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Goerge TM, Miles DB. Territorial status is explained by covariation between boldness, exploration, and thermal preference in a colour polymorphic lizard. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70321. [PMID: 39355115 PMCID: PMC11442181 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70321] [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: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Colour polymorphic species often exhibit variation in morphology, physiology, and behaviour among morphs. In particular, dominance status may be signalled by the interaction between behaviour and colour morph. Behavioural traits associated with dominance include boldness, exploration, and aggression, which influence access to preferred habitat, territorial defence, and mate acquisition. In ectotherms, the social structure associated with morphs may result in the exploitation of structural niches differing in thermal quality. Hence, social interactions among morphs may generate concordant variation in thermal preference and environmental temperature. However, few studies have assessed thermal preference variation in colour polymorphic species and its covariation with behaviour. Doing so can provide insight into niche specialization and the maintenance of colour polymorphism in populations. Here, we investigated the patterns of covariation in boldness behaviour, exploratory behaviour, and thermal preference in the tree lizard, Urosaurus ornatus. We assessed trait variation between territorial and non-territorial male morphs and between orange and yellow female morphs. Boldness and exploratory behaviour were repeatable in male U. ornatus and bolder individuals were significantly more likely to incur tail loss, a potential consequence of bold behaviour. Territorial male morphs were significantly bolder and more exploratory and preferred higher body temperatures with a narrower T set than non-territorial morphs. Female morphs did not vary in behavioural or thermal traits. This study highlights behavioural mechanisms that underly ecological niche segregation and variable habitat use between morphs in a colour polymorphic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler M. Goerge
- Department of Biological SciencesOhio UniversityAthensOhioUSA
| | - Donald B. Miles
- Department of Biological SciencesOhio UniversityAthensOhioUSA
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2
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Zhang X, Othman SN, Kohler DB, Wu Z, Wang Z, Borzée A. Combined climate change and dispersal capacity positively affect Hoplobatrachus chinensis occupancy of agricultural wetlands. iScience 2024; 27:110732. [PMID: 39310775 PMCID: PMC11414709 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Global warming significantly impacts amphibian populations globally, and modeling helps understand these effects. Here, we used MaxEnt and MigClim models to predict the impact of climate change on habitat suitability for Hoplobatrachus chinensis. Our results indicate that temperature is a key factor affecting H. chinensis distribution. Increasing temperatures positively correlated with habitat suitability, with suitable habitat expanding northward by 2060 while maintaining suitability in the southern parts of the range. We found a 25.18% overlap between the current potential suitable habitat of H. chinensis and agricultural wetlands. Our model indicated that H. chinensis might be able to track shifts in suitable habitats under climate change given a 15 km dispersal ability per generation. Climate change will likely expand suitable habitat for H. chinensis. Our predictions offer important guidance for the conservation of the species, especially for the integrated role of natural and agricultural wetlands such as rice paddies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Zhang
- Laboratory of Animal Behaviour and Conservation, College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Siti N. Othman
- Laboratory of Animal Behaviour and Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Dallin B. Kohler
- Laboratory of Animal Behaviour and Conservation, College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Zhichao Wu
- Security Office, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Zhenqi Wang
- Laboratory of Animal Behaviour and Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Amaël Borzée
- Laboratory of Animal Behaviour and Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
- IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Jiangsu Agricultural Biodiversity Cultivation and Utilization Research Center, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210014, P.R. China
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3
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Cairncross RJ, Spencer EE, Meisuria N, Crowther MS, Newsome TM. Carrion use by a reptile is influenced by season, habitat and competition with an apex mammalian scavenger. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70211. [PMID: 39206457 PMCID: PMC11350275 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70211] [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: 06/17/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Scavenging on carrion is critical and often fiercely competitive for a range of vertebrate species, from native apex predators to invasive species and even reptiles. Within Australia, a notable reptilian scavenger is the lace monitor (Varanus varius). In this study, we quantified lace monitor activity at carcasses and compared their use of the resource to common co-occurring predators that also scavenge; the invasive red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and a native apex predator, the dingo (Canis dingo). To do so, we deployed 80 macropod carcasses equally across seasons (summer and winter) and habitats (open and closed canopy) in a temperate bioregion and monitored vertebrate scavenging with camera traps. Lace monitor activity (visitation at carcass sites inclusive of both non-scavenging and scavenging events) was 1.67 times higher in summer than in winter, but it did not differ across closed and open habitats. Monitor activity occurred earlier after carcass deployment at sites deployed in summer than winter (1.47-fold earlier), and at carcasses in open than closed habitats (0.22-fold earlier). Lace monitors initially discovered carcass sites faster in summer than winter and before both red foxes and dingoes in summer. The species was active diurnally in both summer and winter, differing from the red fox, which was strictly a nocturnal scavenger and the dingo, which was significantly more active at night across both seasons. Finally, we found that lace monitor activity at carcass sites decreased slightly with higher rates of activity for dingoes (0.04-fold decrease as dingo activity increased), but not with red fox activity. Our results have implications for understanding lace monitor foraging and scavenging and highlight the value of monitoring carcasses to provide important insights into the behaviour of varanid lizards that scavenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhys J. Cairncross
- School of Life and Environmental ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Emma E. Spencer
- School of Life and Environmental ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Niraj Meisuria
