@misc{BaltesKliegl1988, author = {Baltes, Paul B. and Kliegl, Reinhold}, title = {Lernen und Ged{\"a}chtnis im Alter : {\"u}ber Plastizit{\"a}t und deren Grenzen}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-40277}, year = {1988}, abstract = {Ged{\"a}chtnish{\"o}chstleistungen sind auch im Alter m{\"o}glich. Dies konnte am Beispiel der »Methode der Orte« experimentell best{\"a}tigt werden. Hierbei hat sich gezeigt, daß das Gehirn {\"u}ber große kognitive Kapazit{\"a}tsreserven verf{\"u}gt. In einer speziellen Testmethode (»testing the limits«) zeigt sich aber im Hochleistungsbereich, trotz der grunds{\"a}tzlichen Plastizit{\"a}t, ein altersbezogenes Nachlassen der Ged{\"a}chtnismechanik. Offenbar gibt es biologische Grenzen in der Schnelligkeit der menschlichen Vorstellungskraft. Vielleicht gelingt es auf der Grundlage dieser Erkentnnis, einen zuverl{\"a}ssigen Markierungsindikator f{\"u}r das hirnphysiologische Altern zu finden. Daraus k{\"o}nnten sich auch neue Methoden zur Fr{\"u}herkennung von Demenzen ableiten lassen.}, language = {de} } @misc{Kliegl1989, author = {Kliegl, Reinhold}, title = {Kognitive Plastizit{\"a}t und altersbedingte Grenzen am Beispiel des Erwerbs einer Ged{\"a}chtnistechnik}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-40321}, year = {1989}, abstract = {Die Bedeutung kognitiver Entwicklungskapazit{\"a}t (Plastizit{\"a}t) und ihrer altersabh{\"a}ngigen Grenzen f{\"u}r Theorien kognitiven Alters wird thematisiert. F{\"u}r kognitive Basisprozesse wird erwartet, daß die durch Training umgesetzte Entwicklungskapazit{\"a}t {\"a}lterer Menschen zwar ausreicht, die Ausgangsleistung junger Erwachsener zu {\"u}bertreffen, daß aber aufgrund altersbedingter Grenzen der Entwicklungskapazit{\"a}t nur sehr wenige {\"a}ltere Erwachsene das Leistungsniveau trainierter junger Erwachsener erreichen werden. Am Beispiel eines Ged{\"a}chtnistrainingsprogrammes zur Erh{\"o}hung der Merkf{\"a}higkeit f{\"u}r Wortlisten werden zwei Forschungsstrategien vorgestellt: (a) das Training von sehr leistungsf{\"a}higen {\"a}lteren Erwachsenen und (b) L{\"a}ngsschnitt-Einzelfall-Studien. Die experimentellen Befunde best{\"a}tigten die theoretischen Erwartungen. Zwar waren die Leistungen der besten {\"a}lteren Erwachsenen etwa doppelt so hoch wie die untrainierter junger Erwachsener, aber die durch das Training aufgedeckten Altersverluste konnten auch in bis zu 75 weiteren {\"U}bungsstunden nicht behoben werden.}, language = {de} } @misc{HerdeEccard2017, author = {Herde, Antje and Eccard, Jana}, title = {Consistency in boldness, activity and exploration at different stages of life}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-401395}, pages = {10}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Background: Animals show consistent individual behavioural patterns over time and over situations. This phenomenon has been referred to as animal personality or behavioural syndromes. Little is known about consistency of animal personalities over entire life times. We investigated the repeatability of behaviour in common voles (Microtus arvalis) at different life stages, with different time intervals, and in different situations. Animals were tested using four behavioural tests in three experimental groups: 1. before and after maturation over three months, 2. twice as adults during one week, and 3. twice as adult animals over three months, which resembles a substantial part of their entire adult life span of several months. Results: Different behaviours were correlated within and between tests and a cluster analysis showed three possible behavioural syndrome-axes, which we name boldness, exploration and activity. Activity and exploration behaviour in all tests was highly repeatable in adult animals tested over one week. In animals tested over maturation, exploration behaviour was consistent whereas activity was not. Voles that were tested as adults with a three-month interval showed the opposite pattern with stable activity but unstable exploration behaviour. Conclusions: The consistency in behaviour over time suggests that common voles do express stable personality over short time. Over longer periods however, behaviour is more flexible and depending on life stage (i.e. tested before/after maturation or as adults) of the tested individual. Level of boldness or activity does not differ between tested groups and maintenance of variation in behavioural traits can therefore not be explained by expected future assets as reported in other studies.}, language = {en} } @misc{WeyrichJeschekSchrapersetal.2018, author = {Weyrich, Alexandra and Jeschek, Marie and Schrapers, Katharina T. and Lenz, Dorina and Chung, Tzu Hung and Ruebensam, Kathrin and Yasar, Sermin and Schneemann, Markus and Ortmann, Sylvia and Jewgenow, Katarina and Fickel, J{\"o}rns}, title = {Diet changes alter paternally inherited epigenetic pattern in male Wild guinea pigs}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {1065}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-46003}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-460031}, pages = {14}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Epigenetic modifications, of which DNA methylation is the most stable, are a mechanism conveying environmental information to subsequent generations via parental germ lines. The paternal contribution to adaptive processes in the