisher={The Royal Society}, author={Miravete, Verónica and Roura-Pascual, Núria and Dunn, Robert R. and Gómez, Crisanto}, year={2014}, month={Aug}, pages={20140518} }
 @article{miravete_roura-pascual_dunn_gomez_2014, title={How many and which ant species are being accidentally moved around the world? (Retraction of vol 9, 20130540, 2013)}, volume={10}, ISSN={["1744-957X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84906071049&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2014.0504}, abstractNote={You have accessMoreSectionsView PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail Cite this article Miravete Verónica, Roura-Pascual Núria, Dunn Robert R. and Gómez Crisanto 2014How many and which ant species are being accidentally moved around the world?Biol. Lett.102014050420140504http://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.0504SectionYou have accessRetractionsHow many and which ant species are being accidentally moved around the world? Verónica Miravete Verónica Miravete Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Núria Roura-Pascual Núria Roura-Pascual Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Robert R. Dunn Robert R. Dunn Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author and Crisanto Gómez Crisanto Gómez Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author Verónica Miravete Verónica Miravete Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Núria Roura-Pascual Núria Roura-Pascual Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Robert R. Dunn Robert R. Dunn Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author and Crisanto Gómez Crisanto Gómez Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author Published:01 July 2014https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.0504This article retracts the followingResearch ArticleHow many and which ant species are being accidentally moved around the world?https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0540 Verónica Miravete, Núria Roura-Pascual, Robert R. Dunn and Crisanto Gómez volume 9issue 5Biology Letters23 October 2013Biol. Lett.9, 20130540 (Published 14 August 2013). (doi:10.1098/rsbl.2013.0540)Herewith, we retract our paper ‘How many and which ant species are being accidentally moved around the world?’ by Verónica Miravete et al., published online on 23 October 2013 (Biol. Lett.9, 20130540; doi:10.1098/rsbl.2013.0540). After careful examination of the original data on introduced and established ants on regions worldwide, we realized that we used a wrong list of species and omitted to include a reference (Sarnat E. (2012) North America checklist. Antkey <http://antkey.org>. Extracted 3 June 2014) in the paper. Although the main arguments and conclusions remain the same after correcting these errors, the use of the wrong version of the data affected the magnitude of the analyses conducted at the country level (in the electronic supplementary material) and, to a lesser extent, when all countries were considered together (in the main text). Therefore, we wish to retract the article. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience this publication might have caused to the readers of Biology Letters.Verónica MiraveteFacultat de Ciències, Departament de Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Girona, Campus Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Catalonia, Spaine-mail: [email protected]Núria Roura-PascualFacultat de Ciències, Departament de Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Girona, Campus Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Catalonia, Spaine-mail: [email protected]Robert R. DunnDepartment of Biology, The W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USAe-mail: [email protected]Crisanto GómezFacultat de Ciències, Departament de Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Girona, Campus Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Catalonia, Spaine-mail: [email protected] Previous Article VIEW FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD PDF FiguresRelatedReferencesDetailsCited by Bertelsmeier C (2021) Globalization and the anthropogenic spread of invasive social insects, Current Opinion in Insect Science, 10.1016/j.cois.2021.01.006, 46, (16-23), Online publication date: 1-Aug-2021. Related articlesHow many and which ant species are being accidentally moved around the world?23 October 2013Biology Letters This IssueJuly 2014Volume 10Issue 7 Article InformationDOI:https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.0504PubMed:24994906Published by:Royal SocietyOnline ISSN:1744-957XHistory: Published online01/07/2014Published in print31/07/2014 License:© 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved. Citations and impact Large datasets are available through Biology Letters' partnership with Dryad}, number={7}, journal={BIOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Miravete, Veronica and Roura-Pascual, Nuria and Dunn, Robert R. and Gomez, Crisanto}, year={2014}, month={Jul} }
 @article{burt_dunn_nichols_sanders_2014, title={Interactions in a warmer world: effects of experimental warming, conspecific density, and herbivory on seedling dynamics}, volume={5}, ISSN={["2150-8925"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84900003628&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1890/es13-00198.1}, abstractNote={Many effects of a changing climate for organisms, populations, and ecosystems are already apparent. Less studied are the effects of increases in temperature on species interactions. While warming may potentially alter interactions among species, species interactions may also mediate individual species responses to ongoing climatic change. In this experiment we manipulated temperature in field-based, open-top chambers for three years to examine the relationship between biotic interactions and climatic warming on the population dynamics of seedlings of Quercus alba. We investigated the effect of warming on rates of insect herbivory on Q. alba seedlings. Additionally, we assessed the relative effects of increasing temperature, insect herbivory, and conspecific density on seedling survival. We found two unexpected results. First, we observed a negative relationship between temperature and levels of insect herbivory during each year of the experiment. Second, higher levels of herbivory were associated with higher rates of survival to the second year of the study. Although we never detected a direct effect of conspecific density on seedling survival, herbivory and conspecific seedling density did interact to influence Q. alba seedling survival early in the experiment. Taken together, our results indicate species responses to climatic warming may be contingent on intra- and interspecific interactions, sometimes in complicated and counter-intuitive ways.}, number={1}, journal={ECOSPHERE}, author={Burt, Melissa A. and Dunn, Robert R. and Nichols, Lauren M. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2014}, month={Jan} }
 @article{verdolin_traud_dunn_2014, title={Key players and hierarchical organization of prairie dog social networks}, volume={19}, ISSN={["1476-9840"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84903905547&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1016/j.ecocom.2014.06.003}, abstractNote={The use of social network theory in evaluating animal social groups has gained traction in recent years. Despite the utility of social network analysis in describing attributes of social groups, it remains unclear how comparable this approach is to traditional behavioral observational studies. Using data on Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni) social interactions we describe social networks from three populations. We then compare those social networks to groups identified by traditional behavioral approaches and explore whether individuals group together based on similarities. The social groups identified by social network analysis were consistent with those identified by more traditional behavioral approaches. However, fine-grained social sub-structuring was revealed only with social network analysis. We found variation in the patterns of interactions among prairie dog social groups that was largely independent of the behavioral attributes or genetics of the individuals within those groups. We detected that some social groups include disproportionately well-connected individuals acting as hubs or bridges. This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that social networks analysis is a robust and efficient tool for examining social dynamics.}, journal={ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY}, author={Verdolin, Jennifer L. and Traud, Amanda L. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2014}, month={Sep}, pages={140–147} }
 @article{dunn_2014, title={Meet the lodgers}, volume={223}, ISSN={["0262-4079"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84907371173&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1016/s0262-4079(14)61630-4}, abstractNote={Your house contains an entire ecosystem of organisms whose fate is in your hands, says evolutionary biologist Rob Dunn}, number={2983}, journal={NEW SCIENTIST}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2014}, month={Aug}, pages={34–37} }
 @article{cregger_sanders_dunn_classen_2014, title={Microbial communities respond to experimental warming, but site matters}, volume={2}, ISSN={["2167-8359"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84899109356&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.358}, abstractNote={Because microorganisms are sensitive to temperature, ongoing global warming is predicted to influence microbial community structure and function. We used large-scale warming experiments established at two sites near the northern and southern boundaries of US eastern deciduous forests to explore how microbial communities and their function respond to warming at sites with differing climatic regimes. Soil microbial community structure and function responded to warming at the southern but not the northern site. However, changes in microbial community structure and function at the southern site did not result in changes in cellulose decomposition rates. While most global change models rest on the assumption that taxa will respond similarly to warming across sites and their ranges, these results suggest that the responses of microorganisms to warming may be mediated by differences across the geographic boundaries of ecosystems.}, number={1}, journal={PEERJ}, author={Cregger, Melissa A. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert R. and Classen, Aimee T.}, year={2014}, month={Apr} }
 @article{bewick_stuble_lessard_dunn_adler_sanders_2014, title={Predicting future coexistence in a North American ant community}, volume={4}, ISSN={["2045-7758"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84900867402&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1002/ece3.1048}, abstractNote={Global climate change will remodel ecological communities worldwide. However, as a consequence of biotic interactions, communities may respond to climate change in idiosyncratic ways. This makes predictive models that incorporate biotic interactions necessary. We show how such models can be constructed based on empirical studies in combination with predictions or assumptions regarding the abiotic consequences of climate change. Specifically, we consider a well-studied ant community in North America. First, we use historical data to parameterize a basic model for species coexistence. Using this model, we determine the importance of various factors, including thermal niches, food discovery rates, and food removal rates, to historical species coexistence. We then extend the model to predict how the community will restructure in response to several climate-related changes, such as increased temperature, shifts in species phenology, and altered resource availability. Interestingly, our mechanistic model suggests that increased temperature and shifts in species phenology can have contrasting effects. Nevertheless, for almost all scenarios considered, we find that the most subordinate ant species suffers most as a result of climate change. More generally, our analysis shows that community composition can respond to climate warming in nonintuitive ways. For example, in the context of a community, it is not necessarily the most heat-sensitive species that are most at risk. Our results demonstrate how models that account for niche partitioning and interspecific trade-offs among species can be used to predict the likely idiosyncratic responses of local communities to climate change.}, number={10}, journal={ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, author={Bewick, Sharon and Stuble, Katharine L. and Lessard, Jean-Phillipe and Dunn, Robert R. and Adler, Frederick R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2014}, month={May}, pages={1804–1819} }
 @article{flores_caporaso_henley_rideout_domogala_chase_leff_vazquez-baeza_gonzalez_knight_et al._2014, title={Temporal variability is a personalized feature of the human microbiome}, volume={15}, ISSN={["1474-760X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84965187800&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1186/s13059-014-0531-y}, abstractNote={It is now apparent that the complex microbial communities found on and in the human body vary across individuals. What has largely been missing from previous studies is an understanding of how these communities vary over time within individuals. To the extent to which it has been considered, it is often assumed that temporal variability is negligible for healthy adults. Here we address this gap in understanding by profiling the forehead, gut (fecal), palm, and tongue microbial communities in 85 adults, weekly over 3 months. We found that skin (forehead and palm) varied most in the number of taxa present, whereas gut and tongue communities varied more in the relative abundances of taxa. Within each body habitat, there was a wide range of temporal variability across the study population, with some individuals harboring more variable communities than others. The best predictor of these differences in variability across individuals was microbial diversity; individuals with more diverse gut or tongue communities were more stable in composition than individuals with less diverse communities. Longitudinal sampling of a relatively large number of individuals allowed us to observe high levels of temporal variability in both diversity and community structure in all body habitats studied. These findings suggest that temporal dynamics may need to be considered when attempting to link changes in microbiome structure to changes in health status. Furthermore, our findings show that, not only is the composition of an individual’s microbiome highly personalized, but their degree of temporal variability is also a personalized feature.}, number={12}, journal={GENOME BIOLOGY}, author={Flores, Gilberto E. and Caporaso, J. Gregory and Henley, Jessica B. and Rideout, Jai Ram and Domogala, Daniel and Chase, John and Leff, Jonathan W. and Vazquez-Baeza, Yoshiki and Gonzalez, Antonio and Knight, Rob and et al.}, year={2014} }
 @article{terando_costanza_belyea_dunn_mckerrow_collazo_2014, title={The Southern Megalopolis: Using the Past to Predict the Future of Urban Sprawl in the Southeast U.S}, volume={9}, ISSN={1932-6203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0102261}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0102261}, abstractNote={The future health of ecosystems is arguably as dependent on urban sprawl as it is on human-caused climatic warming. Urban sprawl strongly impacts the urban ecosystems it creates and the natural and agro-ecosystems that it displaces and fragments. Here, we project urban sprawl changes for the next 50 years for the fast-growing Southeast U.S. Previous studies have focused on modeling population density, but the urban extent is arguably as important as population density per se in terms of its ecological and conservation impacts. We develop simulations using the SLEUTH urban growth model that complement population-driven models but focus on spatial pattern and extent. To better capture the reach of low-density suburban development, we extend the capabilities of SLEUTH by incorporating street-network information. Our simulations point to a future in which the extent of urbanization in the Southeast is projected to increase by 101% to 192%. Our results highlight areas where ecosystem fragmentation is likely, and serve as a benchmark to explore the challenging tradeoffs between ecosystem health, economic growth and cultural desires.}, number={7}, journal={PLoS ONE}, publisher={Public Library of Science (PLoS)}, author={Terando, Adam J. and Costanza, Jennifer and Belyea, Curtis and Dunn, Robert R. and McKerrow, Alexa and Collazo, Jaime A.}, editor={Layman, Craig A.Editor}, year={2014}, month={Jul}, pages={e102261} }
 @article{dunn_2014, title={The evolution of architecture}, volume={311}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84908193493&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1038/scientificamerican1114-72}, number={5}, journal={Scientific American}, author={Dunn, Robert}, year={2014}, pages={72–77} }
 @article{epps_menninger_lasala_dunn_2014, title={Too big to be noticed: cryptic invasion of Asian camel crickets in North American houses}, volume={2}, ISSN={["2167-8359"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84907696747&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.7717/peerj.523}, abstractNote={Despite the rapid expansion of the built environment, we know little about the biology of species living in human-constructed habitats. Camel crickets (Rhaphidophoridae) are commonly observed in North American houses and include a range of native taxa as well as the Asian Diestrammena asynamora (Adelung), a species occasionally reported from houses though considered to be established only in greenhouses. We launched a continental-scale citizen science campaign to better understand the relative distributions and frequency of native and nonnative camel crickets in human homes across North America. Participants contributed survey data about the presence or absence of camel crickets in homes, as well as photographs and specimens of camel crickets allowing us to identify the major genera and/or species in and around houses. Together, these data offer insight into the geographical distribution of camel crickets as a presence in homes, as well as the relative frequency and distribution of native and nonnative camel crickets encountered in houses. In so doing, we show that the exotic Diestrammena asynamora not only has become a common presence in eastern houses, but is found in these environments far more frequently than native camel crickets. Supplemental pitfall trapping along transects in 10 urban yards in Raleigh, NC revealed that D. asynamora can be extremely abundant locally around some homes, with as many as 52 individuals collected from pitfalls in a single yard over two days of sampling. The number of D. asynamora individuals present in a trap was negatively correlated with the trap’s distance from a house, suggesting that these insects may be preferentially associated with houses but also are present outside. In addition, we report the establishment in the northeastern United States of a second exotic species, putatively Diestrammena japanica Blatchley, which was previously undocumented in the literature. Our results offer new insight into the relative frequency and distribution of camel crickets living in human homes, and emphasize the importance of the built environment as habitat for two little-known invading species of Orthoptera.}, number={1}, journal={PEERJ}, author={Epps, Mary Jane and Menninger, Holly L. and LaSala, Nathan and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2014}, month={Sep} }
 @article{thoemmes_fergus_urban_trautwein_dunn_2014, title={Ubiquity and Diversity of Human-Associated Demodex Mites}, volume={9}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84925470906&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0106265}, abstractNote={Demodex mites are a group of hair follicle and sebaceous gland-dwelling species. The species of these mites found on humans are arguably the animals with which we have the most intimate interactions. Yet, their prevalence and diversity have been poorly explored. Here we use a new molecular method to assess the occurrence of Demodex mites on humans. In addition, we use the 18S rRNA gene (18S rDNA) to assess the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of Demodex lineages. Within our samples, 100% of people over 18 years of age appear to host at least one Demodex species, suggesting that Demodex mites may be universal associates of adult humans. A phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA reveals intraspecific structure within one of the two named human-associated Demodex species, D. brevis. The D. brevis clade is geographically structured, suggesting that new lineages are likely to be discovered as humans from additional geographic regions are sampled.}, number={8}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Thoemmes, Megan S. and Fergus, Daniel J. and Urban, Julie and Trautwein, Michelle and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2014}, month={Aug} }
 @article{diamond_cayton_wepprich_jenkins_dunn_haddad_ries_2014, title={Unexpected phenological responses of butterflies to the interaction of urbanization and geographic temperature}, volume={95}, ISSN={["1939-9170"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84907211442&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1890/13-1848.1}, abstractNote={Urbanization and global climate change can profoundly alter biological systems, yet scientists often analyze their effects separately. We test how the timing of life cycle events (phenology) is jointly influenced by these two components of global change. To do so, we use a long-term phenological data set of 20 common butterfly species from 83 sites across the state of Ohio, USA, with sites that range from rural undeveloped areas to moderately sized cities. These sites span a latitudinal gradient in mean temperature of several °C, mimicking the range of projected global climate warming effects through the end of the century. Although shifts toward earlier phenology are typical of species' responses to either global climate change or urbanization, we found that their interaction delayed several Ohio butterfly species' first appearance and peak abundance phenology. Exploitative species exhibited smaller delays in first appearance and peak abundance phenology in areas that were urbanized and geographically warm. Our results show that phenological responses to urbanization are contingent upon geographic variation in temperature, and that the impacts of urbanization and global climate change should be considered simultaneously when developing forecasts of biological responses to environmental change.}, number={9}, journal={ECOLOGY}, author={Diamond, Sarah E. and Cayton, Heather and Wepprich, Tyson and Jenkins, Clinton N. and Dunn, Robert R. and Haddad, Nick M. and Ries, Leslie}, year={2014}, month={Sep}, pages={2613–2621} }
 @article{resasco_pelini_stuble_sanders_dunn_diamond_ellison_gotelli_levey_2014, title={Using Historical and Experimental Data to Reveal Warming Effects on Ant Assemblages}, volume={9}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84895171517&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0088029}, abstractNote={Historical records of species are compared with current records to elucidate effects of recent climate change. However, confounding variables such as succession, land-use change, and species invasions make it difficult to demonstrate a causal link between changes in biota and changes in climate. Experiments that manipulate temperature can overcome this issue of attribution, but long-term impacts of warming are difficult to test directly. Here we combine historical and experimental data to explore effects of warming on ant assemblages in southeastern US. Observational data span a 35-year period (1976-2011), during which mean annual temperatures had an increasing trend. Mean summer temperatures in 2010-2011 were ∼ 2.7 °C warmer than in 1976. Experimental data come from an ongoing study in the same region, for which temperatures have been increased ∼ 1.5-5.5 °C above ambient from 2010 to 2012. Ant species richness and evenness decreased with warming under natural but not experimental warming. These discrepancies could have resulted from differences in timescales of warming, abiotic or biotic factors, or initial species pools. Species turnover tended to increase with temperature in observational and experimental datasets. At the species level, the observational and experimental datasets had four species in common, two of which exhibited consistent patterns between datasets. With natural and experimental warming, collections of the numerically dominant, thermophilic species, Crematogaster lineolata, increased roughly two-fold. Myrmecina americana, a relatively heat intolerant species, decreased with temperature in natural and experimental warming. In contrast, species in the Solenopsis molesta group did not show consistent responses to warming, and Temenothorax pergandei was rare across temperatures. Our results highlight the difficulty of interpreting community responses to warming based on historical records or experiments alone. Because some species showed consistent responses to warming based on thermal tolerances, understanding functional traits may prove useful in explaining responses of species to warming.}, number={2}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Resasco, Julian and Pelini, Shannon L. and Stuble, Katharine L. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert R. and Diamond, Sarah E. and Ellison, Aaron M. and Gotelli, Nicholas J. and Levey, Douglas J.}, year={2014}, month={Feb} }
