1
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Sadoughi B, Mundry R, Schülke O, Ostner J. Social network shrinking is explained by active and passive effects but not increasing selectivity with age in wild macaques. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232736. [PMID: 38471563 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Evidence of social disengagement, network narrowing and social selectivity with advancing age in several non-human animals challenges our understanding of the causes of social ageing. Natural animal populations are needed to test whether social ageing and selectivity occur under natural predation and extrinsic mortality pressures, and longitudinal studies are particularly valuable to disentangle the contribution of within-individual ageing from the demographic processes that shape social ageing at the population level. Data on wild Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis) were collected between 2013 and 2020 at the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. We investigated the social behaviour of 61 adult females observed for 13 270 h to test several mechanistic hypotheses of social ageing and evaluated the consistency between patterns from mixed-longitudinal and within-individual analyses. With advancing age, females reduced the size of their social network, which could not be explained by an overall increase in the time spent alone, but by an age-related decline in mostly active, but also passive, behaviour, best demonstrated by within-individual analyses. A selective tendency to approach preferred partners was maintained into old age but did not increase. Our results contribute to our understanding of the driver of social ageing in natural animal populations and suggest that social disengagement and selectivity follow independent trajectories during ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Sadoughi
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Kellnerweg 6, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Roger Mundry
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department for Primate Cognition, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Kellnerweg 6, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Kellnerweg 6, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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2
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Amici F, Meacci S, Caray E, Oña L, Liebal K, Ciucci P. A first exploratory comparison of the behaviour of wolves (Canis lupus) and wolf-dog hybrids in captivity. Anim Cogn 2024; 27:9. [PMID: 38429445 PMCID: PMC10907477 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01849-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Extensive introgression of genes from domesticated taxa may be a serious threat for the genomic integrity and adaptability of wild populations. Grey wolves (Canis lupus) are especially vulnerable to this phenomenon, but there are no studies yet assessing the potential behavioural effects of dog-introgression in wolves. In this study, we conducted a first systematic comparison of admixed (N = 11) and non-admixed (N = 14) wolves in captivity, focusing on their reaction to unfamiliar humans and novel objects, and the cohesiveness of their social groups. When exposed to unfamiliar humans in the experimental task, wolves were more vigilant, fearful and aggressive than admixed wolves, and less likely to approach humans, but also more likely to spend time in human proximity. When exposed to novel objects, wolves were more aggressive than admixed wolves, less likely to spend time in object proximity, and more likely to interact with objects, but also less vigilant and as fearful as admixed wolves. Finally, social networks were more cohesive in wolves than in admixed wolves. Although caution is needed when comparing groups of captive individuals with different life experiences, our study suggests that dog admixture may lead to important behavioural changes in wolves, with possible implications for conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Amici
- Life Sciences, Institute for Biology, Human Biology and Primate Cognition, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Simone Meacci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Emmeline Caray
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Linda Oña
- Life Sciences, Institute for Biology, Human Biology and Primate Cognition, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katja Liebal
- Life Sciences, Institute for Biology, Human Biology and Primate Cognition, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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3
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Wikenros C, Di Bernardi C, Zimmermann B, Åkesson M, Demski M, Flagstad Ø, Mattisson J, Tallian A, Wabakken P, Sand H. Scavenging patterns of an inbred wolf population in a landscape with a pulse of human-provided carrion. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10236. [PMID: 37415640 PMCID: PMC10319521 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Scavenging is an important part of food acquisition for many carnivore species that switch between scavenging and predation. In landscapes with anthropogenic impact, humans provide food that scavenging species can utilize. We quantified the magnitude of killing versus scavenging by gray wolves (Canis lupus) in Scandinavia where humans impact the ecosystem through hunter harvest, land use practices, and infrastructure. We investigated the cause of death of different animals utilized by wolves, and examined how the proportion of their consumption time spent scavenging was influenced by season, wolf social affiliation, level of inbreeding, density of moose (Alces alces) as their main prey, density of brown bear (Ursus arctos) as an intraguild competitor, and human density. We used data from 39 GPS-collared wolves covering 3198 study days (2001-2019), including 14,205 feeding locations within space-time clusters, and 1362 carcasses utilized by wolves. Most carcasses were wolf-killed (80.5%) while a small part had died from other natural causes (1.9%). The remaining had either anthropogenic mortality causes (4.7%), or the cause of death was unknown (12.9%). Time spent scavenging was higher during winter than during summer and autumn. Solitary wolves spent more time scavenging than pack-living individuals, likely because individual hunting success is lower than pack success. Scavenging time increased with the mean inbreeding coefficient of the adult wolves, possibly indicating that more inbred individuals resort to scavenging, which requires less body strength. There was weak evidence for competition between wolves and brown bears as well as a positive relationship between human density and time spent scavenging. This study shows how both intrinsic and extrinsic factors drive wolf scavenging behavior, and that despite a high level of inbreeding and access to carrion of anthropogenic origin, wolves mainly utilized their own kills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Cecilia Di Bernardi
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”University of Rome La SapienzaRomeItaly
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and BiotechnologyInland Norway University of Applied SciencesElverumNorway
| | - Mikael Åkesson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
| | - Maike Demski
- County Administrative Board of NorrbottenLuleåSweden
| | | | - Jenny Mattisson
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | - Aimee Tallian
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and BiotechnologyInland Norway University of Applied SciencesElverumNorway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesRiddarhyttanSweden
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4
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Nordli K, Wabakken P, Eriksen A, Sand H, Wikenros C, Maartmann E, Zimmermann B. Spatial and temporal cohesion of parents and offspring in a social large carnivore. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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5
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Naciri M, Aars J, Blanchet MA, Gimenez O, Cubaynes S. Reproductive senescence in polar bears in a variable environment. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.920481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive senescence is ubiquitous in mammals. However, patterns of senescence vary across reproductive traits, even within populations, perhaps because of differences in selection pressures, physiological constraints, and responses to environmental conditions. We investigated reproductive senescence in wild female polar bears (Ursus maritimus), using 31 years of capture-recapture data from the Svalbard area. We studied the influence of environmental conditions on age-specific litter production and litter size using generalized linear mixed models. Further, using a capture-recapture model that handles the dependency between vital rates of individuals belonging to the same family unit, we assessed maternal-age-related changes in first year cub and litter survival. We provide clear evidence for reproductive senescence in female polar bears. Litter production and litter size peaked in middle-aged females and declined sharply afterward. By contrast cub and litter survival did not decline after prime age. We found no evidence of terminal investment. The reproductive output of all females was affected by sea-ice conditions during the previous year and the Arctic Oscillation, with some effects differing greatly between age groups. Old females were affected the most by environmental conditions. Our results suggest that the decline in reproductive output is a combination of fertility and body-condition senescence, with a weak contribution of maternal-effect senescence, possibly due to benefits of experience. Further, as predicted by evolutionary theory, senescence appears to be a consequence of failures in early stages of the reproductive cycle rather than in late stages, and environmental variation affected old females more than prime-aged females. Our study emphasizes the need to study several reproductive traits and account for environmental variation when investigating reproductive senescence. Differences in senescence patterns across reproductive traits should be interpreted in light of evolutionary theory and while considering underlying physiological drivers.