offspring might be crucial, but has been widely neglected in comparison to the maternal one. To address the paternal impact on the offspring's adaptability to changes in diet composition, we investigated if low protein diet (LPD) in F0 males caused epigenetic alterations in their subsequently sired sons. We therefore fed F0 male Wild guinea pigs with a diet lowered in protein content (LPD) and investigated DNA methylation in sons sired before and after their father's LPD treatment in both, liver and testis tissues. Our results point to a 'heritable epigenetic response' of the sons to the fathers' dietary change. Because we detected methylation changes also in the testis tissue, they are likely to be transmitted to the F2 generation. Gene-network analyses of differentially methylated genes in liver identified main metabolic pathways indicating a metabolic reprogramming ('metabolic shift'). Epigenetic mechanisms, allowing an immediate and inherited adaptation may thus be important for the survival of species in the context of a persistently changing environment, such as climate change.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{RomeroMujalli2019, author = {Romero Mujalli, Daniel}, title = {Ecological modeling of adaptive evolutionary responses to rapid climate change}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43062}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-430627}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {167}, year = {2019}, abstract = {A contemporary challenge in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is to anticipate the fate of populations of organisms in the context of a changing world. Climate change and landscape changes due to anthropic activities have been of major concern in the contemporary history. Organisms facing these threats are expected to respond by local adaptation (i.e., genetic changes or phenotypic plasticity) or by shifting their distributional range (migration). However, there are limits to their responses. For example, isolated populations will have more difficulties in developing adaptive innovations by means of genetic changes than interconnected metapopulations. Similarly, the topography of the environment can limit dispersal opportunities for crawling organisms as compared to those that rely on wind. Thus, populations of species with different life history strategy may differ in their ability to cope with changing environmental conditions. However, depending on the taxon, empirical studies investigating organisms' responses to environmental change may become too complex, long and expensive; plus, complications arising from dealing with endangered species. In consequence, eco-evolutionary modeling offers an opportunity to overcome these limitations and complement empirical studies, understand the action and limitations of underlying mechanisms, and project into possible future scenarios. In this work I take a modeling approach and investigate the effect and relative importance of evolutionary mechanisms (including phenotypic plasticity) on the ability for local adaptation of populations with different life strategy experiencing climate change scenarios. For this, I performed a review on the state of the art of eco-evolutionary Individual-Based Models (IBMs) and identify gaps for future research. Then, I used the results from the review to develop an eco-evolutionary individual-based modeling tool to study the role of genetic and plastic mechanisms in promoting local adaption of populations of organisms with different life strategies experiencing scenarios of climate change and environmental stochasticity. The environment was simulated through a climate variable (e.g., temperature) defining a phenotypic optimum moving at a given rate of change. The rate of change was changed to simulate different scenarios of climate change (no change, slow, medium, rapid climate change). Several scenarios of stochastic noise color resembling different climatic conditions were explored. Results show that populations of sexual species will rely mainly on standing genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity for local adaptation. Population of species with relatively slow growth rate (e.g., large mammals) - especially those of small size - are the most vulnerable, particularly if their plasticity is limited (i.e., specialist species). In addition, whenever organisms from these populations are capable of adaptive plasticity, they can buffer fitness losses in reddish climatic conditions. Likewise, whenever they can adjust their plastic response (e.g., bed-hedging strategy) they will cope with bluish environmental conditions as well. In contrast, life strategies of high fecundity can rely on non-adaptive plasticity for their local adaptation to novel environmental conditions, unless the rate of change is too rapid. A recommended management measure is to guarantee interconnection of isolated populations into metapopulations, such that the supply of useful genetic variation can be increased, and, at the same time, provide them with movement opportunities to follow their preferred niche, when local adaptation becomes problematic. This is particularly important for bluish and reddish climatic conditions, when the rate of change is slow, or for any climatic condition when the level of stress (rate of change) is relatively high.}, language = {en} }