 @article{jenkins_guenard_diamond_weiser_dunn_2013, title={Conservation implications of divergent global patterns of ant and vertebrate diversity}, volume={19}, ISSN={["1472-4642"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84880136840&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/ddi.12090}, abstractNote={Aim Global conservation planning is often oriented around vertebrates and plants, yet most organisms are invertebrates. To explore the potential conservation implications of this bias, we assessed how well patterns of diversity for an influential group of invertebrates, the ants, correspond with those of three vertebrate groups (birds, mammals and amphibians). Location Global. Methods We compiled data on the number of genera of ants and the three vertebrate groups for 370 political regions across the world. We then compared their correlations both for overall diversity and between subsets of genera likely to be of conservation concern. We also developed generalized additive models (GAM) to identify regions where vertebrates and ants diverged in their diversity patterns. Results While ant and vertebrate diversity do positively correlate, the correlations are substantially weaker for the ant lineages of the greatest conservation concern. Vertebrates also notably fail to predict ant diversity in specific geographic areas, including Australia and Southeast Asia, parts of Africa and Madagascar, and south-western China. These failures may be genuine differences in diversity patterns, or they may indicate important gaps in our knowledge of ant and vertebrate diversity. Main conclusions We conclude that it is currently unwise to assume that global conservation priorities based on vertebrates will conserve ants as well. We suspect that this also applies to other invertebrates.}, number={8}, journal={DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS}, author={Jenkins, Clinton N. and Guenard, Benoit and Diamond, Sarah E. and Weiser, Michael D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2013}, month={Aug}, pages={1084–1092} }
 @article{fletcher_howarth_kirby_dunn_smith_2013, title={Effect of climate change on breeding phenology, clutch size and chick survival of an upland bird}, volume={155}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84879605864&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/ibi.12055}, abstractNote={Upland birds are predicted to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, yet few studies have examined these effects on their breeding phenology and productivity. Laying dates of Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica in the Scottish Highlands advanced by 0.5 days/year between 1992 and 2011 and were inversely correlated with pre-laying temperature, with a near-significant increase in temperature over this period. Earlier clutches were larger and chick survival was greater in earlier nesting attempts. However, chick survival was also higher in years with lower May temperatures and lower August temperatures in the previous year, the latter probably related to prey abundance in the subsequent breeding season. Although laying dates are advancing, climate change does not currently appear to be having an overall effect on chick survival of Red Grouse within the climate range recorded in this study.}, number={3}, journal={Ibis}, author={Fletcher, K. and Howarth, D. and Kirby, A. and Dunn, R. and Smith, A.}, year={2013}, pages={456–463} }
 @article{harris_coonan_king_dunn_2013, title={Endemism in hostparasite interactions among island populations of an endangered species}, volume={19}, ISSN={["1472-4642"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84875073190&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/ddi.12016}, abstractNote={Aim Implicit in conserving interactions is the idea that species behave differently throughout their range, resulting in functionally dissimilar populations of the same species. Host–parasite interactions are a useful system to explore the pervasiveness of these ecological phenotypes. Here, we investigated whether the role of an endangered, endemic species to provide habitat for ectoparasites varies throughout the geographic distribution of the host. Location Channel Islands, California. Methods We captured island foxes (Urocyon littoralis sp.) from three populations: Santa Catalina (n = 72), Santa Rosa (n = 79) and San Miguel (n = 83). We compared the extent to which variation in parasite attributes were due to differences among individuals or populations. As a measure of the latter, we used discriminant function analysis to determine whether individuals from the same population ‘cluster’ together when comparing patterns of intensity in various ectoparasites. Results We identified eight ectoparasite species that included at least six new parasite records for island foxes. We found that ectoparasite attributes including diversity and intensity varied among host populations. More importantly, we show that knowing the parasite composition of the host can identify its population of origin, due to unique host–parasite interactions. Overall, we correctly ‘assigned’ 72% of island foxes to their actual, respective populations, although there were inconsistencies among populations. Main conclusions If foxes generally have the same parasite assemblage regardless of their respective populations, then conservation of a single population likely maintains all necessary species interactions and discriminate function analysis is uninformative in discerning population assignments of individuals. Our findings highlight the importance of conserving populations to maintain endemic interactions and caution against extrapolating the ecology (i.e. known species associations) of a species to other locations within their range.}, number={4}, journal={DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS}, author={Harris, Nyeema C. and Coonan, Timothy J. and King, Julie L. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2013}, month={Apr}, pages={377–385} }
 @article{fitzpatrick_sanders_normand_svenning_ferrier_gove_dunn_2013, title={Environmental and historical imprints on beta diversity: insights from variation in rates of species turnover along gradients}, volume={280}, ISSN={["1471-2954"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84898287756&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2013.1201}, abstractNote={A common approach for analysing geographical variation in biodiversity involves using linear models to determine the rate at which species similarity declines with geographical or environmental distance and comparing this rate among regions, taxa or communities. Implicit in this approach are weakly justified assumptions that the rate of species turnover remains constant along gradients and that this rate can therefore serve as a means to compare ecological systems. We use generalized dissimilarity modelling, a novel method that accommodates variation in rates of species turnover along gradients and between different gradients, to compare environmental and spatial controls on the floras of two regions with contrasting evolutionary and climatic histories: southwest Australia and northern Europe. We find stronger signals of climate history in the northern European flora and demonstrate that variation in rates of species turnover is persistent across regions, taxa and different gradients. Such variation may represent an important but often overlooked component of biodiversity that complicates comparisons of distance–decay relationships and underscores the importance of using methods that accommodate the curvilinear relationships expected when modelling beta diversity. Determining how rates of species turnover vary along and between gradients is relevant to understanding the sensitivity of ecological systems to environmental change.}, number={1768}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={Fitzpatrick, Matthew C. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Normand, Signe and Svenning, Jens-Christian and Ferrier, Simon and Gove, Aaron D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2013}, month={Oct} }
 @book{dunn_fitzpatrick_2013, title={Every species is an insect (or nearly so): On insects, climate change, extinction, and the biological unknown}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84937946020&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.5822/978-1-61091-182-5_13}, abstractNote={Any estimate of the number of species on Earth at risk from climate change must begin with the question of how many species can be found on Earth, and because most species are insects, how many insect species in particular. The question of how many species of insects live on Earth and where they can be found is an old one. Linnaeus was aware of variation from place to place in the diversity of insects but believed that most insect species could be named in his lifetime. One of Linnaeus’s students (he called them apostles), Daniel Rolander, traveled to Surinam, however, and encountered there a diversity of insect life that he found overwhelming. Rolander began to wonder in confronting such diversity whether the species he saw would ever all be collected (the task he had been given) and named (the task Linnaeus would take for himself when Rolander returned) (Dunn, 2009c). Rolander’s experience was a hint of what was to come.}, journal={Saving a Million Species: Extinction Risk from Climate Change}, author={Dunn, R.R. and Fitzpatrick, M.C.}, year={2013}, pages={217–237} }
 @article{dunn_2013, title={Everything you know about calories is wrong}, volume={309}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84883418781&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1038/scientificamerican0913-56}, number={3}, journal={Scientific American}, author={Dunn, R.}, year={2013}, pages={56–59} }
 @article{stuble_pelini_diamond_fowler_dunn_sanders_2013, title={Foraging by forest ants under experimental climatic warming: a test at two sites}, volume={3}, ISSN={["2045-7758"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84886236870&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1002/ece3.473}, abstractNote={Climatic warming is altering the behavior of individuals and the composition of communities. However, recent studies have shown that the impact of warming on ectotherms varies geographically: species at warmer sites where environmental temperatures are closer to their upper critical thermal limits are more likely to be negatively impacted by warming than are species inhabiting relatively cooler sites. We used a large-scale experimental temperature manipulation to warm intact forest ant assemblages in the field and examine the impacts of chronic warming on foraging at a southern (North Carolina) and northern (Massachusetts) site in eastern North America. We examined the influence of temperature on the abundance and recruitment of foragers as well as the number of different species observed foraging. Finally, we examined the relationship between the mean temperature at which a species was found foraging and the critical thermal maximum temperature of that species, relating functional traits to behavior. We found that forager abundance and richness were related to the experimental increase in temperature at the southern site, but not the northern site. Additionally, individual species responded differently to temperature: some species foraged more under warmer conditions, whereas others foraged less. Importantly, these species-specific responses were related to functional traits of species (at least at the Duke Forest site). Species with higher critical thermal maxima had greater forager densities at higher temperatures than did species with lower critical thermal maxima. Our results indicate that while climatic warming may alter patterns of foraging activity in predictable ways, these shifts vary among species and between sites. More southerly sites and species with lower critical thermal maxima are likely to be at greater risk to ongoing climatic warming.}, number={3}, journal={ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, author={Stuble, Katharine L. and Pelini, Shannon L. and Diamond, Sarah E. and Fowler, David A. and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2013}, month={Mar}, pages={482–491} }
 @article{dunn_fierer_henley_leff_menninger_2013, title={Home Life: Factors Structuring the Bacterial Diversity Found within and between Homes}, volume={8}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84878026801&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0064133}, abstractNote={Most of our time is spent indoors where we are exposed to a wide array of different microorganisms living on surfaces and in the air of our homes. Despite their ubiquity and abundance, we have a limited understanding of the microbial diversity found within homes and how the composition and diversity of microbial communities change across different locations within the home. Here we examined the diversity of bacterial communities found in nine distinct locations within each of forty homes in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina, USA, using high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. We found that each of the sampled locations harbored bacterial communities that were distinct from one another with surfaces that are regularly cleaned typically harboring lower levels of diversity than surfaces that are cleaned infrequently. These location-specific differences in bacterial communities could be directly related to usage patterns and differences in the likely sources of bacteria dispersed onto these locations. Finally, we examined whether the variability across homes in bacterial diversity could be attributed to outdoor environmental factors, indoor habitat structure, or the occupants of the home. We found that the presence of dogs had a significant effect on bacterial community composition in multiple locations within homes as the homes occupied by dogs harbored more diverse communities and higher relative abundances of dog-associated bacterial taxa. Furthermore, we found a significant correlation between the types of bacteria deposited on surfaces outside the home and those found inside the home, highlighting that microbes from outside the home can have a direct effect on the microbial communities living on surfaces within our homes. Together this work provides the first comprehensive analysis of the microbial communities found in the home and the factors that shape the structure of these communities both within and between homes.}, number={5}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Fierer, Noah and Henley, Jessica B. and Leff, Jonathan W. and Menninger, Holly L.}, year={2013}, month={May} }
 @article{miravete_roura-pascual_dunn_gomez_2013, title={How many and which ant species are being accidentally moved around the world? (Retracted article. See vol. 10, 20140504, 2014)}, volume={9}, ISSN={["1744-957X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84882753076&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2013.0540}, abstractNote={Human transportation facilitates the dispersal of exotic ants, but few studies have quantified the magnitude and geography of these movements. We used several non-parametric indexes to estimate the number of species successfully introduced to or established in new regions. We also compared their source biogeographic realms to assess the importance of the geographical origin in determining the likelihood of establishment after introduction. Data on exotic ants derive from studies of three temperate regions. Our results suggest that the numbers of introduced or established ants may be much larger than the numbers so far documented. Ants introduced or established in new regions tend to arrive from the same or neighbouring realms, as would be expected if exotic species tend to match climates and if arrival/establishment is dependent upon higher trade rates from neighbouring countries.}, number={5}, journal={BIOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Miravete, Veronica and Roura-Pascual, Nuria and Dunn, Robert R. and Gomez, Crisanto}, year={2013}, month={Oct} }
 @article{harris_dunn_2013, title={Species loss on spatial patterns and composition of zoonotic parasites}, volume={280}, ISSN={["1471-2954"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84899035495&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2013.1847}, abstractNote={Species loss can result in the subsequent loss of affiliate species. Though largely ignored to date, these coextinctions can pose threats to human health by altering the composition, quantity and distribution of zoonotic parasites. We simulated host extinctions from more than 1300 host–parasite associations for 29 North American carnivores to investigate changes in parasite composition and species richness. We also explored the geography of zoonotic parasite richness under three carnivore composition scenarios and examined corresponding levels of human exposure. We found that changes in parasite assemblages differed among parasite groups. Because viruses tend to be generalists, the proportion of parasites that are viruses increased as more carnivores went extinct. Coextinction of carnivore parasites is unlikely to be common, given that few specialist parasites exploit hosts of conservation concern. However, local extirpations of widespread carnivore hosts can reduce overall zoonotic richness and shift distributions of parasite-rich areas. How biodiversity influences disease risks remains the subject of debate. Our results make clear that hosts vary in their contribution to human health risks. As a consequence, so too does the loss (or gain) of particular hosts. Anticipating changes in host composition in future environments may help inform parasite conservation and disease mitigation efforts.}, number={1771}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={Harris, Nyeema C. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2013}, month={Nov} }
 @article{dunn_2013, title={The 10,000-year bender}, volume={217}, ISSN={["0262-4079"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84873861642&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1016/s0262-4079(13)60245-6}, abstractNote={Our taste for alcohol results from an evolutionary tussle between humans and yeast, one in which the microbes have often had the upper hand}, number={2901}, journal={NEW SCIENTIST}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2013}, month={Jan}, pages={38–41} }
 @article{gavin_botero_bowern_colwell_dunn_dunn_gray_kirby_mccarter_powell_et al._2013, title={Toward a Mechanistic Understanding of Linguistic Diversity}, volume={63}, ISSN={["1525-3244"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84881490978&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1525/bio.2013.63.7.6}, abstractNote={Our species displays remarkable linguistic diversity. Although the uneven distribution of this diversity demands explanation, the drivers of these patterns have not been conclusively determined. We address this issue in two steps: First, we review previous empirical studies whose authors have suggested environmental, geographical, and sociocultural drivers of linguistic diversification. However, contradictory results and methodological variation make it difficult to draw general conclusions. Second, we outline a program for future research. We suggest that future analyses should account for interactions among causal factors, the lack of spatial and phylogenetic independence of the data, and transitory patterns. Recent analytical advances in biogeography and evolutionary biology, such as simulation modeling of diversity patterns, hold promise for testing four key mechanisms of language diversification proposed here: neutral change, population movement, contact, and selection. Future modeling approaches should also evaluate how the outcomes of these processes are influenced by demography, environmental heterogeneity, and time.}, number={7}, journal={BIOSCIENCE}, author={Gavin, Michael C. and Botero, Carlos A. and Bowern, Claire and Colwell, Robert K. and Dunn, Michael and Dunn, Robert R. and Gray, Russell D. and Kirby, Kathryn R. and McCarter, Joe and Powell, Adam and et al.}, year={2013}, month={Jul}, pages={524–535} }
 @article{lucky_trautwein_guenard_weiser_dunn_2013, title={Tracing the Rise of Ants - Out of the Ground}, volume={8}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84891337406&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0084012}, abstractNote={The evolution of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is increasingly well-understood due to recent phylogenetic analyses, along with estimates of divergence times and diversification rates. Yet, leading hypotheses regarding the ancestral habitat of ants conflict with new findings that early ant lineages are cryptic and subterranean. Where the ants evolved, in respect to habitat, and how habitat shifts took place over time have not been formally tested. Here, we reconstruct the habitat transitions of crown-group ants through time, focusing on where they nest and forage (in the canopy, litter, or soil). Based on ancestral character reconstructions, we show that in contrast to the current consensus based on verbal arguments that ants evolved in tropical leaf litter, the soil is supported as the ancestral stratum of all ants. We also find subsequent movements up into the litter and, in some cases, into the canopy. Given the global importance of ants, because of their diversity, ecological influence and status as the most successful eusocial lineage on Earth, understanding the early evolution of this lineage provides insight into the factors that made this group so successful today.}, number={12}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Lucky, Andrea and Trautwein, Michelle D. and Guenard, Benoit S. and Weiser, Michael D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2013}, month={Dec} }
 @article{stuble_rodriguez-cabal_mccormick_juric_dunn_sanders_2013, title={Tradeoffs, competition, and coexistence in eastern deciduous forest ant communities}, volume={171}, ISSN={["1432-1939"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84875643943&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s00442-012-2459-9}, number={4}, journal={OECOLOGIA}, author={Stuble, Katharine L. and Rodriguez-Cabal, Mariano A. and McCormick, Gail L. and Juric, Ivan and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2013}, month={Apr}, pages={981–992} }
 @article{meineke_dunn_sexton_frank_2013, title={Urban Warming Drives Insect Pest Abundance on Street Trees}, volume={8}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84875434170&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0059687}, abstractNote={Cities profoundly alter biological communities, favoring some species over others, though the mechanisms that govern these changes are largely unknown. Herbivorous arthropod pests are often more abundant in urban than in rural areas, and urban outbreaks have been attributed to reduced control by predators and parasitoids and to increased susceptibility of stressed urban plants. These hypotheses, however, leave many outbreaks unexplained and fail to predict variation in pest abundance within cities. Here we show that the abundance of a common insect pest is positively related to temperature even when controlling for other habitat characteristics. The scale insect Parthenolecanium quercifex was 13 times more abundant on willow oak trees in the hottest parts of Raleigh, NC, in the southeastern United States, than in cooler areas, though parasitism rates were similar. We further separated the effects of heat from those of natural enemies and plant quality in a greenhouse reciprocal transplant experiment. P. quercifex collected from hot urban trees became more abundant in hot greenhouses than in cool greenhouses, whereas the abundance of P. quercifex collected from cooler urban trees remained low in hot and cool greenhouses. Parthenolecanium quercifex living in urban hot spots succeed with warming, and they do so because some demes have either acclimatized or adapted to high temperatures. Our results provide the first evidence that heat can be a key driver of insect pest outbreaks on urban trees. Since urban warming is similar in magnitude to global warming predicted in the next 50 years, pest abundance on city trees may foreshadow widespread outbreaks as natural forests also grow warmer.}, number={3}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Meineke, Emily K. and Dunn, Robert R. and Sexton, Joseph O. and Frank, Steven D.}, year={2013}, month={Mar} }