- School of Life and Environmental ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Mathew S. Crowther
- School of Life and Environmental ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Thomas M. Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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4
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Kimball MG, Lattin CR. The "Seven Deadly Sins" of Neophobia Experimental Design. Integr Comp Biol 2024; 64:38-54. [PMID: 37996398 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neophobia, an aversive response to novelty, is a behavior with critical ecological and evolutionary relevance for wild populations because it directly influences animals' ability to adapt to new environments and exploit novel resources. Neophobia has been described in a wide variety of different animal species from arachnids to zebra finches. Because of this widespread prevalence and ecological importance, the number of neophobia studies has continued to increase over time. However, many neophobia studies (as well as many animal behavior studies more generally) suffer from one or more of what we have deemed the "seven deadly sins" of neophobia experimental design. These "sins" include: (1) animals that are not habituated to the testing environment, (2) problems with novel stimulus selection, (3) non-standardized motivation, (4) pseudoreplication, (5) lack of sufficient controls, (6) fixed treatment order, and (7) using arbitrary thresholds for data analysis. We discuss each of these potential issues in turn and make recommendations for how to avoid them in future behavior research. More consistency in how neophobia studies are designed would facilitate comparisons across different populations and species and allow researchers to better understand whether neophobia can help explain animals' responses to human-altered landscapes and the ability to survive in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie G Kimball
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Christine R Lattin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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5
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Schausberger P, Nguyen TH, Altintas M. Early-life intraguild predation risk produces adaptive personalities in predatory mites. iScience 2024; 27:109065. [PMID: 38361613 PMCID: PMC10864791 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal personalities are defined by within-individual consistency, and consistent among-individual variation, in behavior across time and/or contexts. Here we hypothesized that brief early-life experience of intraguild predation (IGP) risk has enduring phenotypic effects on personality expression in boldness and aggressiveness in later life. We tested our hypothesis in predatory mites Phytoseiulus persimilis, which are IG predators with ontogenetic role reversals, i.e., they are potential IG prey during early life but IG predators as adults. Adult P. persimilis females, which had experienced IGP risk early in life or not, were subjected to three tests each for boldness and aggressiveness. IGP-experienced individuals were on average bolder and more aggressive. Boldness was moderately repeatable, aggressiveness was weakly repeatable. Strikingly, early-life IGP experience shifted the within-group personality composition toward consistently bold and aggressive personalities. Phenotypic adjustment of personality expression was adaptive, as indicated by the positive correlation between personality scores and egg production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Schausberger
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Thi Hanh Nguyen
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Mustafa Altintas
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
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6
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Goerge TM, Miles DB. Behavioral plasticity during acute heat stress: heat hardening increases the expression of boldness. J Therm Biol 2024; 119:103778. [PMID: 38171068 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is creating novel thermal environments via rising temperatures and increased frequency of severe weather events. Short-term phenotypic adjustments, i.e., phenotypic plasticity, may facilitate species persistence during adverse environmental conditions. A plastic response that increases thermal tolerance is heat hardening, which buffers organisms from extreme heat and may enhance short term survival. However, heat hardening responses may incur a cost with concomitant decreases in thermal preference and physiological performance. Thus, phenotypic shifts accompanying a hardening response may be maladaptive in warming climates. Understanding how heat hardening influences other traits associated with fitness and survival will clarify its potential as an adaptive response to altered thermal niches. Here, we studied the effects of heat hardening on boldness behavior in the color polymorphic tree lizard, Urosaurus ornatus. Boldness in lizards influences traits such as territory maintenance, mating success, and survivorship and is repeatable in U. ornatus. We found that when lizards underwent a heat hardening response, boldness expression significantly increased. This trend was driven by males. Bolder individuals also exhibited lower field active body temperatures. This behavioral response to heat hardening may increase resource holding potential and territoriality in stressful environments but may also increase predation risk. This study highlights the need to detail associated phenotypic shifts with stress responses to fully understand their adaptive potential in rapidly changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler M Goerge
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, 7 Irvine Hall, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
| | - Donald B Miles
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, 7 Irvine Hall, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
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7
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Borger MJ, Komdeur J, Richardson DS, Weissing FJ. The estimation of reproductive values from pedigrees. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:850-861. [PMID: 37744170 PMCID: PMC10516676 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad049] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantifying fitness is important to understand adaptive evolution. Reproductive values are useful for making fitness comparisons involving different categories of individuals, like males and females. By definition, the reproductive value of a category is the expected per capita contribution of the members of that category to the gene pool of future generations. Life history theory reveals how reproductive values can be determined via the estimation of life-history parameters, but this requires an adequate life-history model and intricate algebraic calculations. Recently, an alternative pedigree-based method has become popular, which estimates the expected genetic contribution of individuals to future generations by tracking their descendants down the pedigree. This method is versatile and intuitively appealing, but it is unknown if the method produces estimates of reproductive values that are accurate and precise. To investigate this, we implement various life-history scenarios (for which the "true" reproductive values can be calculated) in individual-based simulations, use the simulation data to estimate reproductive values with the pedigree method, and compare the results with the true target values. We show that the pedigree-based estimation of reproductive values is either biased (in the short term) or imprecise (in the long term). This holds even for simple life histories and under idealized conditions. We conclude that the pedigree method is not a good substitute for the traditional method to quantify reproductive values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam J Borger
