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174 results on '"MANGIACOTTI, MARCO"'

8. Hemipenial morphology does not provide insight on mating barriers between the two main lineages of Hierophis viridiflavus (Lacépède, 1789).

Author

STORNIOLO, FEDERICO, DADDA, THOMAS, SCALI, STEFANO, ZUFFI, MARCO A. L., MANGIACOTTI, MARCO, and SACCHI, ROBERTO

Subjects
REPRODUCTIVE isolation, ANIMAL sexual behavior, SEXUAL selection, ANATOMY, MORPHOLOGY
Abstract

Copulatory organs are a key trait in reproductive compatibility and sexual isolation. The role of male genitalia in boosting mating success is well known and is often the outcome of behavioural and biological constraints, although no clear and common interpretation about their evolution appears broadly applicable. In snakes, hemipenial morphology has often been described under the perspective of sexual selection, taking into consideration both behavioural and morphological traits of both sexes. We investigated hemipenial morphology and ornamentation in the two subspecies of Hierophis viridiflavus, a male-male combating colubrid, and compared it to the sister species H. gemonensis, to assess intraspecific variation in size of genitalia and ornamentation richness. The male intromitted organ of this species is unilobed and bulbous, with rich ornamentations consisting of basal spines and apical calyculations. We detected no statistically significant difference in hemipenial size, basal spine count, and spine length between the two subspecies, suggesting that no copulatory barrier is present between the two clades. Although hemipenial morphology and anatomy do not seem suitable to assess intraspecific variability as shown in this study, they are often highly variable at the family or genus level, suggesting that the evolution of male genitalia is linked to phylogenetic relationships and that hemipenial divergence might be correlated to lineage splitting despite not being necessarily the main cause. Future studies should be aimed at investigating hemipenial morphology and anatomy across species under the perspective of comparative phylogeny and reproductive behaviours to address thoroughly the constraints of hemipenial evolution and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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26. Patterns of variations in dorsal colouration of the Italian wall lizard Podarcis siculus

Author

Storniolo, Federico, primary, Zuffi, Marco A. L., additional, Coladonato, Alan J., additional, Di Vozzo, Loris, additional, Giglio, Gianni, additional, Gini, Andrea E., additional, Leonetti, Francesco L., additional, Luccini, Simone, additional, Mangiacotti, Marco, additional, Scali, Stefano, additional, Abate, Federico, additional, Sperone, Emilio, additional, Tatini, Irene, additional, and Sacchi, Roberto, additional

Published
2021
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29. Close encounters of the three morphs: Does color affect aggression in a polymorphic lizard?

Author

Scali, Stefano, primary, Mangiacotti, Marco, additional, Sacchi, Roberto, additional, Coladonato, Alan Jioele, additional, Falaschi, Mattia, additional, Saviano, Luca, additional, Rampoldi, Marina Giulia, additional, Crozi, Matteo, additional, Perotti, Cesare, additional, Zucca, Francesco, additional, Gozzo, Elisabetta, additional, and Zuffi, Marco Alberto Luca, additional

Published
2021
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33. Ensuring tests of conservation interventions build on existing literature

Author

Sutherland, William J., primary, Alvarez‐Castañeda, Sergio Ticul, additional, Amano, Tatsuya, additional, Ambrosini, Roberto, additional, Atkinson, Philip, additional, Baxter, John M., additional, Bond, Alexander L., additional, Boon, Philip J., additional, Buchanan, Katherine L., additional, Barlow, Jos, additional, Bogliani, Giuseppe, additional, Bragg, Olivia M., additional, Burgman, Mark, additional, Cadotte, Marc W., additional, Calver, Michael, additional, Cooke, Steven J., additional, Corlett, Richard T., additional, Devictor, Vincent, additional, Ewen, John G., additional, Fisher, Martin, additional, Freeman, Guy, additional, Game, Edward, additional, Godley, Brendan J., additional, Gortázar, Christian, additional, Hartley, Ian R., additional, Hawksworth, David L., additional, Hobson, Keith A., additional, Lu, Ming‐Lun, additional, Martín‐López, Berta, additional, Ma, Keping, additional, Machado, Antonio, additional, Maes, Dirk, additional, Mangiacotti, Marco, additional, McCafferty, Dominic J., additional, Melfi, Victoria, additional, Molur, Sanjay, additional, Moore, Allen J., additional, Murphy, Stephen D., additional, Norris, Darren, additional, van Oudenhoven, Alexander P.E., additional, Powers, Jennifer, additional, Rees, Eileen C., additional, Schwartz, Mark W., additional, Storch, Ilse, additional, and Wordley, Claire, additional

Published
2020
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35. Close encounters of the three morphs: does color affect aggression in a polymorphic lizard?