 @article{diamond_penick_pelini_ellison_gotelli_sanders_dunn_2013, title={Using Physiology to Predict the Responses of Ants to Climatic Warming}, volume={53}, ISSN={["1557-7023"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84893732452&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1093/icb/ict085}, abstractNote={Physiological intolerance of high temperatures places limits on organismal responses to the temperature increases associated with global climatic change. Because ants are geographically widespread, ecologically diverse, and thermophilic, they are an ideal system for exploring the extent to which physiological tolerance can predict responses to environmental change. Here, we expand on simple models that use thermal tolerance to predict the responses of ants to climatic warming. We investigated the degree to which changes in the abundance of ants under warming reflect reductions in the thermal niche space for their foraging. In an eastern deciduous forest system in the United States with approximately 40 ant species, we found that for some species, the loss of thermal niche space for foraging was related to decreases in abundance with increasing experimental climatic warming. However, many ant species exhibited no loss of thermal niche space. For one well-studied species, Temnothorax curvispinosus, we examined both survival of workers and growth of colonies (a correlate of reproductive output) as functions of temperature in the laboratory, and found that the range of thermal tolerances for colony growth was much narrower than for survival of workers. We evaluated these functions in the context of experimental climatic warming and found that the difference in the responses of these two attributes to temperature generates differences in the means and especially the variances of expected fitness under warming. The expected mean growth of colonies was optimized at intermediate levels of warming (2-4°C above ambient); yet, the expected variance monotonically increased with warming. In contrast, the expected mean and variance of the survival of workers decreased when warming exceeded 4°C above ambient. Together, these results for T. curvispinosus emphasize the importance of measuring reproduction (colony growth) in the context of climatic change: indeed, our examination of the loss of thermal niche space with the larger species pool could be missing much of the warming impact due to these analyses being based on survival rather than reproduction. We suggest that while physiological tolerance of temperature can be a useful predictive tool for modeling responses to climatic change, future efforts should be devoted to understanding the causes and consequences of variability in models of tolerance calibrated with different metrics of performance and fitness.}, number={6}, journal={INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY}, author={Diamond, Sarah E. and Penick, Clint A. and Pelini, Shannon L. and Ellison, Aaron M. and Gotelli, Nicholas J. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2013}, month={Dec}, pages={965–974} }
 @article{hulcr_latimer_henley_rountree_fierer_lucky_lowman_dunn_2012, title={A Jungle in There: Bacteria in Belly Buttons are Highly Diverse, but Predictable}, volume={7}, ISSN={1932-6203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0047712}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0047712}, abstractNote={The belly button is one of the habitats closest to us, and yet it remains relatively unexplored. We analyzed bacteria and arachaea from the belly buttons of humans from two different populations sampled within a nation-wide citizen science project. We examined bacterial and archaeal phylotypes present and their diversity using multiplex pyrosequencing of 16S rDNA libraries. We then tested the oligarchy hypothesis borrowed from tropical macroecology, namely that the frequency of phylotypes in one sample of humans predicts its frequency in another independent sample. We also tested the predictions that frequent phylotypes (the oligarchs) tend to be common when present, and tend to be more phylogenetically clustered than rare phylotypes. Once rarefied to four hundred reads per sample, bacterial communities from belly buttons proved to be at least as diverse as communities known from other skin studies (on average 67 bacterial phylotypes per belly button). However, the belly button communities were strongly dominated by a few taxa: only 6 phylotypes occurred on >80% humans. While these frequent bacterial phylotypes (the archaea were all rare) are a tiny part of the total diversity of bacteria in human navels (<0.3% of phylotypes), they constitute a major portion of individual reads (~1/3), and are predictable among independent samples of humans, in terms of both the occurrence and evolutionary relatedness (more closely related than randomly drawn equal sets of phylotypes). Thus, the hypothesis that "oligarchs" dominate diverse assemblages appears to be supported by human-associated bacteria. Although it remains difficult to predict which species of bacteria might be found on a particular human, predicting which species are most frequent (or rare) seems more straightforward, at least for those species living in belly buttons.}, number={11}, journal={PLoS ONE}, publisher={Public Library of Science (PLoS)}, author={Hulcr, Jiri and Latimer, Andrew M. and Henley, Jessica B. and Rountree, Nina R. and Fierer, Noah and Lucky, Andrea and Lowman, Margaret D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, editor={Moreau, Corrie S.Editor}, year={2012}, month={Nov}, pages={e47712} }
 @article{guénard_dunn_2012, title={A checklist of the ants of China}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84869760599&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={3558}, journal={Zootaxa}, author={Guénard, B. and Dunn, R.R.}, year={2012}, pages={1–77} }
 @article{diamond_nichols_mccoy_hirsch_pelini_sanders_ellison_gotelli_dunn_2012, title={A physiological trait-based approach to predicting the responses of species to experimental climate warming}, volume={93}, ISSN={["1939-9170"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84869193184&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1890/11-2296.1}, abstractNote={Physiological tolerance of environmental conditions can influence species-level responses to climate change. Here, we used species-specific thermal tolerances to predict the community responses of ant species to experimental forest-floor warming at the northern and southern boundaries of temperate hardwood forests in eastern North America. We then compared the predictive ability of thermal tolerance vs. correlative species distribution models (SDMs) which are popular forecasting tools for modeling the effects of climate change. Thermal tolerances predicted the responses of 19 ant species to experimental climate warming at the southern site, where environmental conditions are relatively close to the ants' upper thermal limits. In contrast, thermal tolerances did not predict the responses of the six species in the northern site, where environmental conditions are relatively far from the ants' upper thermal limits. Correlative SDMs were not predictive at either site. Our results suggest that, in environments close to a species' physiological limits, physiological trait-based measurements can successfully forecast the responses of species to future conditions. Although correlative SDMs may predict large-scale responses, such models may not be accurate for predicting site-level responses.}, number={11}, journal={ECOLOGY}, author={Diamond, Sarah E. and Nichols, Lauren M. and McCoy, Neil and Hirsch, Christopher and Pelini, Shannon L. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Ellison, Aaron M. and Gotelli, Nicholas J. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2012}, month={Nov}, pages={2305–2312} }
 @article{guénard_mccaffrey_lucky_dunn_2012, title={Ants of North Carolina: An updated list (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84870014611&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={3552}, journal={Zootaxa}, author={Guénard, B. and McCaffrey, K.A. and Lucky, A. and Dunn, R.R.}, year={2012}, pages={1–36} }
 @book{colwell_dunn_harris_2012, title={Coextinction and persistence of dependent species in a changing world}, volume={43}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84875064606&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110411-160304}, abstractNote={The extinction of a single species is rarely an isolated event. Instead, dependent parasites, commensals, and mutualist partners (affiliates) face the risk of coextinction as their hosts or partners decline and fail. Species interactions in ecological networks can transmit the effects of primary extinctions within and between trophic levels, causing secondary extinctions and extinction cascades. Documenting coextinctions is complicated by ignorance of host specificity, limitations of historical collections, incomplete systematics of affiliate taxa, and lack of experimental studies. Host shifts may reduce the rate of coextinctions, but they are poorly understood. In the absence of better empirical records of coextinctions, statistical models estimate the rates of past and future coextinctions, and based on primary extinctions and interactions among species, network models explore extinction cascades. Models predict and historical evidence reveals that the threat of coextinction is influenced by both host and affiliate traits and is exacerbated by other threats, including habitat loss, climate change, and invasive species.}, journal={Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics}, author={Colwell, R.K. and Dunn, R.R. and Harris, N.C.}, year={2012}, pages={183–203} }
 @article{pelini_diamond_maclean_ellison_gotelli_sanders_dunn_2012, title={Common garden experiments reveal uncommon responses across temperatures, locations, and species of ants}, volume={2}, ISSN={["2045-7758"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84880614573&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1002/ece3.407}, abstractNote={Population changes and shifts in geographic range boundaries induced by climate change have been documented for many insect species. On the basis of such studies, ecological forecasting models predict that, in the absence of dispersal and resource barriers, many species will exhibit large shifts in abundance and geographic range in response to warming. However, species are composed of individual populations, which may be subject to different selection pressures and therefore may be differentially responsive to environmental change. Asystematic responses across populations and species to warming will alter ecological communities differently across space. Common garden experiments can provide a more mechanistic understanding of the causes of compositional and spatial variation in responses to warming. Such experiments are useful for determining if geographically separated populations and co-occurring species respond differently to warming, and they provide the opportunity to compare effects of warming on fitness (survivorship and reproduction). We exposed colonies of two common ant species in the eastern United States, Aphaenogaster rudis and Temnothorax curvispinosus, collected along a latitudinal gradient from Massachusetts to North Carolina, to growth chamber treatments that simulated current and projected temperatures in central Massachusetts and central North Carolina within the next century. Regardless of source location, colonies of A. rudis, a keystone seed disperser, experienced high mortality and low brood production in the warmest temperature treatment. Colonies of T. curvispinosus from cooler locations experienced increased mortality in the warmest rearing temperatures, but colonies from the warmest locales did not. Our results suggest that populations of some common species may exhibit uniform declines in response to warming across their geographic ranges, whereas other species will respond differently to warming in different parts of their geographic ranges. Our results suggest that differential responses of populations and species must be incorporated into projections of range shifts in a changing climate.}, number={12}, journal={ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, author={Pelini, Shannon L. and Diamond, Sarah E. and MacLean, Heidi and Ellison, Aaron M. and Gotelli, Nicholas J. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2012}, month={Dec}, pages={3009–3015} }
 @article{dunn_2012, title={Dig deep for health}, volume={215}, number={2876}, journal={New Scientist}, author={Dunn, R.}, year={2012}, pages={28-} }
 @article{rodriguez-cabal_stuble_guenard_dunn_sanders_2012, title={Disruption of ant-seed dispersal mutualisms by the invasive Asian needle ant (Pachycondyla chinensis)}, volume={14}, ISSN={["1573-1464"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84858002953&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s10530-011-0097-5}, number={3}, journal={BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS}, author={Rodriguez-Cabal, Mariano A. and Stuble, Katharine L. and Guenard, Benoit and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2012}, month={Mar}, pages={557–565} }
 @article{patrick_fowler_dunn_sanders_2012, title={Effects of Treefall Gap Disturbances on Ant Assemblages in a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest}, volume={44}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84863486228&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1744-7429.2012.00855.x}, abstractNote={The study of gap dynamics and the effects of gaps on diversity has been at the center of tropical ecology for decades. While most studies have focused on the responses of plant species and communities to gap formation, in this study, we consider the effects of treefall gap disturbances on leaf litter ant assemblages in a Neotropical montane cloud forest. We sampled leaf litter ant assemblages and estimated a suite of abiotic parameters in 12 large (>80-m2) treefall gaps across a chronosequence and in 12 paired adjacent intact forest sites in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve in Costa Rica. No species were more common in gaps than in intact forests, and in fact, species that were common in gaps were also among the most common in forests. The Chao2 estimate of species richness, however, was higher in gap sites than in intact forest sites. In addition, ant assemblages in gap sites did not become more similar to those in adjacent intact sites as gaps aged. In contrast to other studies, our work demonstrates that ant assemblages in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve are weakly affected by the formation of treefall gaps. Together, these results indicate that treefall gap dynamics probably play little role in promoting ant diversity at more regional scales, or coexistence among species at more local scales.}, number={4}, journal={Biotropica}, author={Patrick, M. and Fowler, D. and Dunn, R.R. and Sanders, N.J.}, year={2012}, pages={472–478} }
 @article{guenard_weiser_dunn_2012, title={Global models of ant diversity suggest regions where new discoveries are most likely are under disproportionate deforestation threat}, volume={109}, ISSN={["0027-8424"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84860799321&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1073/pnas.1113867109}, abstractNote={Most of the described and probably undescribed species on Earth are insects. Global models of species diversity rarely focus on insects and none attempt to address unknown, undescribed diversity. We assembled a database representing about 13,000 records for ant generic distribution from over 350 regions that cover much of the globe. Based on two models of diversity and endemicity, we identified regions where our knowledge of ant diversity is most limited, regions we have called “hotspots of discovery.” A priori, such regions might be expected to be remote and untouched. Instead, we found that the hotspots of discovery are also the regions in which biodiversity is the most threatened by habitat destruction. Our results not only highlight the immediate need for conservation of the remaining natural habitats in these regions, but also the extent to which, by focusing on well-known groups such as vertebrates, we may fail to conserve the far greater diversity of the smaller species yet to be found.}, number={19}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA}, author={Guenard, Benoit and Weiser, Michael D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2012}, month={May}, pages={7368–7373} }
 @article{dunn_2012, title={IN RETROSPECT Silent Spring}, volume={485}, ISSN={["1476-4687"]}, DOI={10.1038/485578a}, abstractNote={On its 50th anniversary, an exposé of pesticide overuse still stands as a beacon of reason, finds Rob Dunn.}, number={7400}, journal={NATURE}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2012}, month={May}, pages={578–579} }
 @article{dunn_2012, title={Intimately yours}, volume={216}, number={2889}, journal={New Scientist}, author={Dunn, R.}, year={2012}, pages={36–39} }
 @article{hulcr_rountree_diamond_stelinski_fierer_dunn_2012, title={Mycangia of Ambrosia Beetles Host Communities of Bacteria}, volume={64}, ISSN={["1432-184X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84866735178&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s00248-012-0055-5}, abstractNote={The research field of animal and plant symbioses is advancing from studying interactions between two species to whole communities of associates. High-throughput sequencing of microbial communities supports multiplexed sampling for statistically robust tests of hypotheses about symbiotic associations. We focus on ambrosia beetles, the increasingly damaging insects primarily associated with fungal symbionts, which have also been reported to support bacteria. To analyze the diversity, composition, and specificity of the beetles' prokaryotic associates, we combine global sampling, insect anatomy, 454 sequencing of bacterial rDNA, and multivariate statistics to analyze prokaryotic communities in ambrosia beetle mycangia, organs mostly known for transporting symbiotic fungi. We analyze six beetle species that represent three types of mycangia and include several globally distributed species, some with major economic importance (Dendroctonus frontalis, Xyleborus affinis, Xyleborus bispinatus-ferrugineus, Xyleborus glabratus, Xylosandrus crassiusculus, and Xylosandrus germanus). Ninety-six beetle mycangia yielded 1,546 bacterial phylotypes. Several phylotypes appear to form the core microbiome of the mycangium. Three Mycoplasma (originally thought restricted to vertebrates), two Burkholderiales, and two Pseudomonadales are repeatedly present worldwide in multiple beetle species. However, no bacterial phylotypes were universally present, suggesting that ambrosia beetles are not obligately dependent on bacterial symbionts. The composition of bacterial communities is structured by the host beetle species more than by the locality of origin, which suggests that more bacteria are vertically transmitted than acquired from the environment. The invasive X. glabratus and the globally distributed X. crassiusculus have unique sets of bacteria, different from species native to North America. We conclude that the mycangium hosts in multiple vertically transmitted bacteria such as Mycoplasma, most of which are likely facultative commensals or parasites.}, number={3}, journal={MICROBIAL ECOLOGY}, author={Hulcr, J. and Rountree, N. R. and Diamond, S. E. and Stelinski, L. L. and Fierer, N. and Dunn, R. R.}, year={2012}, month={Oct}, pages={784–793} }
 @article{dunn_2012, title={Night shift: Labor and birth: It's all in the timing}, volume={120}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84861308626&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={3}, journal={Natural History}, author={Dunn, R.}, year={2012}, pages={10–13} }
 @article{dunn_2012, title={Of lice and men: a very intimate history}, volume={216}, ISSN={0262-4079}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0262-4079(12)62837-1}, DOI={10.1016/S0262-4079(12)62837-1}, abstractNote={Scratch the surface of our long relationship with lice and you discover some unsavoury details of human evolution}, number={2889}, journal={New Scientist}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2012}, month={Nov}, pages={36–39} }
 @article{canner_dunn_giladi_gross_2012, title={Redispersal of seeds by a keystone ant augments the spread of common wildflowers}, volume={40}, ISSN={["1873-6238"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84858731679&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1016/j.actao.2012.02.004}, abstractNote={Myrmecochory (dispersal of seeds by ants) is an evolutionarily and ecologically common mutualism. Most of the research on the costs and benefits of myrmecochory in North America assumes that ant-dispersed seeds are taken to, and left in, the ant nest. Here, we use a novel seed-tracking technique to quantify secondary dispersal of seeds from the nest into the surrounding leaf litter by the keystone seed-dispersing ant, Aphaenogaster rudis. We found that A. rudis redispersed >90% of the seeds it took into its nest an average distance of 51.5 cm. A mathematical model shows redispersal increases the rate of population spread of the myrmecochores Hexastylis arifolia and Asarum canadense by 22.5%, and increases the expected cumulative dispersal distance away from the parent plant by 24%. Our results suggest myrmecochory benefits plants in eastern North American forests by increasing the distance between the seed and parent plant and reducing competition among siblings.}, journal={ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY}, author={Canner, Judith E. and Dunn, Robert R. and Giladi, Itamar and Gross, Kevin}, year={2012}, month={Apr}, pages={31–39} }
 @article{costanza_hulcr_koch_earnhardt_mckerrow_dunn_collazo_2012, title={Simulating the effects of the southern pine beetle on regional dynamics 60 years into the future}, volume={244}, ISSN={0304-3800}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.06.037}, DOI={10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.06.037}, abstractNote={We developed a spatially explicit model that simulated future southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis, SPB) dynamics and pine forest management for a real landscape over 60 years to inform regional forest management. The SPB has a considerable effect on forest dynamics in the Southeastern United States, especially in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands that are managed for timber production. Regional outbreaks of SPB occur in bursts resulting in elimination of entire stands and major economic loss. These outbreaks are often interspersed with decades of inactivity, making long-term modeling of SPB dynamics challenging. Forest management techniques, including thinning, have proven effective and are often recommended as a way to prevent SPB attack, yet the robustness of current management practices to long-term SPB dynamics has not been examined. We used data from previously documented SPB infestations and forest inventory data to model four scenarios of SPB dynamics and pine forest management. We incorporated two levels of beetle pressure: a background low level, and a higher level in which SPB had the potential to spread among pine stands. For each level of beetle pressure, we modeled two scenarios of forest management: one assuming forests would be managed continuously via thinning, and one with a reduction in thinning. For our study area in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, we found that beetle pressure and forest management both influenced the landscape effects of SPB. Under increased SPB pressure, even with continuous management, the area of pine forests affected across the region was six times greater than under baseline SPB levels. However, under high SPB pressure, continuous management decreased the area affected by nearly half compared with reduced management. By incorporating a range of forest and SPB dynamics over long time scales, our results extend previous modeling studies, and inform forest managers and policy-makers about the potential future effects of SPB. Our model can also be used to investigate the effects of additional scenarios on SPB dynamics, such as alternative management or climate change.}, journal={Ecological Modelling}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Costanza, Jennifer K. and Hulcr, Jiri and Koch, Frank H. and Earnhardt, Todd and McKerrow, Alexa J. and Dunn, Rob R. and Collazo, Jaime A.}, year={2012}, month={Oct}, pages={93–103} }
 @article{mcglynn_diamond_dunn_2012, title={Tradeoffs in the Evolution of Caste and Body Size in the Hyperdiverse Ant Genus Pheidole}, volume={7}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84868108285&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0048202}, abstractNote={The efficient investment of resources is often the route to ecological success, and the adaptability of resource investment may play a critical role in promoting biodiversity. The ants of the “hyperdiverse” genus Pheidole produce two discrete sterile castes, soldiers and minor workers. Within Pheidole, there is tremendous interspecific variation in proportion of soldiers. The causes and correlates of caste ratio variation among species of Pheidole remain enigmatic. Here we test whether a body size threshold model accounts for interspecific variation in caste ratio in Pheidole, such that species with larger body sizes produce relatively fewer soldiers within their colonies. We evaluated the caste ratio of 26 species of Pheidole and found that the body size of workers accounts for interspecific variation in the production of soldiers as we predicted. Twelve species sampled from one forest in Costa Rica yielded the same relationship as found in previously published data from many localities. We conclude that production of soldiers in the most species-rich group of ants is regulated by a body size threshold mechanism, and that the great variation in body size and caste ratio in Pheidole plays a role in niche divergence in this rapidly evolving taxon.}, number={10}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={McGlynn, Terrence P. and Diamond, Sarah E. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2012}, month={Oct} }