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6
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Støen OG, Sivertsen TR, Tallian A, Rauset GR, Kindberg J, Persson LT, Stokke R, Skarin A, Segerström P, Frank J. Brown bear predation on semi-domesticated reindeer and depredation compensations. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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7
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Siracusa ER, Higham JP, Snyder-Mackler N, Brent LJN. Social ageing: exploring the drivers of late-life changes in social behaviour in mammals. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20210643. [PMID: 35232274 PMCID: PMC8889194 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions help group-living organisms cope with socio-environmental challenges and are central to survival and reproductive success. Recent research has shown that social behaviour and relationships can change across the lifespan, a phenomenon referred to as 'social ageing'. Given the importance of social integration for health and well-being, age-dependent changes in social behaviour can modulate how fitness changes with age and may be an important source of unexplained variation in individual patterns of senescence. However, integrating social behaviour into ageing research requires a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of age-based changes in social behaviour. Here, we provide an overview of the drivers of late-life changes in sociality. We suggest that explanations for social ageing can be categorized into three groups: changes in sociality that (a) occur as a result of senescence; (b) result from adaptations to ameliorate the negative effects of senescence; and/or (c) result from positive effects of age and demographic changes. Quantifying the relative contribution of these processes to late-life changes in sociality will allow us to move towards a more holistic understanding of how and why these patterns emerge and will provide important insights into the potential for social ageing to delay or accelerate other patterns of senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Siracusa
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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8
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Lemaître JF, Rey B, Gaillard JM, Régis C, Gilot-Fromont E, Débias F, Duhayer J, Pardonnet S, Pellerin M, Haghani A, Zoller JA, Li CZ, Horvath S. DNA methylation as a tool to explore ageing in wild roe deer populations. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 22:1002-1015. [PMID: 34665921 PMCID: PMC9297961 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation‐based biomarkers of ageing (epigenetic clocks) promise to lead to new insights into evolutionary biology of ageing. Relatively little is known about how the natural environment affects epigenetic ageing effects in wild species. In this study, we took advantage of a unique long‐term (>40 years) longitudinal monitoring of individual roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) living in two wild populations (Chizé and Trois‐Fontaines, France) facing different ecological contexts, to investigate the relationship between chronological age and levels of DNA methylation (DNAm). We generated novel DNA methylation data from n = 94 blood samples, from which we extracted leucocyte DNA, using a custom methylation array (HorvathMammalMethylChip40). We present three DNA methylation‐based estimators of age (DNAm or epigenetic age), which were trained in males, females, and both sexes combined. We investigated how sex differences influenced the relationship between DNAm age and chronological age using sex‐specific epigenetic clocks. Our results highlight that old females may display a lower degree of biological ageing than males. Further, we identify the main sites of epigenetic alteration that have distinct ageing patterns between the two sexes. These findings open the door to promising avenues of research at the crossroads of evolutionary biology and biogerontology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Lemaître
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Benjamin Rey
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Corinne Régis
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France.,Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Marcy-l'Etoile, France
| | - François Débias
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jeanne Duhayer
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Sylvia Pardonnet
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Maryline Pellerin
- Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Gap, France
| | - Amin Haghani
- Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles California, USA
| | - Joseph A Zoller
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Caesar Z Li
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles California, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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9
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Rabaiotti D, Groom R, McNutt JW, Watermeyer J, O'Neill HMK, Woodroffe R. High temperatures and human pressures interact to influence mortality in an African carnivore. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8495-8506. [PMID: 34257912 PMCID: PMC8258213 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The impacts of high ambient temperatures on mortality in humans and domestic animals are well-understood. However much less is known about how hot weather affects mortality in wild animals. High ambient temperatures have been associated with African wild dog Lycaon pictus pup mortality, suggesting that high temperatures might also be linked to high adult mortality.We analyzed mortality patterns in African wild dogs radio-collared in Kenya (0°N), Botswana (20°S), and Zimbabwe (20°S), to examine whether ambient temperature was associated with adult mortality.We found that high ambient temperatures were associated with increased adult wild dog mortality at the Kenya site, and there was some evidence for temperature associations with mortality at the Botswana and Zimbabwe sites.At the Kenya study site, which had the highest human impact, high ambient temperatures were associated with increased risks of wild dogs being killed by people, and by domestic dog diseases. In contrast, temperature was not associated with the risk of snare-related mortality at the Zimbabwe site, which had the second-highest human impact. Causes of death varied markedly between sites.Pack size was positively associated with survival at all three sites.These findings suggest that while climate change may not lead to new causes of mortality, rising temperatures may exacerbate existing anthropogenic threats to this endangered species, with implications for conservation. This evidence suggests that temperature-related mortality, including interactions between temperature and other anthropogenic threats, should be investigated in a greater number of species to understand and mitigate likely impacts of climate change. .
