Question

In dung beetles, males either develop large horns or very small horns (if any) based on nutrients obtained during larval development. Those with large horns use them to defend tunnels dug by females and to combat with other males for access to the females. Those with small horns have an alternative mating tactic. Rather than fight, they dig their own tunnels (not possible with horns) in order to gain access to the females that are located underground.

Describe how dung beetles represent a relationship between the fields of developmental biology and ecology. Then describe another example of this relationship based on your textbook or a different resource. Limit your response to ten sentences.

Answer 1

The study of the process of growth and development in organisms is the developmental biology while, ecology is the study relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. Thus, both branches connects the studies of the interactions between developing organisms and their environmental contexts.

Growth, larval development, interactions with other organism, behaviors, and adaptations of dung beetles are studied using ecological developmental biology. Thus, studies of development and ecological behaviours of organisms can be connected by developmental biology and ecology.

Example- Due to the lack of hard egg shells, frogs mate and lay eggs in the presence of water, and the hatching of eggs produces larvae or tadpoles, which are vulnerable to many predators. Tadpoles need to survive and metamorphosis into adult frog in order to mate and reproduce. During the developmental process of frog, the diet, behaviours and interactions with other organisms was varied. Developmental biology and ecology thereby detailing the interactions between developing organisms and their environmental contexts.