Author

Scali, Stefano, primary, Mangiacotti, Marco, additional, Sacchi, Roberto, additional, Coladonato, Alan Jioele, additional, Falaschi, Mattia, additional, Saviano, Luca, additional, Rampoldi, Marina Giulia, additional, Crozi, Matteo, additional, Perotti, Cesare, additional, Zucca, Francesco, additional, Gozzo, Elisabetta, additional, and Luca Zuffi, Marco Alberto, additional

Published
2020
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38. Mirrored images but not silicone models trigger aggressive responses in male Common wall lizards

Author

Scali, Stefano, Sacchi, Roberto, Falaschi, Mattia, Coladonato, Alan, Pozzi, Sara, Zuffi, Marco, and Mangiacotti, Marco

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, 0303 health sciences, 03 medical and health sciences, lcsh:Zoology, lcsh:QL1-991, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, 030304 developmental biology
Abstract

Disentangling the effects of single releasers in animal communication is a demanding task because a releaser often consists of a combination of different key stimuli. Territorial communication in reptiles usually depends on visual, chemical, and acoustic stimuli, but the role of each of them depends on phylogeny. Lacertids are modern lizards that rely mainly on chemical cues for their communication, but they also use aggressive displays based on visual recognition. We experimentally tested the visual stimuli that release an aggressive response in the males of a typical lacertid, the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), testing the effects of silicone models and mirrored images in captivity. The response to models and control (a blank sheet) was not significantly different and these stimuli did not release any aggressive behaviour. On the contrary, the reflected image in a mirror caused overt aggression (i.e., bites against it) in 63% of tested individuals. The results clearly demonstrate the role of visual stimuli in territorial communication, but only as a combined effect of shape and motion, differently from other lizard families for which shape is enough to stimulate aggressive responses. Mirrors can be useful tools to investigate aggression related to physiological and morphological aspects in lacertid lizards., Acta Herpetologica, Vol 14 No 1 (2019)

Published
2019

41. Photo-identification in amphibian studies: a test of I3S Pattern

Author

Sannolo, Marco, Gatti, Francesca, Mangiacotti, Marco, Scali, Stefano, and Sacchi, Roberto

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology, lcsh:Zoology, lcsh:QL1-991, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences
Abstract

Photo-identification is used for individual recognition of several animal species. It gives the possibility to take photos of large species from a distance or to avoid invasive marking techniques in small animals. For amphibians, the use of non-invasive marking methods is even more relevant in the light of their global decline. Here we use the photo-identification data from a population of Triturus carnifex to validate the photo-identification software I3S Pattern. This recently developed utility has never been applied to amphibians. The software proved to be efficient and accurate for individual recognition for this species. Contrarily to the previous releases of the I3S family, I3S Pattern is particularly suitable for amphibians characterized by a complex individual pattern of large blotches or irregular spots, which are not readily identified by eye., Acta Herpetologica, Vol 11 No 1 (2016)

Published
2016

46. Head shape variation in eastern and western Montpellier snakes

Author

Mangiacotti, Marco, Limongi, Laura, Sannolo, Marco, Sacchi, Roberto, Zuffi, MARCO ALBERTO LUCA, and Scali, Stefano

Subjects
Geometric morphometrics, Taxonomy, phylogeography, Psammophiinae, Malpolon, Mediterranean, Geometric morphometrics, nonparametric MANOVA, variation partitioning, lcsh:Zoology, nonparametric MANOVA, variation partitioning, lcsh:QL1-991, phylogeography, Psammophiinae, Mediterranean, Malpolon, Taxonomy
Abstract