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Rabaiotti
- Institute of ZoologyZoological Society of LondonLondonUK
- Division of BiosciencesDepartment of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentCentre for Biodiversity and Environment ResearchUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Rosemary Groom
- Institute of ZoologyZoological Society of LondonLondonUK
- African Wildlife Conservation FundChishakwe RanchZimbabwe
| | | | | | - Helen M. K. O'Neill
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and EcologySchool of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of KentKentUK
| | - Rosie Woodroffe
- Institute of ZoologyZoological Society of LondonLondonUK
- Division of BiosciencesDepartment of Genetics, Evolution and EnvironmentCentre for Biodiversity and Environment ResearchUniversity College LondonLondonUK
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10
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Hammers M, Kingma SA, van Boheemen LA, Sparks AM, Burke T, Dugdale HL, Richardson DS, Komdeur J. Helpers compensate for age-related declines in parental care and offspring survival in a cooperatively breeding bird. Evol Lett 2021; 5:143-153. [PMID: 33868710 PMCID: PMC8045936 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Offspring from elderly parents often have lower survival due to parental senescence. In cooperatively breeding species, where offspring care is shared between breeders and helpers, the alloparental care provided by helpers is predicted to mitigate the impact of parental senescence on offspring provisioning and, subsequently, offspring survival. We test this prediction using data from a long-term study on cooperatively breeding Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis). We find that the nestling provisioning rate of female breeders declines with their age. Further, the total brood provisioning rate and the first-year survival probability of offspring decline progressively with age of the female breeder, but these declines are mitigated when helpers are present. This effect does not arise because individual helpers provide more care in response to the lower provisioning of older dominant females, but because older female breeders have recruited more helpers, thereby receiving more overall care for their brood. We do not find such effects for male breeders. These results indicate that alloparental care can alleviate the fitness costs of senescence for breeders, which suggests an interplay between age and cooperative breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn Hammers
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenCP9712The Netherlands
| | - Sjouke A. Kingma
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenCP9712The Netherlands
- Department of Animal ScienceWageningen University & ResearchWageningenPB6708The Netherlands
| | - Lotte A. van Boheemen
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenCP9712The Netherlands
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVIC3800Australia
| | | | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
| | | | - David S. Richardson
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichNR4 7TJUnited Kingdom
- Nature SeychellesMahéRepublic of Seychelles
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenCP9712The Netherlands
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11
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Kroeger SB, Blumstein DT, Martin JGA. How social behaviour and life-history traits change with age and in the year prior to death in female yellow-bellied marmots. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190745. [PMID: 33678024 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies in natural populations are essential to understand the evolutionary ecology of senescence and terminal allocation. While there are an increasing number of studies investigating late-life variation in different life-history traits of wild populations, little is known about these patterns in social behaviour. We used long-term individual based data on yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) to quantify how affiliative social behaviours and different life-history traits vary with age and in the last year of life, and how patterns compare between the two. We found that some social behaviours and all life-history traits varied with age, whereas terminal last year of life effects were only observed in life-history traits. Our results imply that affiliative social behaviours do not act as a mechanism to adjust allocation among traits when close to death, and highlight the importance of adopting an integrative approach, studying late-life variation and senescence across multiple different traits, to allow the identification of potential trade-offs. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja B Kroeger
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity, The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Klæbuveien 153, Trondheim 7031, Norway
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA.,The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Box 519, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
| | - Julien G A Martin
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
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12
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Malagnino A, Marchand P, Garel M, Cargnelutti B, Itty C, Chaval Y, Hewison A, Loison A, Morellet N. Do reproductive constraints or experience drive age-dependent space use in two large herbivores? Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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13
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Development and Control of Behaviour. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-82879-0_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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14
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Kortekaas K, Kotrschal K. Social Context Influences Resting Physiology in Dogs. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E2214. [PMID: 33255961 PMCID: PMC7760264 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestication has affected the social life of dogs. They seem to be less dependent on their pack members than wolves, potentially causing dogs to be more alert towards their environment, especially when resting. Such a response has been found in dogs resting alone compared to wolves in the same situation. However, as this may be influenced by social context, we compared alertness (i.e., degree of activation along the sleep-wake continuum-measured via cardiac parameters) of pack-living and enclosure-kept dogs in two conditions: (1) alone, and (2) with pack members, and in two states of activation: (1) inactive wakefulness, and (2) resting. We found that when dogs were resting alone, alertness was higher than when resting in the pack; individual alertness was potentially influenced by social rank. However, alertness was similar in the two conditions during inactive wakefulness. Thus, depending on social context, familiar conspecifics may still provide support in dogs; i.e., domestication has probably only partly shifted the social orientation of dogs from conspecifics to humans. We suggest that cardiac responses of dogs may be more flexible than those of wolves because of their adaptation to the more variable presence of humans and conspecifics in their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Kortekaas
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
- Wolf Science Center, Domestication Lab, Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kurt Kotrschal
- Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
- Wolf Science Center, Domestication Lab, Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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15
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Lemaître JF, Ronget V, Gaillard JM. Female reproductive senescence across mammals: A high diversity of patterns modulated by life history and mating traits. Mech Ageing Dev 2020; 192:111377. [PMID: 33031803 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2020.111377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Senescence patterns are highly variable across the animal kingdom. However, while empirical evidence of actuarial senescence in vertebrates is accumulating in the wild and life history correlates of actuarial senescence are increasingly identified, both the extent and variation of reproductive senescence across species remain poorly studied. Here, we performed the first large-scale analysis of female reproductive senescence across 101 mammalian species that encompassed a wide range of Orders. We found evidence of reproductive senescence in 68.31 % of the species, which demonstrates that reproductive senescence is pervasive in mammals. As expected from allometric rules, the onset of reproductive senescence occurs later and the rate of reproductive senescence decreases with increasing body mass and delayed age at first reproduction. Moreover, for a given pace of life, females displaying a high level of multiple mating and/or with induced ovulation senesce earlier than females displaying a low level of multiple mating and/or with spontaneous ovulation. These results suggest that both female mating behavior and reproductive physiology shape the diversity of reproductive senescence patterns across mammals. We propose future avenues of research regarding the role played by environmental conditions or reproductive features (e.g. type of placentation) on the evolution of reproductive senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Lemaître
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Victor Ronget
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, F-75016, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
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16
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Frankish CK, Manica A, Phillips RA. Effects of age on foraging behavior in two closely related albatross species. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2020; 8:7. [PMID: 32047635 PMCID: PMC7006180 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-0194-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Foraging performance is widely hypothesized to play a key role in shaping age-specific demographic rates in wild populations, yet the underlying behavioral changes are poorly understood. Seabirds are among the longest-lived vertebrates, and demonstrate extensive age-related variation in survival, breeding frequency and success. The breeding season is a particularly critical phase during the annual cycle, but it remains unclear whether differences in experience or physiological condition related to age interact with the changing degree of the central-place constraint in shaping foraging patterns in time and space. METHODS Here we analyze tracking data collected over two decades from congeneric black-browed (BBA) and grey-headed (GHA) albatrosses, Thalassarche melanophris and T. chrysostoma, breeding at South Georgia. We compare the foraging trip parameters, at-sea activity (flights and landings) and habitat preferences of individuals aged 10-45 years and contrast these patterns between the incubation and early chick-rearing stages. RESULTS Young breeders of both species showed improvements in foraging competency with age, reducing foraging trip duration until age 26. Thereafter, there were signs of foraging senescence; older adults took gradually longer trips, narrowed their habitat preference (foraging within a smaller range of sea surface temperatures) (GHA), made fewer landings and rested on the water for longer (BBA). Some age-specific effects were apparent for each species only in certain breeding stages, highlighting the complex interaction between intrinsic drivers in determining individual foraging strategies. CONCLUSIONS Using cross-sectional data, this study highlighted clear age-related patterns in foraging behavior at the population-level for two species of albatrosses. These trends are likely to have important consequences for the population dynamics of these threatened seabirds, as young or old individuals may be more vulnerable to worsening environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin K. Frankish
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Andrea Manica
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Richard A. Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET UK
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17
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean‐Michel Gaillard
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558 CNRS Université Lyon 1 University of Lyon Villeurbanne France
| | - Jean‐François Lemaître
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558 CNRS Université Lyon 1 University of Lyon Villeurbanne France
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18
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Hoy SR, MacNulty DR, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Lambin X, Peterson RO, Ruprecht JS, Vucetich JA. Fluctuations in age structure and their variable influence on population growth. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R. Hoy
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton MI USA
| | - Daniel R. MacNulty
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center Utah State University Logan UT USA
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Centre for Resources Yellowstone National Park WY USA
| | | | - Xavier Lambin
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | - Rolf O. Peterson
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton MI USA
| | - Joel S. Ruprecht
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - John A. Vucetich
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton MI USA
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19
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Lescroël A, Ballard G, Massaro M, Dugger K, Jennings S, Pollard A, Porzig E, Schmidt A, Varsani A, Grémillet D, Ainley D. Evidence of age-related improvement in the foraging efficiency of Adélie penguins. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3375. [PMID: 30833598 PMCID: PMC6399253 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39814-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Age variation in reproductive performance is well-documented but the mechanisms underlying this variation remain unclear. Foraging efficiency is likely to be a key source of demographic variation as it determines the amount of energy that can be invested in fitness-related activities. Evidence of age-related changes in the foraging efficiency of adult seabirds is scarce and inconsistent. We investigated the effects of age on the foraging efficiency of breeding Adélie penguins, a relatively short-lived seabird species, in order to gain a broader perspective on the processes driving variation in ageing rates. We found support for a positive effect of age, either linear or levelling off at old ages, on both our proxies for daily catch rate and catch per unit effort. Across all age classes, males were more performant foragers than females. We found no strong evidence for differing ageing patterns between sexes or individual quality levels, and no evidence for senescence. We infer that continuous individual improvement could be responsible for a larger amount of the variation in foraging efficiency with age at our study site, compared with selective disappearance of underperforming phenotypes. The different results reported by other studies highlight the need to conduct longitudinal studies across a range of species in different environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Lescroël
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA. .,Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France.