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David S Richardson
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, NR4 7TJ Norwich, UK
| | - Franz J Weissing
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
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8
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Behavioural syndrome between boldness and aggressiveness and link with reproductive success in a wild bird population. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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9
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Roe JH, Chavez MS, Hudson AE. Ecological and Fitness Correlates of Personality in a Long-lived Terrestrial Turtle. HERPETOLOGICA 2023; 79:9-21. [PMID: 38009091 PMCID: PMC10673623 DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-22-00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
An individual's behavioral tendencies (i.e., personality or temperament) can influence its interactions with the environment and thus have important ecological and evolutionary consequences for animal populations. Boldness, defined as an individual's tendency to engage in risk-taking activities, is a phenotypically variable trait linked with numerous behavioral and fitness outcomes in free-ranging animals. We examined variation and repeatability of boldness and other behavioral characteristics in two wild Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) populations using radiotelemetry, and assessed fitness correlates of boldness over multiple years. We observed large amounts of among-individual variation and within-individual consistency (i.e., repeatability) of boldness as measured by their head emergence latency following a standardized confinement assay. Individuals were also consistent in several in-field behaviors including movement rate, home range size, and date of emergence from overwintering refuges. Individuals with shorter head emergence latencies (i.e., bolder turtles) had larger home ranges, emerged earlier from overwintering dormancy, and experienced moderately lower survival compared with shy individuals. Boldness did not affect time spent within the thermal preference range, somatic growth rates, or the frequency of mating or same-sex aggressive encounters. Boldness and its effects on in-field behaviors differed between sexes and populations, and the relationship between boldness and survival was temporally variable. Our results suggest possible intrinsic behavioral types in T. c. carolina and highlight the importance of long-term and multipopulation studies when examining ecological and evolutionary processes that shape personality phenotypes in turtles.
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Affiliation(s)
- John H Roe
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC 28372, USA
| | - Maria S. Chavez
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC 28372, USA
| | - Abbie E. Hudson
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC 28372, USA
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10
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Morris DW, Palmer S. Do animal personalities promote species coexistence? A test with sympatric boreal rodents. Ecology 2023; 104:e3913. [PMID: 36333888 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The coexistence of competing species requires density feedbacks that have a larger effect on their own species' population growth than they do on others in the assembly. The feedbacks are often associated with behavioral tradeoffs that enable species to differentially exploit underlying axes of heterogeneity. Conjoining theories of species coexistence with foraging behavior and density-dependent habitat selection reveals that such tradeoffs impinge on invasion probabilities and equilibrium dynamics emerging from species' differences in habitat use. The resulting habitat separation promotes coexistence by reducing the overall interaction among species. Differential habitat selection depends on the behavioral abilities of organisms to identify and exploit the most profitable habitats and resource patches. One might thus expect that each species will evolve behavioral types distinct from those of other potential competitors. Accordingly, we exposed four coexisting species in four genera of boreal rodents to open-field tests. We used principal components (PC) to summarize their behaviors along three independent axes corresponding with clines of exploratory, vigilant, and apprehensive personalities. We confirmed that the axes represented repeatable behaviors (personalities) and assessed differences among species with a general linear model (GLM). The GLM revealed highly distinct differences among species, and between pairs of species, on each PC. Even so, it is difficult to infer the adaptive advantages of personality to the habitat segregation that reduces otherwise high interactions among species. Rather, personalities are best interpreted as co-adaptive behaviors reflecting the complex of morphological, physiological and behavioral attributes that dictate tradeoffs and enable coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas W Morris
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sommer Palmer
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
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11
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McMahon EK, Farhan S, Cavigelli SA. How do we characterize temperament? Broad testing of temperament across time and contexts in low-variable conditions. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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12
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Tan S, Li J, Yang Q, Fu J, Chen J. Light/dark phase influences intra-individual plasticity in maintenance metabolic rate and exploratory behavior independently in the Asiatic toad. BMC ZOOL 2022; 7:39. [PMID: 37170388 PMCID: PMC10127016 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-022-00139-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
It is well-known that light/dark phase can affect energy expenditure and behaviors of most organisms; however, its influences on individuality (inter-individual variance) and plasticity (intra-individual variance), as well as their associations remain unclear. To approach this question, we repeatedly measured maintenance metabolic rate (MR), exploratory and risk-taking behaviors across light/dark phase four times using wild-caught female Asiatic toads (Bufo gargarizans), and partitioned their variance components with univariate and bivariate mixed-effects models.