 @article{diamond_sorger_hulcr_pelini_toro_hirsch_oberg_dunn_2012, title={Who likes it hot? A global analysis of the climatic, ecological, and evolutionary determinants of warming tolerance in ants}, volume={18}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84855844354&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02542.x}, abstractNote={Effects of climate warming on wild populations of organisms are expected to be greatest at higher latitudes, paralleling greater anticipated increases in temperature in these regions. Yet, these expectations assume that populations in different regions are equally susceptible to the effects of warming. This is unlikely to be the case. Here, we develop a series of predictive models for physiological thermal tolerances in ants based on current and future climates. We found that tropical ants have lower warming tolerances, a metric of susceptibility to climate warming, than temperate ants despite greater increases in temperature at higher latitudes. Using climatic, ecological and phylogenetic data, we refine our predictions of which ants (across all regions) were most susceptible to climate warming. We found that ants occupying warmer and more mesic forested habitats at lower elevations are the most physiologically susceptible to deleterious effects of climate warming. Phylogenetic history was also a strong indicator of physiological susceptibility. In short, we find that ants that live in the canopies of hot, tropical forest are the most at risk, globally, from climate warming. Unfortunately this is where many, perhaps most, ant and other species on Earth live.}, number={2}, journal={Global Change Biology}, author={Diamond, S.E. and Sorger, D.M. and Hulcr, J. and Pelini, S.L. and Toro, I.D. and Hirsch, C. and Oberg, E. and Dunn, R.R.}, year={2012}, pages={448–456} }
 @article{dunn_2012, title={Why an old foe simply won't go away}, volume={215}, ISSN={0262-4079}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0262-4079(12)61897-1}, DOI={10.1016/S0262-4079(12)61897-1}, number={2874}, journal={New Scientist}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2012}, month={Jul}, pages={52} }
 @article{dunn_2012, title={Why haven't bald men gone extinct?}, volume={214}, ISSN={0262-4079}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0262-4079(12)61567-X}, DOI={10.1016/S0262-4079(12)61567-X}, abstractNote={Even as we get to grips with the biology of baldness, the shiny pate remains a real evolutionary mystery}, number={2869}, journal={New Scientist}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2012}, month={Jun}, pages={44–47} }
 @article{gotelli_ellison_dunn_sanders_2011, title={Counting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Biodiversity sampling and statistical analysis for myrmecologists}, volume={15}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79958229707&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, journal={Myrmecological News}, author={Gotelli, N.J. and Ellison, A.M. and Dunn, R.R. and Sanders, N.J.}, year={2011}, pages={13–19} }
 @misc{gotelli_ellison_dunn_sanders_2011, title={Counting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): biodiversity sampling and statistical analysis for myrmecologists}, volume={15}, journal={Myrmecological News}, author={Gotelli, N. J. and Ellison, A. M. and Dunn, R. R. and Sanders, N. J.}, year={2011}, pages={13–19} }
 @article{pelini_boudreau_mccoy_ellison_gotelli_sanders_dunn_2011, title={Effects of short-term warming on low and high latitude forest ant communities}, volume={2}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84866346326&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1890/ES11-00097.1}, abstractNote={Climatic change is expected to have differential effects on ecological communities in different geographic areas. However, few studies have experimentally demonstrated the effects of warming on communities simultaneously at different locales. We manipulated air temperature with in situ passive warming and cooling chambers and quantified effects of temperature on ant abundance, diversity, and foraging activities (predation, scavenging, seed dispersal, nectivory, granivory) in two deciduous forests at 35° and 43° N latitude in the eastern U.S. In the southern site, the most abundant species, Crematogaster lineolata, increased while species evenness, most ant foraging activities, and abundance of several other ant species declined with increasing temperature. In the northern site, species evenness was highest at intermediate temperatures, but no other metrics of diversity or foraging activity changed with temperature. Regardless of temperature, ant abundance and foraging activities at the northern site were several orders of magnitude lower than those in the southern site.}, number={5}, journal={Ecosphere}, author={Pelini, S.L. and Boudreau, M. and McCoy, N. and Ellison, A.M. and Gotelli, N.J. and Sanders, N.J. and Dunn, R.R.}, year={2011} }
 @article{machac_janda_dunn_sanders_2011, title={Elevational gradients in phylogenetic structure of ant communities reveal the interplay of biotic and abiotic constraints on diversity}, volume={34}, ISSN={["1600-0587"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79957543751&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1600-0587.2010.06629.x}, abstractNote={A central focus of ecology and biogeography is to determine the factors that govern spatial variation in biodiversity. Here, we examined patterns of ant diversity along climatic gradients in three temperate montane systems: Great Smoky Mountains National Park (USA), Chiricahua Mountains (USA), and Vorarlberg (Austria). To identify the factors which potentially shape these elevational diversity gradients, we analyzed patterns of community phylogenetic structure (i.e. the evolutionary relationships among species coexisting in local communities). We found that species at low-elevation sites tended to be evenly dispersed across phylogeny, suggesting that these communities are structured by interspecific competition. In contrast, species occurring at high-elevation sites tended to be more closely related than expected by chance, implying that these communities are structured primarily by environmental filtering caused by low temperatures. Taken together, the results of our study highlight the potential role of niche constraints, environmental temperature, and competition in shaping broad-scale diversity gradients. We conclude that phylogenetic structure indeed accounts for some variation in species density, yet it does not entirely explain why temperature and species density are correlated.}, number={3}, journal={ECOGRAPHY}, author={Machac, Antonin and Janda, Milan and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2011}, month={Jun}, pages={364–371} }
 @article{dunn_2011, title={Follow the drinking gourd}, volume={119}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79958841735&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={5}, journal={Natural History}, author={Dunn, R.}, year={2011}, pages={10–13} }
 @article{fitzpatrick_sanders_ferrier_longino_weiser_dunn_2011, title={Forecasting the future of biodiversity: a test of single- and multi-species models for ants in North America}, volume={34}, ISSN={["1600-0587"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79958098554&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1600-0587.2011.06653.x}, abstractNote={The geographic distributions of many taxonomic groups remain mostly unknown, hindering attempts to investigate the response of the majority of species on Earth to climate change using species distributions models (SDMs). Multi-species models can incorporate data for rare or poorly-sampled species, but their application to forecasting climate change impacts on biodiversity has been limited. Here we compare forecasts of changes in patterns of ant biodiversity in North America derived from ensembles of single-species models to those from a multi-species modeling approach, Generalized Dissimilarity Modeling (GDM). We found that both single- and multi-species models forecasted large changes in ant community composition in relatively warm environments. GDM predicted higher turnover than SDMs and across a larger contiguous area, including the southern third of North America and notably Central America, where the proportion of ants with relatively small ranges is high and where data limitations are most likely to impede the application of SDMs. Differences between approaches were also influenced by assumptions regarding dispersal, with forecasts being more similar if no-dispersal was assumed. When full-dispersal was assumed, SDMs predicted higher turnover in southern Canada than did GDM. Taken together, our results suggest that 1) warm rather than cold regions potentially could experience the greatest changes in ant fauna under climate change and that 2) multi-species models may represent an important complement to SDMs, particularly in analyses involving large numbers of rare or poorly-sampled species. Comparisons of the ability of single- and multi-species models to predict observed changes in community composition are needed in order to draw definitive conclusions regarding their application to investigating climate change impacts on biodiversity.}, number={5}, journal={ECOGRAPHY}, author={Fitzpatrick, Matthew C. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Ferrier, Simon and Longino, John T. and Weiser, Michael D. and Dunn, Rob}, year={2011}, month={Oct}, pages={836–847} }
 @article{jenkins_sanders_andersen_arnan_bruehl_cerda_ellison_fisher_fitzpatrick_gotelli_et al._2011, title={Global diversity in light of climate change: the case of ants}, volume={17}, ISSN={["1472-4642"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79958088243&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00770.x}, abstractNote={Aim To use a fine-grained global model of ant diversity to identify the limits of our knowledge of diversity in the context of climate change. Location Global. Methods We applied generalized linear modelling to a global database of local ant assemblages to predict the species density of ants globally. Predictors evaluated included simple climate variables, combined temperature × precipitation variables, biogeographic region, elevation, and interactions between select variables. Areas of the planet identified as beyond the reliable prediction ability of the model were those having climatic conditions more extreme than what was represented in the ant database. Results Temperature was the most important single predictor of ant species density, and a mix of climatic variables, biogeographic region and interactions between climate and region yielded the best overall model. Broadly, geographic patterns of ant diversity match those of other taxa, with high species density in the wet tropics and in some, but not all, parts of the dry tropics. Uncertainty in model predictions appears to derive from the low amount of standardized sampling of ants in Asia, in Africa and in the most extreme (e.g. hottest) climates. Model residuals increase as a function of temperature. This suggests that our understanding of the drivers of ant diversity at high temperatures is incomplete, especially in hot and arid climates. In other words, our ignorance of how ant diversity relates to environment is greatest in those regions where most species occur – hot climates, both wet and dry. Main conclusions Our results have two important implications. First, temperature is necessary, but not sufficient, to explain fully the patterns of ant diversity. Second, our ability to predict ant diversity is weakest exactly where we need to know the most, the warmest regions of a warming world. This includes significant parts of the tropics and some of the most biologically diverse areas in the world.}, number={4}, journal={DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS}, author={Jenkins, Clinton N. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Andersen, Alan N. and Arnan, Xavier and Bruehl, Carsten A. and Cerda, Xim and Ellison, Aaron M. and Fisher, Brian L. and Fitzpatrick, Matthew C. and Gotelli, Nicholas J. and et al.}, year={2011}, month={Jul}, pages={652–662} }
 @article{pelini_bowles_ellison_gotelli_sanders_dunn_2011, title={Heating up the forest: open-top chamber warming manipulation of arthropod communities at Harvard and Duke Forests}, volume={2}, ISSN={["2041-2096"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84866402142&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.2041-210x.2011.00100.x}, abstractNote={1. Recent observations indicate that climatic change is altering biodiversity, and models suggest that the consequences of climate change will differ across latitude. However, long-term experimental field manipulations that directly test the predictions about organisms’ responses to climate change across latitude are lacking. Such experiments could provide a more mechanistic understanding of the consequences of climate change on ecological communities and subsequent changes in ecosystem processes, facilitating better predictions of the effects of future climate change. 2. This field experiment uses octagonal, 5-m-diameter (c. 22 m3) open-top chambers to simulate warming at northern (Harvard Forest, Massachusetts) and southern (Duke Forest, North Carolina) hardwood forest sites to determine the effects of warming on ant and other arthropod populations and communities near the edges of their ranges. Each site has 12 plots containing open-top chambers that manipulate air temperature incrementally from ambient to 6 °C above ambient. Because the focus of this study is on mobile, litter- and soil-dwelling arthropods, standard methods for warming chambers (e.g. soil-warming cables or infrared heaters applied to relatively small areas) were inappropriate and new technological approaches using hydronic heating and forced air movement were developed. 3. We monitor population dynamics, species composition, phenology and behaviour of ants and other arthropods occupying these experimental chambers. Microclimatic measurements in each chamber include the following: air temperature (three), soil temperatures (two each in organic and mineral soil), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), relative humidity and soil moisture (one each). In two chambers, we are also measuring soil heat flux, associated soil temperatures at 2 and 6 cm and volumetric water content. To assess the composition, phenology and abundance of arthropod communities within the experiment, we use monthly pitfall trapping and annual Winkler sampling. We also census artificial and natural ant nests to monitor changes in ant colony size and productivity across the temperature treatments. 4. This experiment is a long-term ecological study that provides opportunities for collaborations across a broad spectrum of ecologists, including those studying biogeochemical, microbial and plant responses to warming. Future studies also may include implementation of multifactorial climate manipulations, examination of interactions across trophic levels and quantification of changes in ecosystem processes.}, number={5}, journal={METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, author={Pelini, Shannon L. and Bowles, Francis P. and Ellison, Aaron M. and Gotelli, Nicholas J. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2011}, month={Oct}, pages={534–540} }
 @article{dunn_2011, title={How fungi made us hot blooded}, volume={212}, ISSN={0262-4079}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0262-4079(11)62984-9}, DOI={10.1016/S0262-4079(11)62984-9}, abstractNote={Every day fungi kill millions of animals and plants. Very few of these victims maintain a body temperature above 37 °C. Coincindence?}, number={2841}, journal={New Scientist}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2011}, month={Dec}, pages={50–53} }
 @article{lessard_borregaard_fordyce_rahbek_weiser_dunn_sanders_2011, title={Strong influence of regional species pools on continent-wide structuring of local communities}, volume={279}, ISSN={0962-8452 1471-2954}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.0552}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2011.0552}, abstractNote={There is a long tradition in ecology of evaluating the relative contribution of the regional species pool and local interactions on the structure of local communities. Similarly, a growing number of studies assess the phylogenetic structure of communities, relative to that in the regional species pool, to examine the interplay between broad-scale evolutionary and fine-scale ecological processes. Finally, a renewed interest in the influence of species source pools on communities has shown that the definition of the source pool influences interpretations of patterns of community structure. We use a continent-wide dataset of local ant communities and implement ecologically explicit source pool definitions to examine the relative importance of regional species pools and local interactions for shaping community structure. Then we assess which factors underlie systematic variation in the structure of communities along climatic gradients. We find that the average phylogenetic relatedness of species in ant communities decreases from tropical to temperate regions, but the strength of this relationship depends on the level of ecological realism in the definition of source pools. We conclude that the evolution of climatic niches influences the phylogenetic structure of regional source pools and that the influence of regional source pools on local community structure is strong.}, number={1727}, journal={Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences}, publisher={The Royal Society}, author={Lessard, Jean-Philippe and Borregaard, Michael K. and Fordyce, James A. and Rahbek, Carsten and Weiser, Michael D. and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2011}, month={Jun}, pages={266–274} }
 @article{dunn_2011, title={The gravity of life}, volume={25}, number={6}, journal={Scientist}, author={Dunn, R.}, year={2011}, pages={78–78} }
 @article{dunn_2011, title={The gravity of life whose well-being is threatened by our changing relationship with the myriad organisms that shaped the evolution of our species?}, volume={25}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-80051728703&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={6}, journal={Scientist}, author={Dunn, R.}, year={2011} }
 @article{zelikova_sanders_dunn_2011, title={The mixed effects of experimental ant removal on seedling distribution, belowground invertebrates, and soil nutrients}, volume={2}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84859773114&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1890/ES11-00073.1}, abstractNote={Ants are ubiquitous members of most forest communities, where they disperse seeds, prey on other species, and influence the flow of nutrients. Their effects are often described as substantial, but few studies to date have simultaneously examined how the presence of ants affects both above and belowground processes. In this study, we experimentally reduced ant abundance in a suite of deciduous forest plots in northern Georgia, USA to assess the effects of ants on the spatial distribution of a common understory plant species, Hexastlylis arifolia, the structure of soil mesofaunal communities, and soil nitrogen dynamics. Over the course of several years, the removal of ants led to significant spatial aggregation of H. arifolia seedlings near the parent plant, most likely due to the absence of the keystone seed dispersal species, Aphaenogaster rudis. Seedling emergence was higher in ant removal plots, but seedling aggregation did not affect first or second year seedling mortality. Ammonium concentrations were 10× higher in ant removal plots relative to control plots where ants were present in the first year of the study, but this increase disappeared in the second and third years of the study. The effects of ant removal on the soil mesofauna were mixed: removal of ants apparently did not affect the abundance of Collembola, but the abundance of oribatid mites was significantly higher in ant removal plots by year two of the study. Taken together, these results provide some of the first experimental evidence of the diverse direct and indirect effects of ants on both above and belowground processes in forest ecosystems and demonstrate the potential consequences of losing an important seed dispersing ant species for the plants they disperse.}, number={5}, journal={Ecosphere}, author={Zelikova, T.J. and Sanders, N.J. and Dunn, R.R.}, year={2011} }
 @misc{hulcr_dunn_2011, title={The sudden emergence of pathogenicity in insect-fungus symbioses threatens naive forest ecosystems}, volume={278}, ISSN={["1471-2954"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-80052225898&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2011.1130}, abstractNote={Invasive symbioses between wood-boring insects and fungi are emerging as a new and currently uncontrollable threat to forest ecosystems, as well as fruit and timber industries throughout the world. The bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae and Platypodinae) constitute the large majority of these pests, and are accompanied by a diverse community of fungal symbionts. Increasingly, some invasive symbioses are shifting from non-pathogenic saprotrophy in native ranges to a prolific tree-killing in invaded ranges, and are causing significant damage. In this paper, we review the current understanding of invasive insect-fungus symbioses. We then ask why some symbioses that evolved as non-pathogenic saprotrophs, turn into major tree-killers in non-native regions. We argue that a purely pathology-centred view of the guild is not sufficient for explaining the lethal encounters between exotic symbionts and naive trees. Instead, we propose several testable hypotheses that, if correct, lead to the conclusion that the sudden emergence of pathogenicity is a new evolutionary phenomenon with global biogeographical dynamics. To date, evidence suggests that virulence of the symbioses in invaded ranges is often triggered when several factors coincide: (i) invasion into territories with naive trees, (ii) the ability of the fungus to either overcome resistance of the naive host or trigger a suicidal over-reaction, and (iii) an 'olfactory mismatch' in the insect whereby a subset of live trees is perceived as dead and suitable for colonization. We suggest that individual cases of tree mortality caused by invasive insect-fungus symbionts should no longer be studied separately, but in a global, biogeographically and phylogenetically explicit comparative framework.}, number={1720}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={Hulcr, Jiri and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2011}, month={Oct}, pages={2866–2873} }
 @book{dunn_2011, place={New York}, title={The wild life of our bodies: predators, parasites, and partners that shape who we are today}, ISBN={978-0-06-180648-3}, publisher={Harper Collins}, author={Dunn, Rob R.}, year={2011} }
 @article{menke_guenard_sexton_weiser_dunn_silverman_2011, title={Urban areas may serve as habitat and corridors for dry-adapted, heat tolerant species; an example from ants}, volume={14}, ISSN={["1573-1642"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79955054212&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s11252-010-0150-7}, number={2}, journal={URBAN ECOSYSTEMS}, author={Menke, Sean B. and Guenard, Benoit and Sexton, Joseph O. and Weiser, Michael D. and Dunn, Robert R. and Silverman, Jules}, year={2011}, month={Jun}, pages={135–163} }
 @article{guenard_dunn_2010, title={A New (Old), Invasive Ant in the Hardwood Forests of Eastern North America and Its Potentially Widespread Impacts}, volume={5}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77955370644&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0011614}, abstractNote={Biological invasions represent a serious threat for the conservation of biodiversity in many ecosystems. While many social insect species and in particular ant species have been introduced outside their native ranges, few species have been successful at invading temperate forests. In this study, we document for the first time the relationship between the abundance of the introduced ant, Pachycondyla chinensis, in mature forests of North Carolina and the composition, abundance and diversity of native ant species using both a matched pair approach and generalized linear models. Where present, P. chinensis was more abundant than all native species combined. The diversity and abundance of native ants in general and many individual species were negatively associated with the presence and abundance of P. chinensis. These patterns held regardless of our statistical approach and across spatial scales. Interestingly, while the majority of ant species was strongly and negatively correlated with the abundance and presence of P. chinensis, a small subset of ant species larger than P. chinensis was either as abundant or even more abundant in invaded than in uninvaded sites. The large geographic range of this ant species combined with its apparent impact on native species make it likely to have cascading consequences on eastern forests in years to come, effects mediated by the specifics of its life history which is very different from those of other invasive ants. The apparent ecological impacts of P. chinensis are in addition to public health concerns associated with this species due to its sometimes, deadly sting.}, number={7}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Guenard, Benoit and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2010}, month={Jul} }