| | - Grant Ballard
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA
| | - Melanie Massaro
- School of Environmental Sciences, Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia
| | - Katie Dugger
- U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Scott Jennings
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA.,U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Annie Pollard
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA
| | | | - Annie Schmidt
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA
| | - Arvind Varsani
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.,Structural Biology Research Unit, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France.,FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF centre of excellence at the University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - David Ainley
- H.T. Harvey & Associates, Los Gatos, California, USA
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20
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21
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Zamora-Camacho FJ, Comas M. Early swelling response to phytohemagglutinin is lower in older toads. PeerJ 2018; 6:e6104. [PMID: 30595980 PMCID: PMC6304268 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of age on performance of life-history traits are diverse, but a common outcome is senescence, an irreversible deterioration of physical and physiological capabilities of older individuals. Immune response is potentially bound to senescence. However, little is known about immune response ageing in amphibians. In this work, we test the hypothesis that amphibian early immune response is reduced in older individuals. To this end, we captured adult natterjack toads (Epidalea calamita) and inoculated them with phytohemagglutinin, an innocuous protein that triggers a skin-swelling immune response whose magnitude is directly proportional to the ability of the individual to mount an immune response. We measured early swelling immune response (corresponding to an innate-response stage) hourly, for six hours, and we calculated the area under the curve (AUC) for each individual's time series, as a measure of immune response magnitude incorporating time. We estimated toad age by means of phalanx skeletochronology. Swelling and AUC decreased with age. Therefore, in accordance with our predictions, early immune response seems subject to senescence in these toads. Reduced ability to get over infections due to senescence of immune respose might be-together with a worse functioning of other organs and systems-among the causes of lower survival of older specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States of America
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mar Comas
- Department of Integrative Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
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22
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Lourenço R, del Mar Delgado M, Campioni L, Goytre F, Rabaça JE, Korpimäki E, Penteriani V. Why do top predators engage in superpredation? From an empirical scenario to a theoretical framework. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Lourenço
- ICAAM - Inst. de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Labor - Laboratory of Ornithology, Univ; de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Ap. 94, PT-7002-554 Évora Portugal
| | - Maria del Mar Delgado
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo Univ.-Campus; Mieres Mieres Spain
| | - Letizia Campioni
- MARE, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA Inst. Universitário; Lisbon Portugal
| | - Fernando Goytre
- ICAAM - Inst. de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Labor - Laboratory of Ornithology, Univ; de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Ap. 94, PT-7002-554 Évora Portugal
| | - João E. Rabaça
- ICAAM - Inst. de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Labor - Laboratory of Ornithology, Univ; de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Ap. 94, PT-7002-554 Évora Portugal
- Dept of Biology, School of Sciences and Technology, Univ; de Évora Évora Portugal
| | | | - Vincenzo Penteriani
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo Univ.-Campus; Mieres Mieres Spain
- Pyrenean Inst. of Ecology (IPE), CSIC; Zaragoza Spain
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23
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Murgatroyd M, Roos S, Evans R, Sansom A, Whitfield DP, Sexton D, Reid R, Grant J, Amar A. Sex-specific patterns of reproductive senescence in a long-lived reintroduced raptor. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1587-1599. [PMID: 29975797 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
For many species, there is evidence that breeding performance changes as an individual ages. In iteroparous species, breeding performance often increases through early life and is expected to level out or even decline (senesce) later in life. An individual's sex and conditions experienced in early life may also affect breeding performance and how this changes with age. Long-term monitoring of individuals from reintroduced populations can provide unique opportunities to explore age-related trends in breeding performance that might otherwise be logistically challenging. We used a unique dataset from a reintroduced population of white-tailed eagles Haliaeetus albicilla in Scotland, which has been intensively monitored since their initial reintroduction in 1975, to study age- and sex-specific trends in two measures of breeding performance. This monitoring provided data on the breeding performance of known individuals ranging in age from 3 to 26 years. We also explored changes in breeding performance in relation to early life experience (i.e., whether they were released or fledged in the wild). Breeding performance increased with age in early life in a similar manner for both sexes. We found stronger evidence for senescence in breeding performance in males than females. However, late-life female breeding success was associated with early life experience, while male senescent trends were not apparently impacted by conditions experienced during early life. Sexual differences in senescence mean that older males are less likely to breed successfully compared to older females, and this may influence females' mate changes later in life. This difference may suggest a linked sexual difference in survival rates or the possibility of proactive partner change by females in later life in this typically monogamous biparental species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Murgatroyd
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Staffan Roos
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Richard Evans
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alex Sansom
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - David Sexton
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robin Reid
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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24
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Clay TA, Pearmain EJ, McGill RAR, Manica A, Phillips RA. Age‐related variation in non‐breeding foraging behaviour and carry‐over effects on fitness in an extremely long‐lived bird. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A. Clay
- British Antarctic SurveyNatural Environment Research Council Cambridge UK
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | | | - Rona A. R. McGill
- NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry FacilityScottish Universities Environmental Research Centre East Kilbride UK
| | - Andrea Manica
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge UK
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25
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Araya-Ajoy YG, Bolstad GH, Brommer J, Careau V, Dingemanse NJ, Wright J. Demographic measures of an individual’s “pace of life”: fecundity rate, lifespan, generation time, or a composite variable? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2477-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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26
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Froy H, Börger L, Regan CE, Morris A, Morris S, Pilkington JG, Crawley MJ, Clutton-Brock TH, Pemberton JM, Nussey DH. Declining home range area predicts reduced late-life survival in two wild ungulate populations. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:1001-1009. [PMID: 29656580 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Demographic senescence is increasingly recognised as an important force shaping the dynamics of wild vertebrate populations. However, our understanding of the processes that underpin these declines in survival and fertility in old age remains limited. Evidence for age-related changes in foraging behaviour and habitat use is emerging from wild vertebrate studies, but the extent to which these are driven by within-individual changes, and the consequences for fitness, remain unclear. Using longitudinal census observations collected over four decades from two long-term individual-based studies of unmanaged ungulates, we demonstrate consistent within-individual declines in home range area with age in adult females. In both systems, we found that within-individual decreases in home range area were associated with increased risk of mortality the following year. Our results provide the first evidence from the wild that age-related changes in space use are predictive of adult mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Charlotte E Regan