Results
The group means of maintenance MR and risk-taking behavior increased at night, while the group mean of exploratory behavior remained constant throughout the day. At night, the intra-individual variances were elevated in maintenance MR but reduced in exploration, suggesting that phenotypic plasticity was enhanced in the former but constrained in the latter. In addition, maintenance MR was not coupled with exploratory or risk-taking behaviors in daytime or at night, neither at the inter-individual nor intra-individual levels.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that these traits are independently modulated by the light/dark phase, and an allocation energy management model may be applicable in this species. This study sheds new insights into how amphibians adapt nocturnal lifestyle across multiple hierarchy levels via metabolic and behavioral adjustments.
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13
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Forss S, Willems E. The curious case of great ape curiosity and how it is shaped by sociality. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Forss
- Collegium Helveticum, The joint Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) of the ETH Zurich The University of Zurich, and The Zurich University of the Arts Zurich Switzerland
| | - Erik Willems
- Department of Anthropology University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
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14
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Eccard JA, Herde A, Schuster AC, Liesenjohann T, Knopp T, Heckel G, Dammhahn M. Fitness, risk taking, and spatial behavior covary with boldness in experimental vole populations. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8521. [PMID: 35154645 PMCID: PMC8829380 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals of a population may vary along a pace-of-life syndrome from highly fecund, short-lived, bold, dispersive "fast" types at one end of the spectrum to less fecund, long-lived, shy, plastic "slow" types at the other end. Risk-taking behavior might mediate the underlying life history trade-off, but empirical evidence supporting this hypothesis is still ambiguous. Using experimentally created populations of common voles (Microtus arvalis)-a species with distinct seasonal life history trajectories-we aimed to test whether individual differences in boldness behavior covary with risk taking, space use, and fitness. We quantified risk taking, space use (via automated tracking), survival, and reproductive success (via genetic parentage analysis) in 8 to 14 experimental, mixed-sex populations of 113 common voles of known boldness type in large grassland enclosures over a significant part of their adult life span and two reproductive events. Populations were assorted to contain extreme boldness types (bold or shy) of both sexes. Bolder individuals took more risks than shyer ones, which did not affect survival. Bolder males but not females produced more offspring than shy conspecifics. Daily home range and core area sizes, based on 95% and 50% Kernel density estimates (20 ± 10 per individual, n = 54 individuals), were highly repeatable over time. Individual space use unfolded differently for sex-boldness type combinations over the course of the experiment. While day ranges decreased for shy females, they increased for bold females and all males. Space use trajectories may, hence, indicate differences in coping styles when confronted with a novel social and physical environment. Thus, interindividual differences in boldness predict risk taking under near-natural conditions and have consequences for fitness in males, which have a higher reproductive potential than females. Given extreme inter- and intra-annual fluctuations in population density in the study species and its short life span, density-dependent fluctuating selection operating differently on the sexes might maintain (co)variation in boldness, risk taking, and pace-of-life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana A Eccard
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
| | - Antje Herde
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
- Animal Behaviour Faculty of Biology University of Bielefeld Bielefeld Germany
| | - Andrea C Schuster
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Thilo Liesenjohann
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
- BioConsult SH GmbH & Co. KG Husum Germany
| | - Tatjana Knopp
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
| | - Gerald Heckel
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Melanie Dammhahn
- Animal Ecology Institute of Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany
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15
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Bouchebti S, Cortés-Fossati F, Vales Estepa Á, Plaza Lozano M, S. Calovi D, Arganda S. Sex-Specific Effect of the Dietary Protein to Carbohydrate Ratio on Personality in the Dubia Cockroach. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13020133. [PMID: 35206707 PMCID: PMC8879078 DOI: 10.3390/insects13020133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Animal personality is modulated by genetic and environmental factors. To explore the modulatory effect of nutrition on personality, we investigated whether diets varying in their relative content of proteins and carbohydrates might modulate the behavior of the Dubia cockroach. Over a period of eight weeks, we fed adult cockroaches, both males and females, five different diets, and we measured diet consumption, survival, and personality traits by recording their exploratory and mobility behaviors. After eight weeks, females gained more body mass and had higher survival than males. We found that females preferred carbohydrate-rich diets and avoided ingesting too many proteins by consuming less food on high-protein diets. The diet had no effect on their personality. However, males showed a bolder personality when fed with high-protein diets while consuming the same amount of food, regardless of the protein content in the diet. These sex differences could be beneficial for the species in stressful nutritional environments, allowing males to discover new food resources while ovoviviparous females could spend more time protected in shelters. Abstract Animal personality, defined by behavioral variations among individuals consistent over contexts or time, is shaped by genetic and environmental factors. Among these factors, nutrition can play an important role. The Geometric Framework of Nutrition has promoted a better understanding of the role of the macronutrient proportion in animal development, survival, reproduction, and behavior, and can help to disentangle its modulatory effect on animal personality. In this study, we investigated the effects of protein to carbohydrate (P:C) ratio in the personality of the cockroach Blaptica dubia. Newly emerged adults were fed over a period of eight weeks on five different diets varying in their P:C ratio and their diet consumption, mass variation, survival, exploratory behavior, and mobility were assessed. We found that females, unlike males, were able to regulate their nutrient intake and preferred carbohydrate-rich diets. Females also gained more body mass and lived longer compared to males. In addition, their behavior and mobility were not affected by the diet. In males, however, high-protein diets induced a bolder personality. We suggest that the sex-specific effects observed on both survival and behavior are related to the nutrient intake regulation capacity and might improve the species’ fitness in adverse nutritional conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Bouchebti
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain; (F.C.-F.); (Á.V.E.); (M.P.L.); (S.A.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Fernando Cortés-Fossati
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain; (F.C.-F.); (Á.V.E.); (M.P.L.); (S.A.)