 @article{dunn_2010, title={A hero with a butterfly net}, volume={464}, ISSN={0028-0836 1476-4687}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/4641282a}, DOI={10.1038/4641282a}, number={7293}, journal={Nature}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Dunn, Robert}, year={2010}, month={Apr}, pages={1282–1283} }
 @misc{dunn_2010, title={Anthill: A novel}, volume={464}, number={7293}, journal={Nature}, author={Dunn, R.}, year={2010}, pages={1282–1283} }
 @article{pecarevic_danoff-burg_dunn_2010, title={Biodiversity on Broadway - Enigmatic Diversity of the Societies of Ants (Formicidae) on the Streets of New York City}, volume={5}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-78049306120&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0013222}, abstractNote={Each year, a larger proportion of the Earth's surface is urbanized, and a larger proportion of the people on Earth lives in those urban areas. The everyday nature, however, that humans encounter in cities remains poorly understood. Here, we consider perhaps the most urban green habitat, street medians. We sampled ants from forty-four medians along three boulevards in New York City and examined how median properties affect the abundance and species richness of native and introduced ants found on them. Ant species richness varied among streets and increased with area but was independent of the other median attributes measured. Ant assemblages were highly nested, with three numerically dominant species present at all medians and additional species present at a subset of medians. The most common ant species were the introduced Pavement ant (Tetramorium caespitum) and the native Thief ant (Solenopsis molesta) and Cornfield ant (Lasius neoniger). The common introduced species on the medians responded differently to natural and disturbed elements of medians. Tetramorium caespitum was most abundant in small medians, with the greatest edge/area ratio, particularly if those medians had few trees, whereas Nylanderia flavipes was most abundant in the largest medians, particularly if they had more trees. Many of the species encountered in Manhattan were similar to those found in other large North American cities, such that a relatively small subset of ant species probably represent most of the encounters humans have with ants in North America.}, number={10}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Pecarevic, Marko and Danoff-Burg, James and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2010}, month={Oct} }
 @article{weiser_sanders_agosti_andersen_ellison_fisher_gibb_gotelli_gove_gross_et al._2010, title={Canopy and litter ant assemblages share similar climate-species density relationships}, volume={6}, ISSN={["1744-9561"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-78649884769&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2010.0151}, abstractNote={Tropical forest canopies house most of the globe's diversity, yet little is known about global patterns and drivers of canopy diversity. Here, we present models of ant species density, using climate, abundance and habitat (i.e. canopy versus litter) as predictors. Ant species density is positively associated with temperature and precipitation, and negatively (or non-significantly) associated with two metrics of seasonality, precipitation seasonality and temperature range. Ant species density was significantly higher in canopy samples, but this difference disappeared once abundance was considered. Thus, apparent differences in species density between canopy and litter samples are probably owing to differences in abundance-diversity relationships, and not differences in climate-diversity relationships. Thus, it appears that canopy and litter ant assemblages share a common abundance-diversity relationship influenced by similar but not identical climatic drivers.}, number={6}, journal={BIOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Weiser, Michael D. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Agosti, Donat and Andersen, Alan N. and Ellison, Aaron M. and Fisher, Brian L. and Gibb, Heloise and Gotelli, Nicholas J. and Gove, Aaron D. and Gross, Kevin and et al.}, year={2010}, month={Dec}, pages={769–772} }
 @misc{lengyel_gove_latimer_majer_dunn_2010, title={Convergent evolution of seed dispersal by ants, and phylogeny and biogeography in flowering plants: A global survey}, volume={12}, ISSN={["1433-8319"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-75849139842&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1016/j.ppees.2009.08.001}, abstractNote={Abstract Seed dispersal is a fundamental life history trait in plants. Although the recent surge of interest in seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory) has added greatly to knowledge on the ecology of seed dispersal and ant–plant mutualisms, myrmecochory also represents a unique opportunity to examine the links between seed dispersal and evolution in flowering plants. Here we review the taxonomic, phylogenetic and biogeographic distribution of myrmecochory in flowering plants. Myrmecochory is mediated by elaiosomes, i.e., lipid-rich seed appendages that attract ants and serve as rewards for dispersal. We surveyed the literature for evidence of elaiosomes in angiosperm plants to estimate the global prevalence of myrmecochory. We then searched the literature for phylogenetic reconstructions to identify myrmecochorous lineages and to estimate the minimum number of independent evolutionary origins of myrmecochory. We found that myrmecochory is present in at least 11 000 species or 4.5% of all species, in 334 genera or 2.5% of all genera and in 77 families or 17% of all families of angiosperm plants. We identified at least 101, but possibly up to 147, independent origins of myrmecochory. We estimated three or more origins in 13 families and found that at least half the genera are myrmecochorous in 10 families. Most myrmecochorous lineages were Australian, South African or northern temperate (Holarctic). A mapping of families containing myrmecochorous genera on a dated angiosperm supertree showed that myrmecochory has evolved in most of the major angiosperm lineages and that it is more frequent in younger families (crown group age}, number={1}, journal={PERSPECTIVES IN PLANT ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS}, author={Lengyel, Szabolcs and Gove, Aaron D. and Latimer, Andrew M. and Majer, Jonathan D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2010}, pages={43–55} }
 @inbook{sanders_dunn_fitzpatrick_carlton_pogue_parker_simons_2010, place={Boca Ration, FL}, title={Diverse Elevational Diversity Gradients in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S.A.}, ISBN={9781420083699 9781420083705}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/9781420083705.ch10}, DOI={10.1201/9781420083705.ch10}, booktitle={Data Mining for Global Trends in Mountain Biodiversity}, publisher={CRC Press}, author={Sanders, Nathan and Dunn, R.R. and Fitzpatrick, M.C. and Carlton, C.E. and Pogue, M.R. and Parker, C.R. and Simons, T.R.}, editor={Spehn, Eva M. and Korner, ChristianEditors}, year={2010}, month={Sep}, pages={75–87} }
 @book{geographic gradients_2010, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84919780925&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199544639.003.0003}, abstractNote={Abstract One of the key questions in ecology is what drives species diversity patterns. Generally ant diversity decreases with increasing latitude, and elevation. While a host of mechanisms to explain these patterns has been proposed, the six most likely hypotheses include differences in speciation and extinction rates, geographic area, geometric constraints, species‐energy theory, and effective evolutionary age. Not only does ant diversity vary with latitude and elevation but there are also gradients in ant life history traits. Although there are only a handful of studies on ants, range size was found to increase with increasing elevation in accordance with Rapoport's rule predictions. Similarly in accordance with Bergmann's rule, ant body size tends to increase with latitude and elevation. Gradients in diversity can have consequences for predation rates, and mutualisms.}, journal={Ant Ecology}, year={2010} }
 @article{dunn_2010, title={Global Mapping of Ecosystem Disservices: The Unspoken Reality that Nature Sometimes Kills us}, volume={42}, ISSN={["0006-3606"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77956484796&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1744-7429.2010.00698.x}, abstractNote={Increasingly, we view nature through a utilitarian lens that leads us to attempt to measure and manage the services that species, habitats and ecosystems provide. Surprisingly, we have tended to consider only the positive values of ecosystems, their ecosystem services. In addition to providing our food and water, Nature also kills us, primarily through disease. If we are to effectively manage the terrestrial Earth, we need to also manage species, habitats and ecosystems so as to minimize such ‘ecosystem disservices’. I consider what we know about the spatial pattern of one disservice, pathogen prevalence and how changes in habitat influence it. I consider the effects of habitat changes on pathogen prevalence and, consequently, ecosystem disservices. In the end, we need to weigh both the costs and the benefits of particular ecosystems, habitats and species – to consider the bad with the good. Doing so requires that we learn much more about the biota than we currently know.}, number={5}, journal={BIOTROPICA}, author={Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2010}, month={Sep}, pages={555–557} }
 @article{dunn_davies_harris_gavin_2010, title={Global drivers of human pathogen richness and prevalence}, volume={277}, ISSN={["1471-2954"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77956922359&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2010.0340}, abstractNote={The differences in the richness and prevalence of human pathogens among different geographical locations have ramifying consequences for societies and individuals. The relative contributions of different factors to these patterns, however, have not been fully resolved. We conduct a global analysis of the relative influence of climate, alternative host diversity and spending on disease prevention on modern patterns in the richness and prevalence of human pathogens. Pathogen richness (number of kinds) is largely explained by the number of birds and mammal species in a region. The most diverse countries with respect to birds and mammals are also the most diverse with respect to pathogens. Importantly, for human health, the prevalence of key human pathogens (number of cases) is strongly influenced by disease control efforts. As a consequence, even where disease richness is high, we might still control prevalence, particularly if we spend money in those regions where current spending is low, prevalence is high and populations are large.}, number={1694}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Davies, T. Jonathan and Harris, Nyeema C. and Gavin, Michael C.}, year={2010}, month={Sep}, pages={2587–2595} }
 @article{guénard_weiser_dunn_2010, title={Global generic richness and distribution: New maps of the world of ants with examples of their use in the context of Asia}, volume={3}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84855859474&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={1}, journal={Asian Myrmecology}, author={Guénard, B. and Weiser, M.D. and Dunn, R.R.}, year={2010}, pages={21–28} }
 @article{menke_booth_dunn_schal_vargo_silverman_2010, title={Is It Easy to Be Urban? Convergent Success in Urban Habitats among Lineages of a Widespread Native Ant}, volume={5}, ISSN={1932-6203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0009194}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0009194}, abstractNote={The most rapidly expanding habitat globally is the urban habitat, yet the origin and life histories of the populations of native species that inhabit this habitat remain poorly understood. We use DNA barcoding of the COI gene in the widespread native pest ant Tapinoma sessile to test two hypotheses regarding the origin of urban populations and traits associated with their success. First, we determine if urban samples of T. sessile have a single origin from natural populations by looking at patterns of haplotype clustering from across their range. Second, we examine whether polygynous colony structure--a trait associated with invasion success--is correlated with urban environments, by studying the lineage dependence of colony structure. Our phylogenetic analysis of 49 samples identified four well supported geographic clades. Within clades, Kimura-2 parameter pairwise genetic distances revealed <2.3% variation; however, between clade genetic distances were 7.5-10.0%, suggesting the possibility of the presence of cryptic species. Our results indicate that T. sessile has successfully colonized urban environments multiple times. Additionally, polygynous colony structure is a highly plastic trait across habitat, clade, and haplotype. In short, T. sessile has colonized urban habitats repeatedly and appears to do so using life history strategies already present in more natural populations. Whether similar results hold for other species found in urban habitats has scarcely begun to be considered.}, number={2}, journal={PLoS ONE}, publisher={Public Library of Science (PLoS)}, author={Menke, Sean B. and Booth, Warren and Dunn, Robert R. and Schal, Coby and Vargo, Edward L. and Silverman, Jules}, editor={Moreau, Corrie S.Editor}, year={2010}, month={Feb}, pages={e9194} }
 @article{mcglynn_weiser_dunn_2010, title={More individuals but fewer species: testing the 'more individuals hypothesis' in a diverse tropical fauna}, volume={6}, ISSN={["1744-9561"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77954997973&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rsbl.2010.0103}, abstractNote={A positive relationship between species richness and productivity is often observed in nature, but the causes remain contentious. One mechanism, the 'more individuals hypothesis' (MIH), predicts richness increases monotonically with density, as a function of resource flux. To test the MIH, we manipulated resource abundance in a community of tropical rainforest litter ants and measured richness and density responses. A unimodal relationship between richness and density most closely fitted the control and disturbance (resource removal) treatments in contrast to expectations of the MIH. Resource addition resulted in a monotonic increase in richness relative to density, a shift from the pattern in the control. In the disturbance treatment, richness was greater than in the control, opposite to expectations of the MIH. While large-scale correlations between ant diversity and net primary productivity or temperature are reconcilable with the MIH, key elements of the hypothesis are not supported.}, number={4}, journal={BIOLOGY LETTERS}, author={McGlynn, Terrence P. and Weiser, Michael D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2010}, month={Aug}, pages={490–493} }
 @article{yashiro_matsuura_guénard_terayama_dunn_2010, title={On the evolution of the species complex Pachycondyla chinensis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae), including the origin of its invasive form and description of a new species}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-78649600238&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={2685}, journal={Zootaxa}, author={Yashiro, T. and Matsuura, K. and GuéNard, B. and Terayama, M. and Dunn, R.R.}, year={2010}, pages={39–50} }
 @article{lubertazzi_lubertazzi_mccoy_gove_majer_dunn_2010, title={The ecology of a keystone seed disperser, the ant Rhytidoponera violacea}, volume={10}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-78649310846&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1673/031.010.14118}, abstractNote={Rhytidoponera violacea (Forel) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is a keystone seed disperser in Kwongan heathland habitats of southwestern Australia. Like many myrmecochorous ants, little is known about the basic biology of this species. In this study various aspects of the biology of R. violacea were examined and the researchers evaluated how these characteristics may influence seed dispersal. R. violacea nesting habits (relatively shallow nests), foraging behavior (scramble competitor and lax food selection criteria), and other life history characteristics complement their role as a mutualist that interacts with the seeds of many plant species.}, journal={Journal of Insect Science}, author={Lubertazzi, D. and Lubertazzi, M.A. Aliberti and McCoy, N. and Gove, A.D. and Majer, J.D. and Dunn, Robert}, year={2010} }
 @article{dunn_2010, title={The next wave}, volume={119}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77958022008&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={1}, journal={Natural History}, author={Dunn, R.R.}, year={2010}, pages={16–18} }
 @article{harris_dunn_2010, title={Using host associations to predict spatial patterns in the species richness of the parasites of North American carnivores}, volume={13}, ISSN={["1461-0248"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-78650349764&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01527.x}, abstractNote={Despite the central theme in ecology of evaluating determinants of species richness, little effort has been focused on parasites. Here, we developed a parasite diversity model based on known host associations with 29 North American carnivores to investigate the spatial heterogeneity of parasite richness, its relationship to carnivore richness, and how host composition and specificity influenced these patterns. Patterns in parasite species richness closely tracked carnivore species richness across space and this relationship was robust to deviations from the assumption that parasites match the distribution of their hosts. Because wide-ranging hosts disproportionately contributed to total and specialist parasite species richness, conservation programmes that focus on these common hosts may capture not only much of biological diversity, but also unwittingly sources of human diseases. We supply the first parasite diversity model to understand broad-scale patterns in species richness patterns for North American carnivores, which can inform both future parasite conservation and disease management.}, number={11}, journal={ECOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Harris, Nyeema C. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2010}, month={Nov}, pages={1411–1418} }
 @article{dunn_2009, title={A head in the clouds}, volume={118}, number={6}, journal={Natural History Magazine}, author={Dunn, R. R.}, year={2009}, pages={16-} }
 @article{dunn_2009, title={A head in the clouds: Do the microorganisms that circulate in the atmosphere get there by chance-or by contrivance?}, volume={118}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-68949092219&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={6}, journal={Natural History}, author={Dunn, R.R.}, year={2009} }
 @article{lengyel_gove_latimer_majer_dunn_2009, title={Ants Sow the Seeds of Global Diversification in Flowering Plants}, volume={4}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-66049109836&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0005480}, abstractNote={The extraordinary diversification of angiosperm plants in the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods has produced an estimated 250,000-300,000 living angiosperm species and has fundamentally altered terrestrial ecosystems. Interactions with animals as pollinators or seed dispersers have long been suspected as drivers of angiosperm diversification, yet empirical examples remain sparse or inconclusive. Seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory) may drive diversification as it can reduce extinction by providing selective advantages to plants and can increase speciation by enhancing geographical isolation by extremely limited dispersal distances.Using the most comprehensive sister-group comparison to date, we tested the hypothesis that myrmecochory leads to higher diversification rates in angiosperm plants. As predicted, diversification rates were substantially higher in ant-dispersed plants than in their non-myrmecochorous relatives. Data from 101 angiosperm lineages in 241 genera from all continents except Antarctica revealed that ant-dispersed lineages contained on average more than twice as many species as did their non-myrmecochorous sister groups. Contrasts in species diversity between sister groups demonstrated that diversification rates did not depend on seed dispersal mode in the sister group and were higher in myrmecochorous lineages in most biogeographic regions.Myrmecochory, which has evolved independently at least 100 times in angiosperms and is estimated to be present in at least 77 families and 11 000 species, is a key evolutionary innovation and a globally important driver of plant diversity. Myrmecochory provides the best example to date for a consistent effect of any mutualism on large-scale diversification.}, number={5}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Lengyel, Szabolcs and Gove, Aaron D. and Latimer, Andrew M. and Majer, Jonathan D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2009}, month={May} }
 @article{dunn_agosti_andersen_arnan_bruhl_cerda_ellison_fisher_fitzpatrick_gibb_et al._2009, title={Climatic drivers of hemispheric asymmetry in global patterns of ant species richness}, volume={12}, ISSN={["1461-023X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-62249209482&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01291.x}, abstractNote={Although many taxa show a latitudinal gradient in richness, the relationship between latitude and species richness is often asymmetrical between the northern and southern hemispheres. Here we examine the latitudinal pattern of species richness across 1003 local ant assemblages. We find latitudinal asymmetry, with southern hemisphere sites being more diverse than northern hemisphere sites. Most of this asymmetry could be explained statistically by differences in contemporary climate. Local ant species richness was positively associated with temperature, but negatively (although weakly) associated with temperature range and precipitation. After contemporary climate was accounted for, a modest difference in diversity between hemispheres persisted, suggesting that factors other than contemporary climate contributed to the hemispherical asymmetry. The most parsimonious explanation for this remaining asymmetry is that greater climate change since the Eocene in the northern than in the southern hemisphere has led to more extinctions in the northern hemisphere with consequent effects on local ant species richness.}, number={4}, journal={ECOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Agosti, Donat and Andersen, Alan N. and Arnan, Xavier and Bruhl, Carsten A. and Cerda, Xim and Ellison, Aaron M. and Fisher, Brian L. and Fitzpatrick, Matthew C. and Gibb, Heloise and et al.}, year={2009}, month={Apr}, pages={324–333} }
 @book{dunn_2009, title={Coextinction: Anecdotes, models, and speculation}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-78650877351&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199535095.003.0008}, journal={Holocene Extinctions}, author={Dunn, R.R.}, year={2009} }
 @misc{dunn_2009, title={Could an ant colony read this book?}, volume={118}, number={1}, journal={Natural History Magazine}, author={Dunn, R. R.}, year={2009}, pages={30-} }
 @article{gove_fitzpatrick_majer_dunn_2009, title={Dispersal traits linked to range size through range location, not dispersal ability, in Western Australian angiosperms}, volume={18}, ISSN={["1466-8238"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-68549121074&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1466-8238.2009.00470.x}, abstractNote={Aim  We examine the relative importance of seed dispersal mode in determining the range size and range placement in 524 species from six focal plant families (Agavaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvacaeae, Sapindaceae, Proteaceae and Fabaceae (Acacia)).



Location  Western Australia.



Methods  Taxa were categorized by dispersal mode and life-form and their distributions modelled using maxent. Geographical range size was compared amongst dispersal mode, life-form and biome using phylogenetically independent contrasts. Geographical range placement was considered in a similar manner.



Results  Range size did not vary with dispersal mode (ant versus wind and vertebrate dispersal) or life-form, and instead varied primarily as a function of the biogeographical region in which a species was found. Range placement, however, did vary among dispersal modes, with the consequence that diversity of wind- and ant-dispersed plants increased with latitude while the diversity of vertebrate-dispersed plants was more evenly distributed.