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Alison Morris
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Sean Morris
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Jill G Pilkington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Michael J Crawley
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | | | - Josephine M Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
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27
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Ciucci P, Artoni L, Crispino F, Tosoni E, Boitani L. Inter-pack, seasonal and annual variation in prey consumed by wolves in Pollino National Park, southern Italy. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1166-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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28
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D. Gable
- Voyageurs National Park; 360 Highway 11 E International Falls MN 56649 USA
| | - Steve K. Windels
- Voyageurs National Park; 360 Highway 11 E International Falls MN 56649 USA
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29
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Marck A, Berthelot G, Foulonneau V, Marc A, Antero-Jacquemin J, Noirez P, Bronikowski AM, Morgan TJ, Garland T, Carter PA, Hersen P, Di Meglio JM, Toussaint JF. Age-Related Changes in Locomotor Performance Reveal a Similar Pattern for Caenorhabditis elegans, Mus domesticus, Canis familiaris, Equus caballus, and Homo sapiens. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2017; 72:455-463. [PMID: 27522057 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glw136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Locomotion is one of the major physiological functions for most animals. Previous studies have described aging mechanisms linked to locomotor performance among different species. However, the precise dynamics of these age-related changes, and their interactions with development and senescence, are largely unknown. Here, we use the same conceptual framework to describe locomotor performances in Caenorhabditis elegans, Mus domesticus, Canis familiaris, Equus caballus, and Homo sapiens. We show that locomotion is a consistent biomarker of age-related changes, with an asymmetrical pattern throughout life, regardless of the type of effort or its duration. However, there is variation (i) among species for the same mode of locomotion, (ii) within species for different modes of locomotion, and (iii) among individuals of the same species for the same mode of locomotion. Age-related patterns are modulated by genetic (such as selective breeding) as well as environmental conditions (such as temperature). However, in all cases, the intersection of the rising developmental phase and the declining senescent phase reveals neither a sharp transition nor a plateau, but a smooth transition, emphasizing a crucial moment: the age at peak performance. This transition may define a specific target for future investigations on the dynamics of such biological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Marck
- Institut de Recherche bio-Médicale et d'Epidémiologie du Sport (IRMES), EA 7329, Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP) and Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, Université Paris Diderot and CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Geoffroy Berthelot
- Institut de Recherche bio-Médicale et d'Epidémiologie du Sport (IRMES), EA 7329, Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP) and Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Foulonneau
- Institut de Recherche bio-Médicale et d'Epidémiologie du Sport (IRMES), EA 7329, Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP) and Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Andy Marc
- Institut de Recherche bio-Médicale et d'Epidémiologie du Sport (IRMES), EA 7329, Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP) and Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Juliana Antero-Jacquemin
- Institut de Recherche bio-Médicale et d'Epidémiologie du Sport (IRMES), EA 7329, Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP) and Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Noirez
- Institut de Recherche bio-Médicale et d'Epidémiologie du Sport (IRMES), EA 7329, Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP) and Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Anne M Bronikowski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames
| | | | | | - Patrick A Carter
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman
| | - Pascal Hersen
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, Université Paris Diderot and CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Marc Di Meglio
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, UMR 7057, Université Paris Diderot and CNRS, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Jean-François Toussaint
- Institut de Recherche bio-Médicale et d'Epidémiologie du Sport (IRMES), EA 7329, Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP) and Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Centre d'Investigations en Médecine du Sport, Hôtel-Dieu, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, France
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30
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Whiteman JP, Harlow HJ, Durner GM, Regehr EV, Rourke BC, Robles M, Amstrup SC, Ben-David M. Polar bears experience skeletal muscle atrophy in response to food deprivation and reduced activity in winter and summer. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 5:cox049. [PMID: 28835844 PMCID: PMC5550809 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cox049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
When reducing activity and using stored energy during seasonal food shortages, animals risk degradation of skeletal muscles, although some species avoid or minimize the resulting atrophy while experiencing these conditions during hibernation. Polar bears may be food deprived and relatively inactive during winter (when pregnant females hibernate and hunting success declines for other demographic groups) as well as summer (when sea ice retreats from key foraging habitats). We investigated muscle atrophy in samples of biceps femoris collected from free-ranging polar bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea (SBS) throughout their annual cycle. Atrophy was most pronounced in April-May as a result of food deprivation during the previous winter, with muscles exhibiting reduced protein concentration, increased water content, and lower creatine kinase mRNA. These animals increased feeding and activity in spring (when seal prey becomes more available), initiating a period of muscle recovery. During the following ice melt of late summer, ~30% of SBS bears abandon retreating sea ice for land; in August, these 'shore' bears exhibited no muscle atrophy, indicating that they had fully recovered from winter food deprivation. These individuals subsequently scavenged whale carcasses deposited by humans and by October, had retained good muscle condition. In contrast, ~70% of SBS bears follow the ice north in late summer, into deep water with less prey. These 'ice' bears fast; by October, they exhibited muscle protein loss and rapid changes in myosin heavy-chain isoforms in response to reduced activity. These findings indicate that, unlike other bears during winter hibernation, polar bears without food in summer cannot mitigate atrophy. Consequently, prolonged summer fasting resulting from climate change-induced ice loss creates a risk of greater muscle atrophy and reduced abilities to travel and hunt.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P. Whiteman
- Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Henry J. Harlow
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - George M. Durner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Eric V. Regehr
- Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503, USA
- Current: Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th Street, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Bryan C. Rourke
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
| | - Manuel Robles
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
| | | | - Merav Ben-David
- Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
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31
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Ausband DE, Mitchell MS, Stansbury CR, Stenglein JL, Waits LP. Harvest and group effects on pup survival in a cooperative breeder. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20170580. [PMID: 28539521 PMCID: PMC5454274 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recruitment in cooperative breeders can be negatively affected by changes in group size and composition. The majority of cooperative breeding studies have not evaluated human harvest; therefore, the effects of recurring annual harvest and group characteristics on survival of young are poorly understood. We evaluated how harvest and groups affect pup survival using genetic sampling and pedigrees for grey wolves in North America. We hypothesized that harvest reduces pup survival because of (i) reduced group size, (ii) increased breeder turnover and/or (iii) reduced number of female helpers. Alternatively, harvest may increase pup survival possibly due to increased per capita food availability or it could be compensatory with other forms of mortality. Harvest appeared to be additive because it reduced both pup survival and group size. In addition to harvest, turnover of breeding males and the presence of older, non-breeding males also reduced pup survival. Large groups and breeder stability increased pup survival when there was harvest, however. Inferences about the effect of harvest on recruitment require knowledge of harvest rate of young as well as the indirect effects associated with changes in group size and composition, as we show. The number of young harvested is a poor measure of the effect of harvest on recruitment in cooperative breeders.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Ausband