| | - Ángela Vales Estepa
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain; (F.C.-F.); (Á.V.E.); (M.P.L.); (S.A.)
| | - Maria Plaza Lozano
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain; (F.C.-F.); (Á.V.E.); (M.P.L.); (S.A.)
| | - Daniel S. Calovi
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 78464 Konstanz, Germany;
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sara Arganda
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain; (F.C.-F.); (Á.V.E.); (M.P.L.); (S.A.)
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16
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Aiyer A, Shine R, Somaweera R, Bell T, Ward-Fear G. Shifts in the foraging tactics of crocodiles following invasion by toxic prey. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1267. [PMID: 35075144 PMCID: PMC8786828 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03629-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological invasions can modify the behaviour of vulnerable native species in subtle ways. For example, native predators may learn or evolve to reduce foraging in conditions (habitats, times of day) that expose them to a toxic invasive species. In tropical Australia, freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni) are often fatally poisoned when they ingest invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina). The risk may be greatest if toads are seized on land, where a predator cannot wash away the toxins before they are absorbed into its bloodstream. Hence, toad invasion might induce crocodiles to forage in aquatic habitats only, foregoing terrestrial hunting. To test this idea, we conducted standardised trials of bait presentation to free-ranging crocodiles in sites with and without invasive toads. As anticipated, crocodiles rapidly learned to avoid consuming toads, and shifted to almost exclusively aquatic foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhilasha Aiyer
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Ruchira Somaweera
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Tina Bell
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Georgia Ward-Fear
- School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia.
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17
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Haave-Audet E, Besson AA, Nakagawa S, Mathot KJ. Differences in resource acquisition, not allocation, mediate the relationship between behaviour and fitness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:708-731. [PMID: 34859575 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Within populations, individuals often show repeatable variation in behaviour, called 'animal personality'. In the last few decades, numerous empirical studies have attempted to elucidate the mechanisms maintaining this variation, such as life-history trade-offs. Theory predicts that among-individual variation in behavioural traits could be maintained if traits that are positively associated with reproduction are simultaneously associated with decreased survival, such that different levels of behavioural expression lead to the same net fitness outcome. However, variation in resource acquisition may also be important in mediating the relationship between individual behaviour and fitness components (survival and reproduction). For example, if certain phenotypes (e.g. dominance or aggressiveness) are associated with higher resource acquisition, those individuals may have both higher reproduction and higher survival, relative to others in the population. When individuals differ in their ability to acquire resources, trade-offs are only expected to be observed at the within-individual level (i.e. for a given amount of resource, if an individual increases its allocation to reproduction, it comes at the cost of allocation to survival, and vice versa), while among individuals traits that are associated with increased survival may also be associated with increased reproduction. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, asking: (i) do among-individual differences in behaviour reflect among-individual differences in resource acquisition and/or allocation, and (ii) is the relationship between behaviour and fitness affected by the type of behaviour and the testing environment? Our meta-analysis consisted of 759 estimates from 193 studies. Our meta-analysis revealed a positive correlation between pairs of estimates using both survival and reproduction as fitness proxies. That is, for a given study, behaviours that were associated with increased reproduction were also associated with increased survival, suggesting that variation in behaviour at the among-individual level largely reflects differences among individuals in resource acquisition. Furthermore, we found the same positive correlation between pairs of estimates using both survival and reproduction as fitness proxies at the phenotypic level. This is significant because we also demonstrated that these phenotypic correlations primarily reflect within-individual correlations. Thus, even when accounting for among-individual differences in resource acquisition, we did not find evidence of trade-offs at the within-individual level. Overall, the relationship between behaviour and fitness proxies was not statistically different from zero at the among-individual, phenotypic, and within-individual levels; this relationship was not affected by behavioural category nor by the testing condition. Our meta-analysis highlights that variation in resource acquisition may be more important in driving the relationship between behaviour and fitness than previously thought, including at the within-individual level. We suggest that this may come about via heterogeneity in resource availability or age-related effects, with higher resource availability and/or age leading to state-dependent shifts in behaviour that simultaneously increase both survival and reproduction. We emphasize that future studies examining the mechanisms maintaining behavioural variation in populations should test the link between behavioural expression and resource acquisition - both within and among individuals. Such work will allow the field of animal personality to develop specific predictions regarding the mediating effect of resource acquisition on the fitness consequences of individual behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elène Haave-Audet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Anne A Besson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Kimberley J Mathot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Canada Research Chair, Integrative Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
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18