Main conclusions  For the taxa studied, range sizes were a function of the biogeographical region in which species were found. Although differences in range size may exist among species differing in dispersal modes, they are likely to be far smaller than differences among species from different biogeographical regions. The trait most likely to affect species geographical range size, and hence rarity and risks associated with other threats, may simply be the geographical region in which that species has evolved.}, number={5}, journal={GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY}, author={Gove, Aaron D. and Fitzpatrick, Matthew C. and Majer, Jonathan D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2009}, month={Sep}, pages={596–606} }
 @article{dunn_2009, title={Dune buggies}, volume={118}, number={7}, journal={Natural History Magazine}, author={Dunn, R. R.}, year={2009}, pages={38–39} }
 @book{dunn_wilson_2009, title={Every living thing: Man's obsessive quest to catalog life, from nanobacteria to new monkeys}, ISBN={9780061430305}, publisher={New York: Collins}, author={Dunn, R. R. and Wilson, E. O.}, year={2009} }
 @misc{gotelli_anderson_arita_chao_colwell_connolly_currie_dunn_graves_green_et al._2009, title={Patterns and causes of species richness: a general simulation model for macroecology}, volume={12}, ISSN={["1461-0248"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-68849132448&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01353.x}, abstractNote={Understanding the causes of spatial variation in species richness is a major research focus of biogeography and macroecology. Gridded environmental data and species richness maps have been used in increasingly sophisticated curve-fitting analyses, but these methods have not brought us much closer to a mechanistic understanding of the patterns. During the past two decades, macroecologists have successfully addressed technical problems posed by spatial autocorrelation, intercorrelation of predictor variables and non-linearity. However, curve-fitting approaches are problematic because most theoretical models in macroecology do not make quantitative predictions, and they do not incorporate interactions among multiple forces. As an alternative, we propose a mechanistic modelling approach. We describe computer simulation models of the stochastic origin, spread, and extinction of species’ geographical ranges in an environmentally heterogeneous, gridded domain and describe progress to date regarding their implementation. The output from such a general simulation model (GSM) would, at a minimum, consist of the simulated distribution of species ranges on a map, yielding the predicted number of species in each grid cell of the domain. In contrast to curve-fitting analysis, simulation modelling explicitly incorporates the processes believed to be affecting the geographical ranges of species and generates a number of quantitative predictions that can be compared to empirical patterns. We describe three of the ‘control knobs’ for a GSM that specify simple rules for dispersal, evolutionary origins and environmental gradients. Binary combinations of different knob settings correspond to eight distinct simulation models, five of which are already represented in the literature of macroecology. The output from such a GSM will include the predicted species richness per grid cell, the range size frequency distribution, the simulated phylogeny and simulated geographical ranges of the component species, all of which can be compared to empirical patterns. Challenges to the development of the GSM include the measurement of goodness of fit (GOF) between observed data and model predictions, as well as the estimation, optimization and interpretation of the model parameters. The simulation approach offers new insights into the origin and maintenance of species richness patterns, and may provide a common framework for investigating the effects of contemporary climate, evolutionary history and geometric constraints on global biodiversity gradients. With further development, the GSM has the potential to provide a conceptual bridge between macroecology and historical biogeography.}, number={9}, journal={ECOLOGY LETTERS}, author={Gotelli, Nicholas J. and Anderson, Marti J. and Arita, Hector T. and Chao, Anne and Colwell, Robert K. and Connolly, Sean R. and Currie, David J. and Dunn, Robert R. and Graves, Gary R. and Green, Jessica L. and et al.}, year={2009}, month={Sep}, pages={873–886} }
 @article{lessard_dunn_sanders_2009, title={Temperature-mediated coexistence in temperate forest ant communities}, volume={56}, ISSN={["1420-9098"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-70349491088&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s00040-009-0006-4}, number={2}, journal={INSECTES SOCIAUX}, author={Lessard, J. -P. and Dunn, R. R. and Sanders, N. J.}, year={2009}, month={Jul}, pages={149–156} }
 @misc{dunn_harris_colwell_koh_sodhi_2009, title={The sixth mass coextinction: are most endangered species parasites and mutualists?}, volume={276}, ISSN={["1471-2954"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-68849094696&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1098/rspb.2009.0413}, abstractNote={The effects of species declines and extinction on biotic interactions remain poorly understood. The loss of a species is expected to result in the loss of other species that depend on it (coextinction), leading to cascading effects across trophic levels. Such effects are likely to be most severe in mutualistic and parasitic interactions. Indeed, models suggest that coextinction may be the most common form of biodiversity loss. Paradoxically, few historical or contemporary coextinction events have actually been recorded. We review the current knowledge of coextinction by: (i) considering plausible explanations for the discrepancy between predicted and observed coextinction rates; (ii) exploring the potential consequences of coextinctions; (iii) discussing the interactions and synergies between coextinction and other drivers of species loss, particularly climate change; and (iv) suggesting the way forward for understanding the phenomenon of coextinction, which may well be the most insidious threat to global biodiversity.}, number={1670}, journal={PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Harris, Nyeema C. and Colwell, Robert K. and Koh, Lian Pin and Sodhi, Navjot S.}, year={2009}, month={Sep}, pages={3037–3045} }
 @article{dunn_2009, title={This land : Dune buggies}, volume={118}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-70349765769&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={7}, journal={Natural History}, author={Dunn, R.R.}, year={2009}, pages={38–39} }
 @article{fitzpatrick_gove_sanders_dunn_2008, title={Climate change, plant migration, and range collapse in a global biodiversity hotspot: the Banksia (Proteaceae) of Western Australia}, volume={14}, ISSN={["1365-2486"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-43349092796&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01559.x}, abstractNote={Climate change has already altered global patterns of biodiversity by modifying the geographic distributions of species. Forecasts based on bioclimatic envelop modeling of distributions of species suggests greater impacts can be expected in the future, but such projections are contingent on assumptions regarding future climate and migration rates of species. Here, we present a first assessment of the potential impact of climate change on a global biodiversity hotspot in southwestern Western Australia. Across three representative scenarios of future climate change, we simulated migration of 100 Banksia (Proteaceae) species at a rate of 5 km decade−1 and compared projected impacts with those under the commonly applied, but acknowledged as inadequate, assumptions of ‘full-’ and ‘no-migration.’ Across all climate × migration scenarios, 66% of species were projected to decline, whereas only 6% were projected to expand or remain stable. Between 5% and 25% of species were projected to suffer range losses of 100% by 2080, depending mainly on climate scenario. Species losses were driven primarily by changes in current precipitation regimes, with the greatest losses of species projected to occur in a transition zone between wet coastal areas and interior arid regions and which is projected to become more arid in the future. Because the ranges of most species tended to collapse in all climate scenarios, we found that climate change impacts to flora of southwestern Western Australia may be large, even under optimistic assumptions regarding migration abilities. Taken together, our results suggest that the future of biodiversity in southwestern Western Australia may lie largely in the degree to which this hotspot experiences increased drought and in the ability of species to tolerate such decreases in precipitation. More broadly, our study is among a growing number of theoretical studies suggesting the impacts of future climate change on global biodiversity may be considerable.}, number={6}, journal={GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY}, author={Fitzpatrick, Matthew C. and Gove, Aaron D. and Sanders, Nathan J. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2008}, month={Jun}, pages={1337–1352} }
 @misc{fitzpatrick_dunn_sanders_2008, title={Data sets matter, but so do evolution and ecology}, volume={17}, ISSN={["1466-822X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-44949140492&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1466-8238.2008.00389.x}, abstractNote={A response to Peterson, A.T. & Nakazawa, Y. (2008) Environmental data sets matter in ecological niche modelling: an example with Solenopsis invicta and Solenopsis richteri. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 17, 135–144. In a recent paper, Peterson & Nakazawa (2008) (hereafter PN) contest key findings in our study (Fitzpatrick et al., 2007) that suggest that Solenopsis invicta (hereafter the fire ant) underwent a niche shift upon its invasion of North America. Using niche-based models, we proposed that the fire ant established in environments similar to those found in its native range but subsequently spread into environments unlike those found within its native range – a pattern strikingly similar to that suggested by Broennimann et al. (2007) for spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa). PN counter that our findings are simply an artefact of the environmental variables we used to model the fire ant's distributions and suggest instead that selection of alternative variables can produce a more correct prediction of the fire ant's invasion. PN conclude that the biological explanations offered in Fitzpatrick et al. (2007) for the non-predictivity between the fire ant's native and invaded distributions, namely enemy release, genetic founder effects and hybridization, are not necessary. Here we respond to PN's criticisms. We disagree with the contentions outlined in PN on the grounds that the authors (1) subjectively consider what represents a ‘correct’ prediction of the fire ant's niche, (2) do not discuss the potential for niches to be conserved along some environmental axes but not others and, most significantly, (3) do not adequately represent our original analyses in Fitzpatrick et al. (2007) by not testing the ability of the fire ant's invaded distribution to predict its native range using their alternative data sets. We demonstrate, using the procedures outlined in Fitzpatrick et al. (2007) and the set of environmental variables in PN that represents a subset of the variables used in Fitzpatrick et al. (2007), that the results from our original study stand. PN state that, owing to small sample sizes, their ‘test’ of model predictions was qualitative. The failure of models to ‘anticipate the full northward extent of the species’ invasion was taken as an indication of poor generalization’ (emphasis ours). We do not take issue with such a qualitative and subjective ‘test’ of model quality per se. But, if PN apply such a test to predictions of the invaded range, they must also apply the same ‘test’ to distributions predicted for the native range. PN seem satisfied with predictions of the fire ant's invaded distribution in North America as long as models anticipate at least a portion of the northern limit of the fire ant's invasion (not the full northern limit or the western limit) – no matter how low model agreement or how poorly models predict other portions of the fire ant's distributions (e.g. over-prediction of the fire ant's native range). In contrast, they dismiss models that fail their test of a ‘correct’ prediction, but that replicate the fire ant's native distribution in South America (upon which the models were based), including models that correctly predict the southern limit of the native range, which is roughly analogous to the north limit of the introduced range. Our differences in interpretation originate, at least in part, from an essential difference between the goal of Fitzpatrick et al. (2007) and that of PN. Fitzpatrick et al. (2007) attempted to test for and offer hypotheses that might explain a niche shift, while PN attempt to replicate a well-documented invasion by selecting variables that generally predict the fire ant's invaded distribution, regardless of model performance elsewhere. Therefore, PN consider the fire ant's niche to be modelled ‘correctly’ when the prediction meets their criteria in the invaded range, even if models fail to predict the native range. We consider the fire ant's niche to be modelled ‘correctly’ when models predict all extents of both the native and invaded ranges, because if the niche of a species is conserved, then a single model should in principle predict both the native and the invaded range (Wiens & Graham, 2005). Such a gestalt evaluation, in tandem with comparisons in bioclimatic space (rather than geographical space alone, e.g. using principal components analysis), is more likely to identify instances of niche shifts (or lack thereof) rather than a focus on particular characteristics of the predicted invaded distribution alone. On these grounds, we take particular issue with PN's claim that four of the environmental data sets used in their paper could correctly predict the fire ant's potential to invade North America – even when considering their definition of a ‘correct’ prediction. These four data sets include data from: (1) the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), (2) the Center for Climate Research at the University of Delaware (CCR), (3) monthly surface reflectance values drawn from the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and (4) a subset of the data layers from the WordClim data set (‘reduced WC2’; see Peterson & Nakazawa, 2008, for full descriptions of these data and citations). Of these four, only the ‘reduced WC2’ data set comes close to correctly predicting both the invaded and the native range using native range occurrence data (but see Issue 3 below). Both IPCC and CCR do a poor job of predicting the fire ant's invasive potential in North America. There are absences in the predicted distributions where fire ants are known to be present and regions with thin coverage (i.e. low model agreement). The IPCC data set predicts, also with low model agreement, that fire ants could invade areas north of the Arctic Circle. To consider these models as correct predictions of the fire ant's invasive potential is misleading. NDVI does anticipate the full northward extent of the fire ant's invasion. However, NDVI also over-predicts the native range (including its southern extent), suggesting that NDVI does not limit the fire ant's native distribution. This notion is strengthened by the fact that NDVI also predicts coastal Maine and regions of Canada north of Minnesota to be susceptible to invasion by fire ants. Because fire ant physiology has been intensively studied, we know that these northern regions are not suitable areas that fire ants have yet to colonize. Such over-prediction is to be expected when remotely sensed data are used as surrogates for climate variables because distant regions may exhibit similar spectral signatures even if they have substantially different climates. Given the amount of baggage that comes with the niche concept and its relationship to niche-based models, it is debatable whether differentiating between fundamental and realized niches is useful (Guisan & Thuiller, 2005; Araújo & Guisan, 2006; Soberón, 2007). However, in a general sense, distinguishing between fundamental and realized niches is a simple way to clarify the primary issue with projecting biological invasions using observed distributions of species in their native range. Further, distinguishing between fundamental and realized niches is useful when discussing niche conservatism because niche shifts can result from a change in the realized niche only (e.g. relaxation of biotic constraints on distribution with no change in climatic tolerances), or also from a change in both the realized and fundamental niche (Pearman et al., 2008). Niche-based models are applied and often discussed in the context of Hutchinson's niche concept. As defined by Hutchinson (1957), the fundamental niche represents the complete set of environmental conditions under which a species can persist, whereas the realized niche is the subset of those conditions within the fundamental niche that the species actually occupies. Because observed distributions of species reflect multiple determinants, including climatic tolerances, biotic interactions, and dispersal limitation, niche-based models developed using observed distributions will predict the geographic equivalent of the realized niche. When such a model is projected, the model identifies where the species is likely to invade as long as the combinations of biotic and abiotic constraints on the native distribution of the species remain unchanged and the species does not evolve. As has been widely theorized and empirically validated, changes to both realized and fundamental niches are possible during an invasion given the potential for release from biotic and other non-climatic constraints on distribution and adaptation (see Pearman et al., 2008, for a recent review of these topics as well as a comprehensive list of examples of both niche shifts and niche conservatism drawn from many taxa). A larger issue is the fact that there is no standard measure of what constitutes a niche shift. How much a species’ niche has to change for it no longer to be conserved is an open question. It is unlikely that any introduced species invades a new territory without experiencing some degree of niche shift, since it is highly unlikely that identical combinations of environmental conditions exist in both the native and introduced ranges – especially when considering more than a few environmental variables. Whether such niche shifts result from species realizing more of their fundamental niche or from founder effects or subsequent evolution that leads to change in both the realized and fundamental niche is irrelevant to our argument as niche-based models cannot distinguish these possibilities. Nonetheless, decades of evolutionary and ecological theory and a large body of empirical evidence documenting that invasive species can experience rapid evolution as well as release from biotic constraints on distribution suggest that niche shifts should be commonplace when species are introduced to new biogeographical settings. In this vein, PN do not explore as a possible explanation for the ability of their models with fewer variables to better replicate the fire ant's invasion that niches may shift along some environmental axes while being conserved along others. There is little reason to think that a species’ niche will shift along all environmental axes simultaneously. It is entirely plausible, and we would argue much more likely, for a species’ niche to shift along one axis or a few axes such that they may tolerate, say, different moisture conditions, while conserving their tolerance of minimum temperature. Such a scenario may explain why the ‘reduced WC2’ data set predicts more of the fire ant's invaded distribution than varaibles used in our original analysis. The fire ant's niche may have shifted along an environmental axis represented by variables in the ‘full WC2’ data set, but which is not represented in the ‘reduced WC2’ data set. Further, given that dimensionality is reduced as environmental variables are removed from consideration, models will tend to produce a broader predicted niche (and distribution) because the number of possible constraints on the niche is correspondingly reduced as well. In any event, as we outline in Issue 3, our analysis using the ‘reduced WC2’ data set does not eliminate the necessity for biological explanations for the non-transferability of models between the fire ant's ranges as claimed by PN. Despite the availability of data describing the fire ant's invaded distribution, PN employed only native distribution data in their analysis (and used slightly different native distribution data than the data used in our original analysis). We performed an analysis identical to that described in Fitzpatrick et al. (2007) using PN's ‘reduced WC2’ data set and the original Desktop garp algorithm within the Open Modeller framework. We focus on the ‘reduced WC2’ data set because it represents a subset of the original variables used in Fitzpatrick et al. (2007). In additional, we used the ‘ade4’ package in r version 2.6.0 to test for niche conservatism by comparing the positions of native and invaded range distribution data in the climatic space resulting from a principal components analysis on the ‘reduced WC2’ data set. We weighted occurrences to ensure that both the invaded range (741 points) and the native range (74 points) had equal representation. The significance of the difference between the fire ant's native and invaded niches (i.e. the two clusters of points in PCA space) was assessed using a between-class analysis (see Broennimann et al., 2007, for a relevant application) and by performing a Monte Carlo test (99 permutations) on the resulting between-class inertia percentage. Our analysis using the ‘reduced WC2’ data set confirmed our original findings. When examined in ‘reduced WC2’ climatic space, the invaded niche of the fire ant is significantly different from its native niche (between-class inertia: 40.0%; P < 0.01), mainly along an axis associated with temperature (data not shown). This finding suggests that the fire ant has invaded colder temperatures than those characterizing its native distribution. This niche shift was revealed in geographical space when models developed using the ‘reduced WC2’ data set were projected (Fig. 1, right panel). Models developed using native range occurrences failed to predict the full northward extent of the fire ant's invasion (even when we considered model agreement as low as 25%; black shading in Fig. 1b, right panel), whereas models developed using invaded range occurrences also over-predicted the southern limit of the native range (Fig. 1d, right panel). These projections are nearly identical to those obtained in our original analysis (Fig. 1, left panel). Potential distributions of Solenopsis invicta developed using niche-based models and two environmental data sets. The left panel is the original as published in Fitzpatrick et al. (2007) and contended by Peterson and Nakazawa (2008). The right panel replicates our original analysis using the reduced WorldClim data set (reduced WC2) of Peterson and Nakazawa (2008). In both panels, native range models represent (a) the potential native and (b) the potential invaded distributions of the fire ant based on 74 known occurrences in South America (a, open circles). Invaded range models represent (c) the potential invaded and (d) the potential native range of the fire ant based on the central points of 741 US counties (c, points not shown). Bold, solid lines indicate the approximate extent of the native (a, d) and invaded (b, c) range of the fire ant. Darker shading represents greater model agreement. Black shading in the right panel (b) represents areas where model agreement is at least 25%. As in the original analysis on the left, the ‘reduced WC2’ data set under-predicts the invaded range (b, right panel) and over-predicts the native range (d, right panel). We continue to argue that these ‘prediction errors’ are biologically interesting and a more biologically rigorous model confirms our notion. Morrison et al. (2004) used a mechanistic, physiological model based on colony growth rates in North America (Korzukhin et al., 2001) to predict the potential global extent of the fire ant's distribution. In accordance with our analysis, predictions from the colony-growth model also suggest that the fire ant's native distribution could extend further south than its currently recognized boundary in South America (Morrison et al., 2004). The most parsimonious explanation, supported by both niche-based and physiological models, is that the fire ant's niche was not conserved upon its invasion of North America. Whether this apparent niche shift represents a change in the fire ant's realized or fundamental niche remains unclear, because, to our knowledge, no such physiological model has been developed for fire ant populations in South America. There is little reason to believe that predicted distributions based on species distribution models will ever match observed distributions perfectly. Certainly some prediction errors will prove to be uninteresting and related to data quality or statistical inaccuracies. Therefore, it is important to point out such potential sources of uncertainty in both our original analysis and that presented here. For example, the environmental conditions that fire ants experience on the ground are likely to differ vastly in some regions from those characterized by temporally and spatially generalized climate data – especially in regions such as the desert south-west of the United States where fire ants persist mainly where irrigation is prevalent. This fact alone could account for some modelling discrepancies and highlights the caution required when using niche-based models to test hypotheses regarding species–climate relationships (Araújo et al., 2005). Further, there is now a consensus among researchers that projections can vary widely with the statistical technique used to model geographical distributions and therefore a range of modelling techniques and ensemble forecasting (Araújo & New, 2007) should ideally be used to reduce and quantify such model-based uncertainty. In both the analysis here and our original analysis we used only one algorithm, garp. An investigation of the ability of other statistical approaches to predict the invasion of the fire ant (and other invasive species) is warranted. In fact the well-studied fire ant could serve as an excellent test of the ability of different techniques to project invasions. Finally, in keeping with our interest in replicating our original analysis, we did not validate our findings using all of PN's data sets, namely IPCC, CCR or NDVI. Nonetheless, we view certain model errors as biologically interesting and necessitating biological explanations – since it is biological processes that species distribution models notoriously ignore. Niches can change owing to drift, enemy release, selection, hybridization and simply as a consequence of genetic founder effects during invasion. Some or all of these factors could result in niche shifts that are potentially detectable at the broad spatial scales at which niche-based models are commonly applied. Understanding the prevalence of and mechanisms behind such shifts is of theoretical and applied interest and may facilitate improvements in our ability to anticipate both biological invasions and the potential impacts of climate change on biodiversity. We agree that the role of environmental data sets in these issues merits careful investigation. However, by implying that model errors are simply the result of variable selection and do not warrant biological explanations, PN may have inadvertently exposed niche modelling studies to yet another criticism. M.C.F. acknowledges support from the University of Tennessee in the form of a Yates Dissertation Fellowship and through the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. We thank an anonymous referee, Gregory Crutsinger, William Hargrove, J. P. Lessard, David Nogués-Bravo and Daniel Simberloff for improving an early draft of this paper. Editor: José Alexandre F. Diniz-Filho}, number={4}, journal={GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY}, author={Fitzpatrick, Matthew C. and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2008}, month={Jul}, pages={562–565} }