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Michael S Mitchell
- US Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Carisa R Stansbury
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | | | - Lisette P Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
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Tallian A, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Metz MC, Wallen RL, Geremia C, Ruprecht J, Wyman CT, MacNulty DR. Predator foraging response to a resurgent dangerous prey. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aimee Tallian
- Department of Wildland Resources & Ecology Center Utah State University 5230 Old Main Hill Logan UT84322 USA
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park Box 168 Mammoth Hot Springs WY82190 USA
| | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park Box 168 Mammoth Hot Springs WY82190 USA
| | - Matthew C. Metz
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park Box 168 Mammoth Hot Springs WY82190 USA
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT59812 USA
| | - Rick L. Wallen
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park Box 168 Mammoth Hot Springs WY82190 USA
| | - Chris Geremia
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park Box 168 Mammoth Hot Springs WY82190 USA
| | - Joel Ruprecht
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University 104 Nash Hall Corvallis OR97331 USA
| | - C. Travis Wyman
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Yellowstone National Park Box 168 Mammoth Hot Springs WY82190 USA
| | - Daniel R. MacNulty
- Department of Wildland Resources & Ecology Center Utah State University 5230 Old Main Hill Logan UT84322 USA
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33
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Cassidy KA, Mech LD, MacNulty DR, Stahler DR, Smith DW. Sexually dimorphic aggression indicates male gray wolves specialize in pack defense against conspecific groups. Behav Processes 2017; 136:64-72. [PMID: 28143722 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Aggression directed at conspecific groups is common among gregarious, territorial species, and for some species such as gray wolves (Canis lupus) intraspecific strife is the leading cause of natural mortality. Each individual in a group likely has different measures of the costs and benefits associated with a group task, such as an aggressive attack on another group, which can alter motivation and behavior. We observed 292 inter-pack aggressive interactions in Yellowstone National Park between 1 April 1995 and 1 April 2011 (>5300days of observation) in order to determine the role of both sexes, and the influence of pack, age, and other traits on aggression. We recorded the behaviors and characteristics of all individuals present during the interactions (n=534 individuals) and which individuals participated in each step (i.e. chase, attack, kill, flight) of the interaction. Overall, all wolves were more likely to chase rivals if they outnumbered their opponent, suggesting packs accurately assess their opponent's size during encounters and individuals adjust their behavior based on relative pack size. Males were more likely than females to chase rival packs and gray-colored wolves were more aggressive than black-colored wolves. Male wolves and gray-colored wolves also recorded higher cortisol levels than females and black-colored wolves, indicating hormonal support for more intense aggressive behavior. Further, we found a positive correlation between male age and probability of chasing, while age-specific participation for females remained constant. Chasing behavior was influenced by the sex of lone intruders, with males more likely to chase male intruders. This difference in behavior suggests male and female wolves may have different strategies and motivations during inter-pack aggressive interactions related to gray wolf mating systems. A division of labor between pack members concerning resource and territory defense suggests selection for specific traits related to aggression is an adaptive response to intense competition between groups of conspecifics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira A Cassidy
- Natural Resource Science and Management, 115 Green Hall, 1530 Cleveland Avenue N, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA; Yellowstone Wolf Project, PO Box 168, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA.
| | - L David Mech
- U. S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711-37th St., S.E., Jamestown, ND, 58401-7317, USA
| | - Daniel R MacNulty
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, PO Box 168, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA
| | - Douglas W Smith
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, PO Box 168, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA
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Chitwood MC, Lashley MA, DePerno CS, Moorman CE. Considerations on neonatal ungulate capture method: potential for bias in survival estimation and cause-specific mortality. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Colter Chitwood
- M. C. Chitwood , Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Univ. of Missouri, 302 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Marcus A. Lashley
- M. A. Lashley, Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State Univ., Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Christopher S. DePerno
- C. S. DePerno and C. E. Moorman, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Dept of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Christopher E. Moorman
- C. S. DePerno and C. E. Moorman, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program, Dept of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC, USA
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35
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Sand H, Eklund A, Zimmermann B, Wikenros C, Wabakken P. Prey Selection of Scandinavian Wolves: Single Large or Several Small? PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168062. [PMID: 28030549 PMCID: PMC5193335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on large predator-prey interactions are often limited to the predators’ primary prey, with the potential for prey switching in systems with multiple ungulate species rarely investigated. We evaluated wolf (Canis lupus) prey selection at two different spatial scales, i.e., inter- and intra-territorial, using data from 409 ungulate wolf-kills in an expanding wolf population in Scandinavia. This expansion includes a change from a one-prey into a two-prey system with variable densities of one large-sized ungulate; moose (Alces alces) and one small-sized ungulate; roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Among wolf territories, the proportion of roe deer in wolf kills was related to both pack size and roe deer density, but not to moose density. Pairs of wolves killed a higher proportion of roe deer than did packs, and wolves switched to kill more roe deer as their density increased above a 1:1 ratio in relation to the availability of the two species. At the intra-territorial level, wolves again responded to changes in roe deer density in their prey selection whereas we found no effect of snow depth, time during winter, or other predator-related factors on the wolves’ choice to kill moose or roe deer. Moose population density was only weakly related to intra-territorial prey selection. Our results show that the functional response of wolves on moose, the species hitherto considered as the main prey, was strongly dependent on the density of a smaller, alternative, ungulate prey. The impact of wolf predation on the prey species community is therefore likely to change with the composition of the multi-prey species community along with the geographical expansion of the wolf population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Ann Eklund
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, Koppang, Norway
| | - Camilla Wikenros
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, Koppang, Norway
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36
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Evidence for sex-specific reproductive senescence in monogamous cooperatively breeding red wolves. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2241-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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37