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Ward-Fear G, Brown GP, Pearson D, Shine R. Untangling the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on habitat selection by a tropical rodent. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12895. [PMID: 34145308 PMCID: PMC8213835 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91748-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how animal populations respond to environmental factors is critical because large-scale environmental processes (e.g., habitat fragmentation, climate change) are impacting ecosystems at unprecedented rates. On an overgrazed floodplain in north-western Australia, a native rodent (Pale Field Rat, Rattus tunneyi) constructs its burrows primarily beneath an invasive tree (Chinee Apple, Ziziphus mauritiana) rather than native trees. The dense thorny foliage of the Chinee Apple may allow high rat densities either because of abiotic effects (shade, in a very hot environment) or biotic processes (protection from trampling and soil compaction by feral horses, and/or predation). To distinguish between these hypotheses, we manipulated Chinee Apple foliage to modify biotic factors (access to horses and predators) but not shade levels. We surveyed the rat population with Elliott traps under treatment and control trees and in the open woodland, in two seasons (the breeding season—January, and the nesting season—May). In the breeding season, we ran giving-up density experiments (GUD) with food trays, to assess the perceived risk of predation by rats across our three treatments. Selective trimming of foliage did not affect thermal regimes underneath the trees but did allow ingress of horses and we observed two collapsed burrows as a consequence (although long term impacts of horses were not measured). The perceived predation risk also increased (GUD values at food trays increased) and was highest in the open woodland. Our manipulation resulted in a shift in rat sex ratios (indicating female preference for breeding under control but not foliage-trimmed trees) and influenced rat behaviour (giving-up densities increased; large dominant males inhabited the control but not treatment trees). Our data suggest that the primary benefit of the Chinee Apple tree to native rodents lies in physical protection from predators and (potentially) feral horses, rather than in providing cooler microhabitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Ward-Fear
- School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Office G17, Building 205B Culloden Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia. .,School of Life and Environmental Sciences , University of Sydney , Sydney, NSW , 2006 , Australia.
| | - Gregory P Brown
- School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Office G17, Building 205B Culloden Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - David Pearson
- Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife, Waneroo, WA , 6065 , Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Office G17, Building 205B Culloden Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
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19
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Laive A, Schembri B, Jolly CJ. Novel habitat associations and seasonality in threatened Mitchell’s water monitors (
Varanus mitchelli
): Implications for conservation. AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alana Laive
- Australian Museum Research InstituteAustralian Museum Sydney NSW2010Australia
| | - Brendan Schembri
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin University Darwin NTAustralia
| | - Chris J. Jolly
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin University Darwin NTAustralia
- Institute of Land, Water and Society School of Environmental Science Charles Sturt University Albury NSW Australia
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20
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Pettit L, Brown GP, Ward‐Fear G, Shine R. Anthropogenically modified habitats favor bigger and bolder lizards. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1586-1597. [PMID: 33613991 PMCID: PMC7882987 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities often create distinctive but discontinuously distributed habitat patches with abundant food but high risk of predation. Such sites can be most effectively utilized by individuals with specific behaviors and morphologies. Thus, a widespread species that contains a diversity of sizes and behavioral types may be pre-adapted to exploiting such hotspots. In eastern Australia, the giant (to >2 m) lizard Varanus varius (lace monitor) utilizes both disturbed (campground) and undisturbed (bushland) habitats. Our surveys of 27 sites show that lizards found in campgrounds tended to be larger and bolder than those in adjacent bushland. This divergence became even more marked after the arrival of a toxic invasive species (the cane toad, Rhinella marina) caused high mortality in larger and bolder lizards. Some of the behavioral divergences between campground and bushland lizards may be secondary consequences of differences in body size, but other habitat-associated divergences in behavior are due to habituation and/or nonrandom mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Pettit
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Gregory P. Brown
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Georgia Ward‐Fear
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNSWAustralia
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21
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Invasion of cane toads (Rhinella marina) affects the problem-solving performance of vulnerable predators (monitor lizards, Varanus varius). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02978-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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22
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Bury S. Sex-specific growth is mirrored in feeding rate but not moulting frequency in a sexually dimorphic snake. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:6. [PMID: 33415456 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-020-01712-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sexual size dimorphism (SSD), commonly observed in snakes, may arise from a different growth rate between the sexes. This indicates a sex-specific resource intake that is in fact observable in free-living snakes. It is not so well known whether the sexes can express differential feeding rates under conditions unconstrained by spatial accessibility, competition, etc. Here, I studied sex-specific variation in growth, its correlate-moulting frequency, and feeding rate in a captive group of sexually dimorphic banded water snakes (Nerodia fasciata) with access to food unconstrained by predation, competition or space. I showed that the sexes did indeed differ in relative mass growth in that females grew faster than males (p = 0.02), but such differences were not apparent in the moulting rate (p = 0.19). Such differential growth was mirrored in the sex-specific feeding rate, with females ingesting a larger number of meals than males (p = 0.004). Such variation in feeding rate may be governed by an individual's energy expenditure and can be interpreted as a behavioural tendency that contributes to SSD development, independently of other behavioural characteristics. Sex-specific resource demands may drive the differential effects of increasing resource scarcity on both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanisław Bury
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland. .,Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland. .,NATRIX Herpetological Association, Legnicka 65, 54-206, Wrocław, Poland.