 @inbook{dunn_gove_majer_2008, place={Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil}, title={Seed dispersal mutualisms with ants and patterns of plant diversity in western Australia}, booktitle={Fronteiras do conhecimento em Insetos Socais}, publisher={Editora Universidade Federal de Vicosa}, author={Dunn, Rob R. and Gove, A. and Majer, J.D.}, editor={Vilela, E.F. and Santos, I. A. and Schoereder, J. H. and Campos, L. A. O. and Serrão, J. E.Editors}, year={2008}, pages={325–347} }
 @article{gove_dunn_majer_2008, title={The importance of species range attributes and reserve configuration for the conservation of angiosperm diversity in Western Australia}, volume={17}, ISSN={["1572-9710"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-41149132727&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s10531-008-9321-8}, number={4}, journal={BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION}, author={Gove, Aaron D. and Dunn, Robert R. and Majer, Jonathan D.}, year={2008}, month={Apr}, pages={817–831} }
 @article{zelikova_dunn_sanders_2008, title={Variation in seed dispersal along an elevational gradient in Great Smoky Mountains National Park}, volume={34}, ISSN={["1873-6238"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-51449084229&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1016/j.actao.2008.05.002}, abstractNote={Seed dispersal by ants is ecologically important and geographically widespread as 20–50% of all herbaceous species in eastern deciduous forests are dispersed by ants, but we know little about how or why such interactions vary geographically. In this paper, we examined variation in seed dispersal by ants along an extensive elevational gradient (256–2025 m) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Specifically, we asked whether variation in ant community composition affected seed removals and seed dispersal distance of Trillium undulatum and Hexastylis arifolia, two common understory herbs found throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains. We also examined variation in myrmecochore abundance, specifically Trillium spp. and H. arifolia, along the same elevational gradient. Measures of ant community and climate variables strongly covaried with elevation, while Trillium species richness and abundance did not. We found that seed removals decreased with elevation, but seed dispersal distance did not depend on elevation. The most important variables predicting seed removals were average annual temperature and the abundance of Aphaenogaster rudis, both of which varied along the elevational gradient. Seed dispersal by ants did not depend on ant community composition, but was dominated by one species, A. rudis, which occurred at every site and removed the vast majority of all observed seeds in this study. Though the ant fauna in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is diverse, dispersal of T. undulatum and H. arifolia, and likely other myrmecochores, is driven by one ant species, A. rudis.}, number={2}, journal={ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY}, author={Zelikova, Tamara J. and Dunn, Robert R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2008}, pages={155–162} }
 @article{gove_majer_dunn_2007, title={A keystone ant species promotes seed dispersal in a "diffuse" mutualism}, volume={153}, ISSN={["0029-8549"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-34547794209&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s00442-007-0756-5}, number={3}, journal={OECOLOGIA}, author={Gove, Aaron D. and Majer, Jonathan D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2007}, month={Sep}, pages={687–697} }
 @article{sanders_crutsinger_dunn_majer_delabie_2007, title={An ant mosaic revisited: Dominant ant species disassemble arboreal ant communities but co-occur randomly}, volume={39}, ISSN={["1744-7429"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-34247329510&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1744-7429.2007.00263.x}, abstractNote={The spatial distributions of many tropical arboreal ant species are often arranged in a mosaic such that dominant species have mutually exclusive distributions among trees. These dominant species can also mediate the structure of the rest of the arboreal ant community. Little attention has been paid to how diet might shape the effects of dominant species on one another and the rest of the ant community. Here, we take advantage of new information on the diets of many tropical arboreal ant species to examine the intra- and inter-guild effects of dominant species on the spatial distribution of one another and the rest of the tropical arboreal ant community in a cocoa farm in Bahia, Brazil. Using null model analyses, we found that all ant species, regardless of dominance status or guild membership, co-occur much less than expected by chance. Surprisingly, the suite of five dominant species showed random co-occurrence patterns, suggesting that interspecific competition did not shape their distribution among cocoa trees. Across all species, there was no evidence that competition shaped co-occurrence patterns within guilds. Co-occurrence patterns of subordinant species were random on trees with dominant species, but highly nonrandom on trees without dominant species, suggesting that dominant species disassemble tropical arboreal ant communities. Taken together, our results highlight the often complex nature of interactions that structure species-rich tropical arboreal ant assemblages.}, number={3}, journal={BIOTROPICA}, author={Sanders, Nathan J. and Crutsinger, Gregory M. and Dunn, Robert R. and Majer, Jonathan D. and Delabie, Jacques H. C.}, year={2007}, month={May}, pages={422–427} }
 @article{geraghty_dunn_sanders_2007, title={Body size, colony size, and range size in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): are patterns along elevational and latitudinal gradients consistent with Bergmann’s rule?}, volume={10}, journal={Myrmecological News}, author={Geraghty, M.J. and Dunn, Rob R. and Sanders, N.J.}, year={2007}, pages={51–58} }
 @article{dunn_gove_barraclough_givnish_majer_2007, title={Convergent evolution of an ant-plant mutualism across plant families, continents, and time}, volume={9}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-38949154868&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={8}, journal={Evolutionary Ecology Research}, author={Dunn, R.R. and Gove, A.D. and Barraclough, T.G. and Givnish, T.J. and Majer, J.D.}, year={2007}, pages={1349–1362} }
 @article{dunn_sanders_fitzpatrick_laurent_lessard_agosti_andersen_bruhl_cerda_ellison_et al._2007, title={Global ant biodiversity and biogeography – a new database and its possibilities}, volume={10}, journal={Myrmecological News}, author={Dunn, Rob R. and Sanders, N. J. and Fitzpatrick, M. C. and Laurent, E. and Lessard, J-P and Agosti, D. and Andersen, A. and Bruhl, C. and Cerda, X. and Ellison, A. and et al.}, year={2007}, pages={77–84} }
 @article{dunn_2007, title={Notes from the edge}, volume={116}, number={2}, journal={Natural History Magazine}, author={Dunn, R. R.}, year={2007}, pages={80} }
 @article{dunn_2007, title={Our evolving present}, volume={297}, ISSN={["0036-8733"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-38049188052&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1038/scientificamerican1207-46}, number={6}, journal={SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN}, author={Dunn, Rob}, year={2007}, month={Dec}, pages={46–46} }
 @article{mcglynn_salinas_dunn_wood_lawrence_clark_2007, title={Phosphorus limits tropical rain forest litter fauna}, volume={39}, ISSN={["0006-3606"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-33846077088&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1744-7429.2006.00241.x}, abstractNote={The stoichiometry of resources may explain bottom-up regulation of higher trophic levels. We tested the effects of soil and litter nutrient stoichiometry on the invertebrate litter fauna of a Costa Rican tropical rain forest. Animal densities were estimated from 15 sites across a phosphorus gradient. The density of the invertebrate litter fauna varied considerably, and was strongly tied to soil and litter phosphorus concentrations. An increase in phosphorus concentrations corresponded with an equally proportionate increase in animal densities. Natural variation in nutrient levels can thus serve as a predictor of density in a highly diverse tropical animal community.}, number={1}, journal={BIOTROPICA}, author={McGlynn, Terrence P. and Salinas, Daniel J. and Dunn, Robert R. and Wood, Tana E. and Lawrence, Deborah and Clark, Deborah A.}, year={2007}, month={Jan}, pages={50–53} }
 @article{lessard_dunn_parker_sanders_2007, title={Rarity and diversity in forest ant assemblages of Great Smoky Mountains National Park}, volume={6}, ISSN={["1528-7092"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-37049024789&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1656/1528-7092(2007)6[215:RADIFA]2.0.CO;2}, abstractNote={We report on a systematic survey of the ant fauna occurring in hardwood forests in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At 22-mixed hardwood sites, we collected leaf-litter ant species using Winkler samplers. At eight of those sites, we also collected ants using pitfall and Malaise traps. In total, we collected 53 ant species. As shown in other studies, ant species richness tended to decline with increasing elevation. Leaf-litter ant assemblages were also highly nested. Several common species were both locally abundant and had broad distributions, while many other species were rarely detected. Winkler samplers, pitfall traps, and Malaise traps yielded samples that differed in composition, but not richness, from one another. Taken together, our work begins to illuminate the factors that govern the diversity, distribution, abundance, and perhaps rarity of ants of forested ecosystems in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.}, number={SPEC. ISS. 1}, journal={SOUTHEASTERN NATURALIST}, author={Lessard, Jean-Philippe and Dunn, Robert R. and Parker, Charles R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2007}, pages={215–228} }
 @article{dunn_parker_geraghty_sanders_2007, title={Reproductive phenologies in a diverse temperate ant fauna}, volume={32}, ISSN={["0307-6946"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-33947621642&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1365-2311.2006.00839.x}, abstractNote={Abstract 1. Ant nuptial flights are central to understanding ant life history and ecology but have been little studied. This study examined the timing of nuptial flights, the synchronicity of nuptial flights (as a potential index of mating strategy), and variation in nuptial flights with elevation and among years in a diverse temperate ant fauna. 2. Flights occurred throughout the year, but were concentrated in the beginning of summer and in early fall (autumn). Relative to the entire flight season, closely related species tended to be more likely than expected by chance to fly at similar times, perhaps because of phylogenetic constraints on life history evolution. 3. Flights were relatively synchronous within species for nearly all species considered, but synchronicity did not appear to be a robust estimate of overall mating strategy. 4. Overall patterns in nuptial flights among species and the timing of flights for individual species varied with elevation, but did not vary greatly among years. 5. Although this study is one of the most comprehensive on the reproductive flight phenologies of ants, much remains to be learned about the causes and consequences of such spatial and temporal variation in flight phenology.}, number={2}, journal={ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Parker, Charles R. and Geraghty, Melissa and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2007}, month={Apr}, pages={135–142} }
 @article{dunn_danoff-burg_2007, title={Road size and carrion beetle assemblages in a New York forest}, volume={11}, ISSN={["1572-9753"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-35648987112&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s10841-006-9047-4}, number={4}, journal={JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Danoff-Burg, James A.}, year={2007}, month={Dec}, pages={325–332} }
 @article{sanders_lessard_fitzpatrick_dunn_2007, title={Temperature, but not productivity or geometry, predicts elevational diversity gradients in ants across spatial grains}, volume={16}, ISSN={["1466-8238"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-34547997185&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1466-8238.2007.00316.x}, abstractNote={Aim This research aims to understand the factors that shape elevational diversity gradients and how those factors vary with spatial grain. Specifically, we test the predictions of the species–productivity hypothesis, species–temperature hypothesis, the metabolic theory of ecology and the mid-domain effects null model. We also examine how the effects of productivity and temperature on richness depend on spatial grain. Location Deciduous forests along an elevational gradient in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Methods We sampled 22 leaf litter ant assemblages at three spatial grains, from 1-m2 quadrats to 50 × 50 m plots using Winkler samplers. Results Across spatial grains, warmer sites had more species than did cooler sites, and primary productivity did not predict ant species richness. We found some support for the predictions of the metabolic theory of ecology, but no support for the mid-domain effects null model. Thus, our data are best explained by some version of a species–temperature hypothesis. Main conclusions Our results suggest that temperature indirectly affects ant species diversity across spatial grains, perhaps by limiting access to resources. Warmer sites support more species because they support more individuals, thereby reducing the probability of local extinction. Many of our results from this elevational gradient agree with studies at more global scales, suggesting that some mechanisms shaping ant diversity gradients are common across scales.}, number={5}, journal={GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY}, author={Sanders, Nathan J. and Lessard, Jean-Philippe and Fitzpatrick, Matthew C. and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2007}, month={Sep}, pages={640–649} }
 @article{dunn_parker_sanders_2007, title={Temporal patterns of diversity: Assessing the biotic and abiotic controls on ant assemblages}, volume={91}, ISSN={["1095-8312"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-34447108203&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00783.x}, abstractNote={In this study, we use 12 months of data from 11 ant assemblages to test whether seasonal variation in ant diversity is governed by either the structuring influences of interspecific competition or environmental conditions. Because the importance of competition might vary along environmental gradients, we also test whether the signature of competition depends on elevation. We find little evidence that competition structures the seasonal patterns of activity in the ant assemblages considered, but find support for the effects of temperature on seasonal patterns of diversity, especially at low-elevation sites. Although, in general, both competition and the environment interact to structure ant assemblages, our results suggest that environmental conditions are the primary force structuring the seasonal activity of the ant assemblages studied here.}, number={2}, journal={BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Parker, Charles R. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2007}, month={Jun}, pages={191–201} }
 @article{fitzpatrick_weltzin_sanders_dunn_2007, title={The biogeography of prediction error: Why does the introduced range of the fire ant over-predict its native range?}, volume={16}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-33845638788&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1466-8238.2006.00258.x}, abstractNote={Aim The use of species distribution models (SDMs) to predict biological invasions is a rapidly developing area of ecology. However, most studies investigating SDMs typically ignore prediction errors and instead focus on regions where native distributions correctly predict invaded ranges. We investigated the ecological significance of prediction errors using reciprocal comparisons between the predicted invaded and native range of the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) (hereafter called the fire ant). We questioned whether fire ants occupy similar environments in their native and introduced range, how the environments that fire ants occupy in their introduced range changed through time relative to their native range, and where fire ant propagules are likely to have originated. Location We developed models for South America and the conterminous United States (US) of America. Methods We developed models using the Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction (GARP) and 12 environmental layers. Occurrence data from the native range in South America were used to predict the introduced range in the US and vice versa. Further, time-series data recording the invasion of fire ants in the US were used to predict the native range. Results Native range occurrences under-predicted the invasive potential of fire ants, whereas occurrence data from the US over-predicted the southern boundary of the native range. Secondly, introduced fire ants initially established in environments similar to those in their native range, but subsequently invaded harsher environments. Time-series data suggest that fire ant propagules originated near the southern limit of their native range. Conclusions Our findings suggest that fire ants from a peripheral native population established in an environment similar to their native environment, and then ultimately expanded into environments in which they are not found in their native range. We argue that reciprocal comparisons between predicted native and invaded ranges will facilitate a better understanding of the biogeography of invasive and native species and of the role of SDMs in predicting future distributions.}, number={1}, journal={Global Ecology and Biogeography}, author={Fitzpatrick, M.C. and Weltzin, J.F. and Sanders, N.J. and Dunn, R.R.}, year={2007}, pages={24–33} }
 @article{fitzpatrick_weltzin_sanders_dunn_2007, title={The biogeography of prediction error: why does the introduced range of the fire ant over-predict its native range?}, volume={16}, DOI={10.1111/j.1466-822x.2006.00258.x}, number={1}, journal={Global Ecology and Biogeography}, author={Fitzpatrick, M. C. and Weltzin, J. F. and Sanders, N. J. and Dunn, Robert}, year={2007}, pages={24–33} }
 @article{dunn_mccain_sanders_2007, title={When does diversity fit null model predictions? Scale and range size mediate the mid-domain effect}, volume={16}, ISSN={["1466-8238"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-34247116445&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1466-8238.2006.00284.x}, abstractNote={Aim Recently, a flurry of studies have focused on the extent to which geographical patterns of diversity fit mid-domain effect (MDE) null models. While some studies find strong support for MDE null models, others find little. We test two hypotheses that might explain this variation among studies: small-ranged groups of species are less likely than large-ranged species to show mid-domain peaks in species richness, and mid-domain null model predictions are less robust for smaller spatial extents than for larger spatial extents. Location We analyse data sets from elevational, riverine, continental and other domains from around the world. Methods We use a combination of Spearman rank correlations and binomial tests to examine whether differences within and among studies and domains in the predictive power of MDE null models vary with spatial scale and range size. Results Small-ranged groups of species are less likely to fit mid-domain predictions than large-ranged groups of species. At large spatial extents, diversity patterns of taxonomic groups with large mean range sizes fit MDE null model predictions better than did diversity patterns of groups with small mean range sizes. MDE predictions were more explanatory at larger spatial extents than at smaller extents. Diversity patterns at smaller spatial extents fit MDE predictions poorly across all range sizes. Thus, MDE predictions should be expected to explain patterns of species richness when ranges and the scale of analysis are both large. Main conclusions Taken together, the support for these hypotheses offers a more sophisticated model of when MDE predictions should be expected to explain patterns of species richness, namely when ranges and the scale of analysis are both large. Thus the circumstances in which the MDE is important are finite and apparently predictable.}, number={3}, journal={GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and McCain, Christy M. and Sanders, Nathan J.}, year={2007}, month={May}, pages={305–312} }
 @article{dunn_2006, title={Book Review: A Plague of Rats and Rubbervines: The Growing Threat of Species Invasions. By Yvonne Baskin, 2002, 377 pp, Island Press, Washington, DC, US$25.00, ISBN 1-55963-876-1 (cloth).}, volume={8}, ISSN={1387-3547 1573-1464}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/S10530-005-5364-X}, DOI={10.1007/S10530-005-5364-X}, number={2}, journal={Biological Invasions}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2006}, month={Mar}, pages={393–394} }
 @article{dunn_2006, title={Dig it!}, volume={115}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-33845314449&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={10}, journal={Natural History}, author={Dunn, R.R.}, year={2006}, pages={36–41} }
 @article{calvino-cancela_dunn_etten_lamont_2006, title={Emus as non-standard seed dispersers and their potential for long-distance dispersal}, volume={29}, ISSN={["1600-0587"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-33845578187&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.0906-7590.2006.04677.x}, abstractNote={Long-distance seed dispersal may have important consequences for species range, migration rates, metapopulation dynamics, and gene flow. Plants have evolved various adaptations for seed dispersal by standard agents, with typical dispersal distances associated with them. Seeds may also be dispersed by non-standard agents for which they do not show any apparent adaptation and may reach long distances. By sampling the droppings of emus Dromaius novaehollandiae at three localities in Western Australia, we investigated their potential to act as long-distance dispersers of seeds with adaptations for dispersal modes other than endozoochory, such as unassisted, ant, wind and exozoochory, for which they act as non-standard agents. Seventy-seven plant species with five types of dispersal syndromes were found in the 112 droppings analysed, with at least 68 having viable seeds. Although endozoochory was the most frequent syndrome, the presence of other syndromes was important in terms of number of species (61%) and seeds (50%). Estimates of species richness indicated that an increase in sampling effort would increase the number of species observed, especially among non-endozoochores. As a consequence of their long gut retention times and high mobility, emus can provide long-distance dispersal opportunities that may be especially relevant for species with dispersal modes of typically short distances (unassisted, ant).