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Charruau P, Johnston RA, Stahler DR, Lea A, Snyder-Mackler N, Smith DW, vonHoldt BM, Cole SW, Tung J, Wayne RK. Pervasive Effects of Aging on Gene Expression in Wild Wolves. Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:1967-78. [PMID: 27189566 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression levels change as an individual ages and responds to environmental conditions. With the exception of humans, such patterns have principally been studied under controlled conditions, overlooking the array of developmental and environmental influences that organisms encounter under conditions in which natural selection operates. We used high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) of whole blood to assess the relative impacts of social status, age, disease, and sex on gene expression levels in a natural population of gray wolves (Canis lupus). Our findings suggest that age is broadly associated with gene expression levels, whereas other examined factors have minimal effects on gene expression patterns. Further, our results reveal evolutionarily conserved signatures of senescence, such as immunosenescence and metabolic aging, between wolves and humans despite major differences in life history and environment. The effects of aging on gene expression levels in wolves exhibit conservation with humans, but the more rapid expression differences observed in aging wolves is evolutionarily appropriate given the species' high level of extrinsic mortality due to intraspecific aggression. Some expression changes that occur with age can facilitate physical age-related changes that may enhance fitness in older wolves. However, the expression of these ancestral patterns of aging in descendant modern dogs living in highly modified domestic environments may be maladaptive and cause disease. This work provides evolutionary insight into aging patterns observed in domestic dogs and demonstrates the applicability of studying natural populations to investigate the mechanisms of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Charruau
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Rachel A Johnston
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park
| | | | | | - Douglas W Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park
| | | | - Steven W Cole
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Biology, Duke University Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
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38
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Janowitz Koch I, Clark MM, Thompson MJ, Deere-Machemer KA, Wang J, Duarte L, Gnanadesikan GE, McCoy EL, Rubbi L, Stahler DR, Pellegrini M, Ostrander EA, Wayne RK, Sinsheimer JS, vonHoldt BM. The concerted impact of domestication and transposon insertions on methylation patterns between dogs and grey wolves. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:1838-55. [PMID: 27112634 PMCID: PMC4849173 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The process of domestication can exert intense trait-targeted selection on genes and regulatory regions. Specifically, rapid shifts in the structure and sequence of genomic regulatory elements could provide an explanation for the extensive, and sometimes extreme, variation in phenotypic traits observed in domesticated species. Here, we explored methylation differences from >24 000 cytosines distributed across the genomes of the domesticated dog (Canis familiaris) and the grey wolf (Canis lupus). PCA and model-based cluster analyses identified two primary groups, domestic vs. wild canids. A scan for significantly differentially methylated sites (DMSs) revealed species-specific patterns at 68 sites after correcting for cell heterogeneity, with weak yet significant hypermethylation typical of purebred dogs when compared to wolves (59% and 58%, P < 0.05, respectively). Additionally, methylation patterns at eight genes significantly deviated from neutrality, with similar trends of hypermethylation in purebred dogs. The majority (>66%) of differentially methylated regions contained or were associated with repetitive elements, indicative of a genotype-mediated trend. However, DMSs were also often linked to functionally relevant genes (e.g. neurotransmitters). Finally, we utilized known genealogical relationships among Yellowstone wolves to survey transmission stability of methylation marks, from which we found a substantial fraction that demonstrated high heritability (both H(2) and h(2 ) > 0.99). These analyses provide a unique epigenetic insight into the molecular consequences of recent selection and radiation of our most ancient domesticated companion, the dog. These findings suggest selection has acted on methylation patterns, providing a new genomic perspective on phenotypic diversification in domesticated species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilana Janowitz Koch
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Michelle M Clark
- Department of Biostatistics, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Michael J Thompson
- Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | | | - Jun Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48085, USA
| | - Lionel Duarte
- Department of Biostatistics, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | | | - Eskender L McCoy
- Yale School of Management, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Liudmilla Rubbi
- Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Elaine A Ostrander
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Janet S Sinsheimer
- Department of Biostatistics, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Human Genetics and Biomathematics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
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39
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Barber-Meyer SM, Mech LD, Newton WE, Borg BL. Differential wolf-pack-size persistence and the role of risk when hunting dangerous prey. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Risk to predators hunting dangerous prey is an emerging area of research and could account for possible persistent differences in gray wolf (Canis lupus) pack sizes. We documented significant differences in long-term wolf-pack-size averages and variation in the Superior National Forest (SNF), Denali National Park and Preserve, Yellowstone National Park, and Yukon, Canada (). The SNF differences could be related to the wolves’ risk when hunting primary prey, for those packs () hunting moose (Alces americanus) were significantly larger than those () hunting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (, ). Our data support the hypothesis that differential pack-size persistence may be perpetuated by differences in primary prey riskiness to wolves, and we highlight two important extensions of this idea: (1) the potential for wolves to provision and defend injured packmates from other wolves and (2) the importance of less-risky, buffer prey to pack-size persistence and year-to-year variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M. Barber-Meyer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th Street, SE, Jamestown, ND 58401-7317, USA
- Present address: U.S. Geological Survey, 1393 Highway 169, Ely, MN 55731, USA
| | - L. David Mech
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th Street, SE, Jamestown, ND 58401-7317, USA
- Present address: The Raptor Center, University of Minnesota, 1920 Fitch Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Wesley E. Newton
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th Street, SE, Jamestown, ND 58401-7317, USA
| | - Bridget L. Borg
- Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali, AK 99755-0009, USA
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40
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Patterson EM, Krzyszczyk E, Mann J. Age-specific foraging performance and reproduction in tool-using wild bottlenose dolphins. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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41
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Pokallus JW, Pauli JN. Population dynamics of a northern-adapted mammal: disentangling the influence of predation and climate change. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 25:1546-56. [PMID: 26552263 DOI: 10.1890/14-2214.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Community structure and interspecific interactions are particularly vulnerable to rapidly changing climatic regimes. Recent changes in both climate and vertebrate community assemblages have created a unique opportunity to examine the impacts of two dynamic forces on population regulation. We examined the effects of warming winter conditions and the reestablishment of a previously extirpated predator, the fisher (Martes pennanti), on regulatory mechanisms in a northern-adapted mammal, the porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), along their southern range boundary. Using a long-term (17-year) capture-recapture data set, we (1) quantified the impacts of climate change and increased fisher predation on the survival of adult porcupines at their regional southern terminus, (2) assessed recruitment (via both adult fecundity and juvenile survival) of porcupines, and (3) modeled the relative importance of predation and winter conditions on the demography and population growth rate (λ). Severe winters and abundant predators interacted synergistically to reduce adult survivorship by as much as 44%, while expanding predator populations led to near reproductive failure among porcupines. Increasing predatory pressure, disruptions in this community module, and more frequent extreme winter weather events led to predicted extirpation within 50 years, whereas in the absence of predators, the population was viable. Our results provide a mechanistic understanding behind distributional shifts resulting from climate change and may be broadly relevant for predicting future distributional shifts in other northern-adapted mammalian species.