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23
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Yang S, Zhang T, Li Y, Xu S, Zhang M, Hu X, Liu S, Hu D, Wronski T. Identifying personality traits and their potential application to the management of captive forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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24
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Hämäläinen AM, Guenther A, Patrick SC, Schuett W. Environmental effects on the covariation among pace‐of‐life traits. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anni M. Hämäläinen
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
- Institute of Environmental Science Jagiellonian University Kraków Poland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Anja Guenther
- Department of Evolutionary Biology Bielefeld University Bielefeld Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology Plön Germany
| | | | - Wiebke Schuett
- Institute of Zoology Universität Hamburg Hamburg Germany
- School of Life Sciences University of Sussex Brighton UK
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25
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Ward‐Fear G, Shine R, Brown GP. Within‐population variation in dietary traits: implications for vulnerability and impact of imperiled keystone predators. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- G. Ward‐Fear
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales 2109 Australia
| | - R. Shine
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales 2109 Australia
| | - G. P. Brown
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales 2109 Australia
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26
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Reactive stress-coping styles show more variable reproductive expenditure and fitness outcomes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9550. [PMID: 32533041 PMCID: PMC7293313 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66597-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress-coping styles dictate how individuals react to stimuli and can be measured by the integrative physiological parameter of resting heart-rate variability (HRV); low resting HRV indicating proactive coping styles, while high resting HRV typifies reactive individuals. Over 5 successive breeding seasons we measured resting HRV of 57 lactating grey seals. Mothers showed consistent individual differences in resting HRV across years. We asked whether proactive and reactive mothers differed in their patterns of maternal expenditure and short-term fitness outcomes within seasons, using maternal daily mass loss rate to indicate expenditure, and pup daily mass gain to indicate within season fitness outcomes. We found no difference in average rates of maternal daily mass loss or pup daily mass gain between proactive and reactive mothers. However, reactive mothers deviated more from the sample mean for maternal daily mass and pup daily mass gain than proactive mothers. Thus, while proactive mothers exhibit average expenditure strategies with average outcomes, expenditure varies much more among reactive mothers with more variable outcomes. Overall, however, mean fitness was equal across coping styles, providing a mechanism for maintaining coping style diversity within populations. Variability in reactive mothers’ expenditures and success is likely a product of their attempts to match phenotype to prevailing environmental conditions, achieved with varying degrees of success.
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27
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Gharnit E, Bergeron P, Garant D, Réale D. Exploration profiles drive activity patterns and temporal niche specialization in a wild rodent. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Individual niche specialization can have important consequences for competition, fitness, and, ultimately, population dynamics and ecological speciation. The temporal window and the level of daily activity are niche components that may vary with sex, breeding season, food supply, population density, and predator’s circadian rhythm. More recently, ecologists emphasized that traits such as dispersal and space use could depend on personality differences. Boldness and exploration have been shown to correlate with variation in foraging patterns, habitat use, and home range. Here, we assessed the link between exploration, measured from repeated novel environment tests, activity patterns, and temporal niche specialization in wild eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus). Intrinsic differences in exploration should drive daily activity patterns through differences in energy requirements, space use, or the speed to access resources. We used collar-mounted accelerometers to assess whether individual exploration profiles predicted: 1) daily overall dynamic body acceleration, reflecting overall activity levels; 2) mean activity duration and the rate of activity sequences, reflecting the structure of daily activity; and 3) patterns of dawn and dusk activity, reflecting temporal niche differentiation. Exploration and overall activity levels were weakly related. However, both dawn activity and rate of activity sequences increased with the speed of exploration. Overall, activity patterns varied according to temporal variability in food conditions. This study emphasizes the role of intrinsic behavioral differences in activity patterns in a wild animal population. Future studies will help us understand how yearly seasonality in reproduction, food abundance, and population density modulate personality-dependent foraging patterns and temporal niche specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elouana Gharnit
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Patrick Bergeron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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28
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Gervais L, Hewison AJM, Morellet N, Bernard M, Merlet J, Cargnelutti B, Chaval Y, Pujol B, Quéméré E. Pedigree-free quantitative genetic approach provides evidence for heritability of movement tactics in wild roe deer. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:595-607. [PMID: 31985133 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Assessing the evolutionary potential of animal populations in the wild is crucial to understanding how they may respond to selection mediated by rapid environmental change (e.g. habitat loss and fragmentation). A growing number of studies have investigated the adaptive role of behaviour, but assessments of its genetic basis in a natural setting remain scarce. We combined intensive biologging technology with genome-wide data and a pedigree-free quantitative genetic approach to quantify repeatability, heritability and evolvability for a suite of behaviours related to the risk avoidance-resource acquisition trade-off in a wild roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) population inhabiting a heterogeneous, human-dominated landscape. These traits, linked to the stress response, movement and space-use behaviour, were all moderately to highly repeatable. Furthermore, the repeatable among-individual component of variation in these traits was partly due to additive genetic variance, with heritability estimates ranging from 0.21 ± 0.08 to 0.70 ± 0.11 and evolvability ranging from 1.1% to 4.3%. Changes in the trait mean can therefore occur under hypothetical directional selection over just a few generations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical demonstration of additive genetic variation in space-use behaviour in a free-ranging population based on genomic relatedness data. We conclude that wild animal populations may have the potential to adjust their spatial behaviour to human-driven environmental modifications through microevolutionary change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gervais