Our results suggest that the role of emus as non-standard agents for long-distance dispersal should be taken into account for understanding current geographic ranges, gene flow and metapopulation dynamics of some plant species, as well as for predicting their future responses to climate change and fragmentation.}, number={4}, journal={ECOGRAPHY}, author={Calvino-Cancela, Maria and Dunn, Robert R. and Etten, Eddie J. B. and Lamont, Byron B.}, year={2006}, month={Aug}, pages={632–640} }
 @article{turner_pearce_rokich_dunn_merritt_majer_dixon_2006, title={Influence of polymer seed coatings, soil raking, and time of sowing on seedling performance in post-mining restoration}, volume={14}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-33646810811&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1526-100X.2006.00129.x}, abstractNote={This study represents part of a broader investigation into novel seed broadcasting methodologies as a means to optimize rehabilitation techniques following sand mining. Specifically, the study investigated the use of polymer seed coatings, time of sowing application, and in situ raking of the topsoil to optimize seedling recruitment to site. For polymer seed coatings, an ex situ trial was undertaken to evaluate seed coating effects on seedling emergence. Results demonstrated that seed coatings did not significantly inhibit maximum emergence percentage of 10 Banksia woodland species (out of 11 evaluated), but coated seeds from four species were on average 2–6 days slower to emerge than noncoated seeds. Seed coatings were found to have a greater effect in situ, with more coated seeds emerging than noncoated seeds. Topsoil raking (following seed sowing) and time of sowing were found to have the greatest impact on seedling emergence, with higher emergence following topsoil raking (5- to 90-fold increase) and sowing in May (late autumn) (1.4- to 12-fold increase) rather than in July (mid-winter). The implications for mining rehabilitation are discussed, and areas for further research are considered.}, number={2}, journal={Restoration Ecology}, author={Turner, S.R. and Pearce, B. and Rokich, D.P. and Dunn, R.R. and Merritt, D.J. and Majer, J.D. and Dixon, K.W.}, year={2006}, pages={267–277} }
 @article{dunn_gavin_sanchez_solomon_2006, title={The pigeon paradox: Dependence of global conservation on urban nature}, volume={20}, ISSN={["1523-1739"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-33845487899&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00533.x}, abstractNote={Conservation BiologyVolume 20, Issue 6 p. 1814-1816 The Pigeon Paradox: Dependence of Global Conservation on Urban Nature ROBERT R. DUNN, ROBERT R. DUNN Department of Zoology, Graduate Ecology Group, North Carolina State University, Box 7617, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, U.S.A., email rob_dunn@ncsu.eduSearch for more papers by this authorMICHAEL C. GAVIN, MICHAEL C. GAVIN School of Geography, Environment, and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorMONICA C. SANCHEZ, MONICA C. SANCHEZ Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-2176, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this authorJENNIFER N. SOLOMON, JENNIFER N. SOLOMON Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0430, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this author ROBERT R. DUNN, ROBERT R. DUNN Department of Zoology, Graduate Ecology Group, North Carolina State University, Box 7617, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, U.S.A., email rob_dunn@ncsu.eduSearch for more papers by this authorMICHAEL C. GAVIN, MICHAEL C. GAVIN School of Geography, Environment, and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorMONICA C. SANCHEZ, MONICA C. SANCHEZ Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-2176, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this authorJENNIFER N. SOLOMON, JENNIFER N. SOLOMON Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0430, U.S.A.Search for more papers by this author First published: 09 August 2006 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00533.xCitations: 167Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume20, Issue6December 2006Pages 1814-1816 RelatedInformation}, number={6}, journal={CONSERVATION BIOLOGY}, author={Dunn, Robert R. and Gavin, Michael C. and Sanchez, Monica C. and Solomon, Jennifer N.}, year={2006}, month={Dec}, pages={1814–1816} }
 @article{dunn_colwell_nilsson_2006, title={The river domain: why are there more species halfway up the river?}, volume={29}, ISSN={["1600-0587"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-33645857057&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.2006.0906-7590.04259.x}, abstractNote={259.Biologists have long noted higher levels of species diversity in the longitudinal middle-courses of river systems and have proposed many explanations. As a new explanationfor this widespread pattern, we suggest that many middle-course peaks in richness maybe, at least in part, a consequence of geometric constraints on the location of species’ranges along river courses, considering river headwaters and mouths as boundaries forthe taxa considered. We demonstrate this extension of the mid-domain effect (MDE) toriver systems for riparian plants along two rivers in Sweden, where a previous studyfound a middle-course peak in richness of natural (non-ruderal) species. We comparepatterns of empirical richness of these species to null model predictions of speciesrichness along the two river systems and to spatial patterns for six environmentalvariables (channel width, substrate fineness, substrate heterogeneity, ice scour, bankheight, and bank area). In addition, we examine the independent prediction of mid-domain effects models that species with large ranges, because the location of theirranges is more constrained, are more likely to produce a mid-domain peak in richnessthan are species with small ranges. Species richness patterns of riparian plants were bestpredicted by models including both null model predictions and environmentalvariables. When species were divided into large-ranged and small-ranged groups, themid-domain effect was more prominent and the null model predictions were a better fitto the empirical richness patterns of large-ranged species than those of small-rangedspecies. Our results suggest that the peak in riparian plant species richness in the middlecourses of the rivers studied can be explained by an underlying mid-domain effect(driven by geometric constraints on large-ranged species), together with environmentaleffects on richness patterns (particularly on small-ranged species). We suggest that themid-domain effect may help to explain similar middle-course richness peaks alongother rivers.R. R. Dunn (Rob_Dunn@ncsu.edu), Dept of Zoology, North Carolina State Univ.,Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA.}, number={2}, journal={ECOGRAPHY}, author={Dunn, RR and Colwell, RK and Nilsson, C}, year={2006}, month={Apr}, pages={251–259} }
 @article{kluge_kessler_dunn_2006, title={What drives elevational patterns of diversity? A test of geometric constraints, climate and species pool effects for pteridophytes on an elevational gradient in Costa Rica}, volume={15}, ISSN={["1466-8238"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-33745620438&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1466-822x.2006.00223.x}, abstractNote={Aim We studied pteridophyte species richness between 100 m and 3400 m along a Neotropical elevational gradient and tested competing hypotheses for patterns of species richness. Location Elevational transects were situated at Volcán Barva in the Braulio Carrillo National Park and La Selva Biological Station (100–2800 m) and Cerro de la Muerte (2700–3400 m), both on the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica, Central America. Method We analysed species richness on 156 plots of 20 × 20 m and measured temperature and humidity at four elevations (40, 650, 1800 and 2800 m). Species richness patterns were regressed against climatic variables (temperature, humidity, precipitation and actual evapotranspiration), regional species pool, area and predicted species number of a geometric null model (the mid-domain effect, MDE). Results The species richness of the 484 recorded species showed a hump-shaped pattern with elevation with a richness peak at mid-elevations (c. 1700 m). The MDE was the single most powerful explanatory variable in linear regression models, but species richness was also associated strongly with climatic variables, especially humidity and temperature. Area and species pool were associated less strongly with observed richness patterns. Main conclusions Geometric models and climatic models exclusive of geometric constraints explained comparable amounts of the elevational variation in species richness. Discrimination between these two factor complexes is not possible based on model fits. While overall fits of geometric models were high, large- and small-ranged species were explained by geometric models to different extents. Species with narrow elevational ranges clustered at both ends of the gradient to a greater extent than predicted by the MDE null models used here. While geometric models explained much of the pattern in species richness, we cannot rule out the role of climatic factors (or vice versa) because the predicted peak in richness from geometric models, the empirical peak in richness and the overlap in favourable environmental conditions all coincide at middle elevations. Mid-elevations offer highest humidity and moderate temperatures, whereas at high elevations richness is reduced due to low temperatures, and at low elevations by reduced water availability due to high temperatures.}, number={4}, journal={GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY}, author={Kluge, Juergen and Kessler, Michael and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2006}, month={Jul}, pages={358–371} }
 @article{sodhi_lee_koh_dunn_2005, title={A century of avifaunal turnover in a small tropical rainforest fragment}, volume={8}, ISSN={1367-9430 1469-1795}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1367943005001927}, DOI={10.1017/S1367943005001927}, abstractNote={Despite the alarming rate of tropical deforestation, the long-term conservation value of forest fragments remains poorly understood. We report on the avifaunal turnover in an isolated 4 ha tropical forest fragment in Singapore (i.e. Singapore Botanic Gardens rainforest fragment (SBGRF)) between 1898 and 1998. Over 100 years, the SBGRF lost 18 (49%) species and gained 20 species. More forest-dependent species (3) were lost from the SBGRF than survived (1) or colonised it (no species). Conversely, significantly more introduced species (4) colonised the fragment than were previously recorded (1 species). Significantly more nectarivores survived (8 species) or colonised (9 species) than were lost (two species). In essence, while the avian species richness in the SBGRF remained relatively constant after a century, its species composition underwent significant changes. The avian species composition in the SBGRF in 1998 appeared to be more similar to that of the contemporary smaller and younger Singaporean secondary forest patches than to either the larger and older forest reserves or to the SBGRF 100 years ago. Our study suggests that small isolated tropical forest fragments may have limited long-term conservation value for native forest bird species.}, number={2}, journal={Animal Conservation}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Sodhi, Navjot S. and Lee, Tien Ming and Koh, Lian Pin and Dunn, Robert R.}, year={2005}, month={May}, pages={217–222} }
 @article{dunn_2005, title={Jaws of life. Thousands of plant species place their fates in the mandibles of ants}, volume={114}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-24644458957&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={7}, journal={Natural History}, author={Dunn, R.R.}, year={2005}, pages={30–35} }
 @article{dunn_romdal_2005, title={Mean latitudinal range sizes of bird assemblages in six Neotropical forest chronosequences}, volume={14}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-22144482417&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1466-822X.2005.00155.x}, abstractNote={Aim The geographical range size frequency distributions of animal and plant assemblages are among the most important factors affecting large-scale patterns of diversity. Nonetheless, the relationship between habitat type and the range size distributions of species forming assemblages remains poorly understood. We examined how the mean latitudinal range sizes of species in Neotropical bird species assemblages shift during forest clearance and subsequent regeneration. We tested the hypothesis that bird species assemblages in early successional habitats tend to have larger latitudinal ranges than those in more mature forests. Location We considered breeding bird chronosequence data from six Neotropical forests. Results Breeding bird assemblages were found to have the species with the largest average latitudinal range sizes in cleared areas, intermediate in young secondary forests and smallest in old secondary and mature forests. Similar differences were also found when we compared congeners differing in their successional preferences. Sizes of regional ranges (within the Neotropics) did not, however, differ consistently among successional stages. The larger latitudinal (but not regional) ranges of early successional species was as a result in part of the tendency of early successional species to have ranges that extend beyond the Neotropical forest biome. Conclusions Our analysis of chronosequences suggests that as early successional habitats mature, a consistent shift from large-ranged species towards more small ranged species occurs. Even relatively old secondary forests have bird species with larger average ranges than mature forests. As a consequence, conservation of secondary forests alone will miss many of the species most at risk of extinction and most unlikely to be conserved in other locations or biomes.}, number={4}, journal={Global Ecology and Biogeography}, author={Dunn, R.R. and Romdal, T.S.}, year={2005}, pages={359–366} }
 @article{dunn_2005, title={Modern insect extinctions, the neglected majority}, volume={19}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-27944449967&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00078.x}, abstractNote={Most extinctions estimated to have occurred in the historical past, or predicted to occur in the future, are of insects. Despite this, the study of insect extinctions has been neglected. Only 70 modern insect extinctions have been documented, although thousands are estimated to have occurred. By focusing on some of the 70 documented extinctions as case studies, I considered ways in which insect extinctions may differ from those of other taxa. These case studies suggested that two types of extinction might be common for insects but rare for other taxa: extinction of narrow habitat specialists and coextinctions of affiliates with the extinctions of their hosts. Importantly, both of these forms of extinction are often ignored by conservation programs focused on vertebrates and plants. Anecdotal evidence and recent simulations suggest that many insect extinctions may have already occurred because of loss of narrow habitat specialists from restricted habitats and the loss of hosts. If we are serious about insect conservation, we need to spend more time and money documenting such extinctions. To neglect such extinctions is to ignore the majority of species that are or were in need of conservation.}, number={4}, journal={Conservation Biology}, author={Dunn, R.R.}, year={2005}, pages={1030–1036} }
 @article{dunn_2004, title={Managing the tropical landscape: a comparison of the effects of logging and forest conversion to agriculture on ants, birds, and lepidoptera}, volume={191}, ISSN={0378-1127}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2003.12.008}, DOI={10.1016/j.foreco.2003.12.008}, abstractNote={Most tropical forest will not be conserved, but instead will be used in some way, most often for logging, agriculture, or both. Management of tropical forest landscapes for diversity depends upon an understanding of how many and which species can persist in different types of managed ecosystems. I compared the effects of logging and conversion of forest to agriculture or pasture on ant, bird, and lepidoptera species richness by combining data from 34 studies from tropical forests in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Forest conversion to agriculture or pasture decreased the species richness of ants and of animals overall, whereas logging did not decrease species richness overall or of ants, birds or lepidoptera. After sites were abandoned, the diversity of logged sites did not change over time. In contrast, the diversity of old fields increased with time. Ants, birds, and lepidoptera responded similarly to forest clearance or disturbance, whether it be for logging or conversion to agriculture or pasture. In terms of faunal diversity, selective logging appears to have much less impact on faunal diversity than does forest conversion, both initially and after sites are abandoned.}, number={1-3}, journal={Forest Ecology and Management}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Dunn, Robert R}, year={2004}, month={Apr}, pages={215–224} }
 @article{dunn_2004, title={Recovery of faunal communities during tropical forest regeneration}, volume={18}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-1842664441&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00151.x}, abstractNote={Abstract: As mature tropical forests are cleared, secondary forests may play an important role in the conservation of animal species, depending on how fast animal communities recover during forest regeneration. I reviewed published studies on the recovery of animal species richness and composition during tropical forest regeneration. In 38 of the 39 data sets I examined, conversion of forest to agriculture or pasture substantially reduced species richness. Given suitable conditions for forest recovery, the species richness of the animal taxa considered can be predicted to resemble that of mature forests roughly 20–40 years after land abandonment. At least for ants and birds, however, recovery of species composition appears to take substantially longer than recovery of species richness. Because species richness for many taxa appears to recover relatively rapidly in secondary forests, conservation of secondary forests may be an effective investment in future diversity. The slower recovery of species composition indicates, however, that some species will require stands of mature forest to persist. Resumen: A medida que los bosques tropicales maduros son talados, los bosques secundarios pueden jugar un papel importante en la conservación de especies animales, dependiendo de la rapidez con la que se recuperen las comunidades animales durante la regeneración del bosque. Revisé estudios publicados sobre la recuperación de la riqueza y composición de especies animales durante la regeneración de bosques tropicales. En 38 de 39 conjuntos de datos revisados, la conversión de bosque a agricultura o pastizal redujo la riqueza de especies considerablemente. En condiciones adecuadas para la recuperación de bosques, se puede predecir que la riqueza de especies de los taxones animales considerados es semejante a la de los bosques maduros entre 20 y 40 años después de abandonados. Sin embargo, parece que la recuperación de la composición de especies, por lo menos para hormigas y aves, tarda considerablemente más tiempo que la recuperación de la riqueza de especies. Debido a que la riqueza de especies de muchos taxones parece recuperarse relativamente rápido en bosques secundarios, la conservación de bosques secundarios puede constituir una inversión efectiva en diversidad futura. Sin embargo, la recuperación lenta de la composición de especies indica que algunas especies requerirán de extensiones de bosque maduro para persistir.}, number={2}, journal={Conservation Biology}, author={Dunn, R.R.}, year={2004}, pages={302–309} }
 @article{koh_dunn_sodhi_colwell_proctor_smith_2004, title={Species coextinctions and the biodiversity crisis}, volume={305}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-4644278888&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1126/science.1101101}, abstractNote={To assess the coextinction of species (the loss of a species upon the loss of another), we present a probabilistic model, scaled with empirical data. The model examines the relationship between coextinction levels (proportion of species extinct) of affiliates and their hosts across a wide range of coevolved interspecific systems: pollinating Ficus wasps and Ficus , parasites and their hosts, butterflies and their larval host plants, and ant butterflies and their host ants. Applying a nomographic method based on mean host specificity (number of host species per affiliate species), we estimate that 6300 affiliate species are “coendangered” with host species currently listed as endangered. Current extinction estimates need to be recalibrated by taking species coextinctions into account.}, number={5690}, journal={Science}, author={Koh, L.P. and Dunn, R.R. and Sodhi, N.S. and Colwell, R.K. and Proctor, H.C. and Smith, V.S.}, year={2004}, pages={1632–1634} }
 @article{dunn_2003, title={Impostor in the nest}, volume={112}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0037672798&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, number={5}, journal={Natural History}, author={Dunn, R.}, year={2003}, pages={22–26} }
 @article{dunn_2000, title={Isolated trees as foci of diversity in active and fallow fields}, volume={95}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0033924388&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1016/S0006-3207(00)00025-2}, abstractNote={As the percentage of forest converted to agroecosystems in the tropics rises, it becomes increasingly important to understand how biodiversity can be managed in these ecosystems. In this study, I tested the hypotheses that insect abundance and diversity are higher near isolated trees in crop fields than in the open and that the diversity and abundance of insects increases with the density of isolated trees. Ant species richness, ant abundance and beetle abundance per trap were higher near isolated trees than in the open. Isolated trees had less of an affect on beetle abundance in fallow than active fields. Ant species richness was positively correlated with tree size. Ant species richness per field, ant abundance and beetle abundance per field were not correlated with tree density or the condition of surrounding fields. These results indicate that isolated trees can play a role in determining the local distribution of ants and beetles in crop fields.}, number={3}, journal={Biological Conservation}, author={Dunn, R.R.}, year={2000}, pages={317–321} }
 @article{dunn_messier_1999, title={Evidence for the opposite of the Dear Enemy Phenomenon in termites}, volume={12}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0032696752&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1023/A:1020958505815}, number={4}, journal={Journal of Insect Behavior}, author={Dunn, R. and Messier, S.}, year={1999}, pages={461–464} }
 @article{dunn_mullineaux_mills_1999, title={Resuspension of postlarval soft-shell clams Mya arenaria through disturbance by the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta}, volume={180}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0033519409&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.3354/meps180223}, abstractNote={MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 180:223-232 (1999) - doi:10.3354/meps180223 Resuspension of postlarval soft-shell clams Mya arenaria through disturbance by the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta Robert Dunn*, Lauren S. Mullineaux**, Susan W. Mills Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA *Present address: Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, U-43 University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3042, USA **Addressee for correspondence. E-mail: lmullineaux@whoi.edu ABSTRACT: Transport and mortality of newly settled post larvae potentially have a large influence on the population dynamics and adult distributions of coastal benthic species, including the soft-shell clam Mya arenaria. Post-settlement transport typically occurs when boundary shear stresses are high enough to resuspend the surface sediments in which the small clams reside. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of disturbance by the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta on the hydrodynamic transport of recently settled M. arenaria. Laboratory flume experiments showed that disturbance by activities of I. obsoleta caused suspension of small clams (1.8 and 2.3 mm) at boundary shear velocities (1.0 and 1.3 cm s-1) that were too slow to suspend undisturbed clams. In shear velocities high enough to cause bulk sediment transport (1.4 and 2.0 cm s-1), more clams were suspended in the presence of snails than in their absence. Manipulative field experiments using cages to exclude snails demonstrated that abundances of juvenile M. arenaria (year-1 recruits) were lower in sediments where snails were present than where snails were absent. These results suggest that biological disturbance, such as that imposed by activities of mobile, benthic deposit feeders, may play an important role in postlarval transport and, eventually, in the adult distributions of infaunal bivalves. KEY WORDS: Postlarval transport · Mya arenaria · Soft-shell clam · Ilyanassa obsoleta · Disturbance · Boundary shear stress · Caging experiments Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 180. Publication date: May 03, 1999 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1999 Inter-Research.}, journal={Marine Ecology Progress Series}, author={Dunn, R. and Mullineaux, L.S. and Mills, S.W.}, year={1999}, pages={223–232} }