The Montpellier snake Malpolon monspessulanus is a wide-ranging species that inhabits Western and Eastern Europe, North Africa and Middle East. Four clades have been recognised as two species, M. insignitus and M. monspessulanus, each with two subspecies. Clades have been substantially identified on the basis of molecular data, pholidosis and colouration, while morphometric traits have been ignored. We compared head shape of 54 specimens belonging to three out of the four clades (M. insignitus insignitus, M. i. fuscus, and M. monspessulanus monspessulanus) by means of geometric morphometrics. We found a significant differentiation: the supraocular and frontal area showed the largest amount of variation, being respectively much thinner in M. i. insignitus, a bit less thin in M. i. fuscus and definitely wider in M. m. monspessulanus. Our findings are fully in agreement with the genetic studies and phylogeny explains more than 20% of the observed variation, supporting the taxonomic distinction inside the genus Malpolon. The functional and/or adaptive meaning of the observed differences is not clear, but it seems unlikely that it may be related to diet. Combining morphological data with phylogeography and environmental features, we formulated an explanatory hypothesis that allowed a precise and testable prediction., Acta Herpetologica, Vol 9 No 2 (2014)

Published
2014

49. Morph-specific assortative mating in common wall lizard females.

Author

Sacchi, Roberto, Coladonato, Alan Jioele, Ghitti, Michele, Mangiacotti, Marco, Scali, Stefano, Bovo, Matteo, and Zuffi, Marco

Subjects
LACERTIDAE, ASSORTATIVE mating, SEXUAL selection, FEMALES, GENE flow, POPULATION density
Abstract

Color polymorphism often is associated with alternative reproductive strategies and may reflect different adaptive optima that coexist within populations. The equilibrium among morph frequencies is maintained by the occurrence of opposite selective pressures (disruptive vs. stabilizing), which promote polymorphism while preserving gene flow. Sexual selection may contribute on both sides, particularly when morphs do not mate randomly. Reptiles offer a good model, notably lizards. Nevertheless, previous studies on mate choice in polymorphic lizards have generated contrasting results, with some studies suggesting that female morphs might tune their preference depending on environmental/social conditions such as crowding. We experimentally manipulated the number of individuals a female common wall lizard Podarcis muralis perceives around her, to test if females of different morphs (white or yellow) tune their choice for white and yellow males in order to maximize the probability that hatchlings follow the strategy best adapted to the population density. Results showed that crowding experienced by females did not affect mate choice, arguing against a flexible choice strategy by females. However, white females significantly associated with white males, whereas yellow females did not significantly associate with yellow males. Thus, sexual selection could contribute to the maintenance of color polymorphism in this species by a mix of assortative and non-assortative mating strategies, which could maintain the equilibrium between gene divergence and gene flow among morphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2018
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50. Electric circuit theory applied to alien invasions: a connectivity model predicting the Balkan frog expansion in Northern Italy.

Author

FALASCHI, MATTIA, MANGIACOTTI, MARCO, SACCHI, ROBERTO, SCALI, STEFANO, and RAZZETTI, EDOARDO

Subjects
*REPTILES, *ELECTRIC circuit theory, *BIODIVERSITY, *SPECIES distribution, *DISPERSAL (Ecology), *HABITATS, *BIOLOGICAL invasions
Abstract

Invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity and alien herpetofauna already caused conservation problems in Italy and in the world. Pelophylax kurtmuelleri (Gayda, 1940) is a water frog native to Southern Balkans, that was introduced in NW Italy (Liguria) in 1941, from where it has spread to Piedmont, Lombardy and recently to Emilia Romagna. Surprisingly, during its expansion, the Balkan frog seemed not to be able to cross the Po River (with a single exception). So, we investigated the reasons for such directional limitation of range expansion, focusing on the potential role of the Po River. Combining ecological niche and connectivity models, we adopted a two-step process in order to assess: (i) if the habitat suitability differs between the two sides of the Po Plain; (ii) if the Po River could act as a barrier in terms of dispersal. Results showed that the northern side of the plain seems less suitable than the southern one, even if many suitable patches occur along the main left tributaries of the Po River and in the hilly part of the plain. The Po River behaves like a barrier for the Balkan frog, but the only known point on the north bank of the river indicates that it may be able to only slow the dispersal and not to completely stop it. So, the most probable interpretation for the absence of the Balkan frog from the Northern Po Plain, is the combination of habitat suitability and connectivity issues: the former makes less probable that new viable populations can establish in the North, the latter decreases the northwards flux of the frogs. Given these findings, the Balkan frog seems able to spread in the whole Northern Italy and the colonization of the northern Po plain could happen shortly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2018
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