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42
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Smith DW, Metz MC, Cassidy KA, Stahler EE, McIntyre RT, Almberg ES, Stahler DR. Infanticide in wolves: seasonality of mortalities and attacks at dens support evolution of territoriality. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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43
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Cassidy KA, MacNulty DR, Stahler DR, Smith DW, Mech LD. Group composition effects on aggressive interpack interactions of gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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44
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Affiliation(s)
- Arian D. Wallach
- School of Environment, Charles Darwin Univ.; Darwin, Northern Territory Australia
| | - Ido Izhaki
- Dept of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology; Univ. of Haifa; Haifa Israel
| | | | - William J. Ripple
- Dept of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University; Corvallis, OR USA
| | - Uri Shanas
- Dept of Biology and Environment; Univ. of Haifa - Oranim; Tivon Israel
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45
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Froy H, Lewis S, Catry P, Bishop CM, Forster IP, Fukuda A, Higuchi H, Phalan B, Xavier JC, Nussey DH, Phillips RA. Age-related variation in foraging behaviour in the wandering albatross at South Georgia: no evidence for senescence. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0116415. [PMID: 25574995 PMCID: PMC4289070 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related variation in demographic rates is now widely documented in wild vertebrate systems, and has significant consequences for population and evolutionary dynamics. However, the mechanisms underpinning such variation, particularly in later life, are less well understood. Foraging efficiency is a key determinant of fitness, with implications for individual life history trade-offs. A variety of faculties known to decline in old age, such as muscular function and visual acuity, are likely to influence foraging performance. We examine age-related variation in the foraging behaviour of a long-lived, wide-ranging oceanic seabird, the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans. Using miniaturised tracking technologies, we compared foraging trip characteristics of birds breeding at Bird Island, South Georgia. Based on movement and immersion data collected during the incubation phase of a single breeding season, and from extensive tracking data collected in previous years from different stages of the breeding cycle, we found limited evidence for age-related variation in commonly reported trip parameters, and failed to detect signs of senescent decline. Our results contrast with the limited number of past studies that have examined foraging behaviour in later life, since these have documented changes in performance consistent with senescence. This highlights the importance of studies across different wild animal populations to gain a broader perspective on the processes driving variation in ageing rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Sue Lewis
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paulo Catry
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA—Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Charles M. Bishop
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, United Kingdom
| | - Isaac P. Forster
- Australian Antarctic Division, University of Tasmania, Kingston, Australia
| | | | | | - Ben Phalan
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jose C. Xavier
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portuga
| | - Daniel H. Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A. Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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46
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Berger V, Lemaître JF, Gaillard JM, Cohas A. How do animals optimize the size–number trade‐off when aging? Insights from reproductive senescence patterns in marmots. Ecology 2015; 96:46-53. [DOI: 10.1890/14-0774.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vérane Berger
- Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jean-François Lemaître
- Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Aurélie Cohas
- Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
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47
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48
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Roach DA, Carey JR. Population Biology of Aging in the Wild. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2014. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-120213-091730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Empirical studies reveal aging occurs in wild populations. Consideration of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of these findings is critical for many areas of research, including life-history evolution, sexual selection, behavior, and applied ecology. Variation in the patterns of age-dependent declines of phenotypic traits has been found both within and among individuals, and this raises future questions aimed at understanding what determines these trajectories across traits and across the tree of life. The presence of older, aging, individuals in populations can have transgenerational effects on offspring and can influence how individuals interact. In some species older individuals in populations can have positive impacts, influencing knowledge and leadership, postreproductive care, and population cycle stabilization. Aging and long life span also need to be recognized in an applied ecology context including management plans, vector-borne disease transmission, and ecotoxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A. Roach
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
| | - James R. Carey
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, California 95616 and Center for the Economics and Demography of Aging, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
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MacNulty DR, Tallian A, Stahler DR, Smith DW. Influence of group size on the success of wolves hunting bison. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112884. [PMID: 25389760 PMCID: PMC4229308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
An intriguing aspect of social foraging behaviour is that large groups are often no better at capturing prey than are small groups, a pattern that has been attributed to diminished cooperation (i.e., free riding) in large groups. Although this suggests the formation of large groups is unrelated to prey capture, little is known about cooperation in large groups that hunt hard-to-catch prey. Here, we used direct observations of Yellowstone wolves (Canis lupus) hunting their most formidable prey, bison (Bison bison), to test the hypothesis that large groups are more cooperative when hunting difficult prey. We quantified the relationship between capture success and wolf group size, and compared it to previously reported results for Yellowstone wolves hunting elk (Cervus elaphus), a prey that was, on average, 3 times easier to capture than bison. Whereas improvement in elk capture success levelled off at 2-6 wolves, bison capture success levelled off at 9-13 wolves with evidence that it continued to increase beyond 13 wolves. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that hunters in large groups are more cooperative when hunting more formidable prey. Improved ability to capture formidable prey could therefore promote the formation and maintenance of large predator groups, particularly among predators that specialize on such prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. MacNulty
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States of America
| | - Aimee Tallian
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
| | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Mammoth, WY, United States of America
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Mammoth, WY, United States of America
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Zimmermann B, Sand H, Wabakken P, Liberg O, Andreassen HP. Predator-dependent functional response in wolves: from food limitation to surplus killing. J Anim Ecol 2014; 84:102-12. [PMID: 25109601 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The functional response of a predator describes the change in per capita kill rate to changes in prey density. This response can be influenced by predator densities, giving a predator-dependent functional response. In social carnivores which defend a territory, kill rates also depend on the individual energetic requirements of group members and their contribution to the kill rate. This study aims to provide empirical data for the functional response of wolves Canis lupus to the highly managed moose Alces alces population in Scandinavia. We explored prey and predator dependence, and how the functional response relates to the energetic requirements of wolf packs. Winter kill rates of GPS-collared wolves and densities of cervids were estimated for a total of 22 study periods in 15 wolf territories. The adult wolves were identified as the individuals responsible for providing kills to the wolf pack, while pups could be described as inept hunters. The predator-dependent, asymptotic functional response models (i.e. Hassell-Varley type II and Crowley-Martin) performed best among a set of 23 competing linear, asymptotic and sigmoid models. Small wolf packs acquired >3 times as much moose biomass as required to sustain their field metabolic rate (FMR), even at relatively low moose abundances. Large packs (6-9 wolves) acquired less biomass than required in territories with low moose abundance. We suggest the surplus killing by small packs is a result of an optimal foraging strategy to consume only the most nutritious parts of easy accessible prey while avoiding the risk of being detected by humans. Food limitation may have a stabilizing effect on pack size in wolves, as supported by the observed negative relationship between body weight of pups and pack size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University College, Campus Evenstad, N-2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Håkan Sand
- Department of Ecology, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-73091 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University College, Campus Evenstad, N-2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Olof Liberg
- Department of Ecology, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-73091 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Harry Peter Andreassen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University College, Campus Evenstad, N-2480 Koppang, Norway
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