- CEFS, INRAE, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, France.,LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville-Tolosane, France.,Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), CNRS, IRD, UPS, Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Aidan J M Hewison
- CEFS, INRAE, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, France.,LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Nicolas Morellet
- CEFS, INRAE, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, France.,LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Maria Bernard
- INRAE, GABI, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,INRAE, SIGENAE, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Joël Merlet
- CEFS, INRAE, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, France.,LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Bruno Cargnelutti
- CEFS, INRAE, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, France.,LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Yannick Chaval
- CEFS, INRAE, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, France.,LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Benoit Pujol
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), CNRS, IRD, UPS, Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France.,USR 3278 CRIOBE, PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan Cedex, France
| | - Erwan Quéméré
- CEFS, INRAE, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, France.,LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville-Tolosane, France.,ESE, Ecology and Ecosystems Health, Ouest, INRAE, Rennes, France
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29
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Roe JH, Kish AL, Nacy JP. Variation and repeatability of home range in a forest-dwelling terrestrial turtle: implications for prescribed fire in forest management. J Zool (1987) 2020; 310:71-82. [PMID: 33911346 PMCID: PMC8078163 DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Animal movements and use of space are in part determined by interactions between individual attributes such as sex and body size and extrinsic environmental factors such as the seasonal availability, quality and spatial configuration of resource patches in the landscape. Fire is a common and widespread disturbance process that has the potential to affect animal movements through modifications to the environment. Using radiotelemetry, we examined the contribution of these factors to variation in movements and home range over a 5-year period in a forest-dwelling terrestrial turtle, Terrapene carolina, at fire-maintained and unburned habitats in the southeastern United States. Female turtles had annual home-range sizes twice as large as males and moved longer distances per day during the nesting season (June and July), but males exhibited greater spatial fidelity from year to year. Turtles at the unburned site had home-range sizes twice as large as those at the fire-maintained site, and home-range size also decreased with increasing frequency and extent of fire, but this latter effect was strongest in females. Home-range behavior was highly repeatable within individuals of both sexes over time. This is the first evidence that fire influences the spatial ecology and movements of turtles, most likely through fire's impact on the spatial configuration, availability and quality of critical resources. That individuals behaved consistently through time, but differently from one another according to both intrinsic individual attributes and extrinsic environmental factors provides strong evidence of consistent inter- and intra-population variation in space use and movement behaviors in T. carolina. Such intra-specific behavioral variation suggests applying caution when extrapolating results to other sites across the geographic range of a species for use in conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- J H Roe
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC, USA
| | - A L Kish
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC, USA
| | - J P Nacy
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC, USA
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30
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Shine R, Somaweera R. Last lizard standing: The enigmatic persistence of the Komodo dragon. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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31
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Ward‐Fear G, Rangers B, Pearson D, Bruton M, Shine R. Sharper eyes see shyer lizards: Collaboration with indigenous peoples can alter the outcomes of conservation research. Conserv Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Ward‐Fear
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | | | - David Pearson
- Western Australian Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions Bentley Western Australia Australia
| | - Melissa Bruton
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Rick Shine
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
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Scandurra A, Alterisio A, Di Cosmo A, D'Aniello B. Behavioral and Perceptual Differences between Sexes in Dogs: An Overview. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:E151. [PMID: 30142932 PMCID: PMC6162565 DOI: 10.3390/ani8090151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we review the scientific reports of sex-related differences in dogs as compared to the outcomes described for wild animals. Our aim was to explore whether the differences in male and female dogs were affected by the domestication process, in which artificial selection is the main driver. For this purpose, we used information regarding personality traits, cognitive processes, and perception, for which there is a wide theoretical framework in behavioral ecology. Aggressiveness and boldness, described as a behavioral syndrome, were reported as being higher in males than females. Females also seemed more inclined to interspecific social interactions with humans in tasks that require cooperative skills, whereas males appeared more inclined to social play, thus implying different levels of social engagement between the sexes, depending on the context. Studies on cognitive processes underlined a greater flexibility in resorting to a particular navigation strategy in males. Most lateralization studies seem to support the view that males are preferentially left-handed and females are preferentially right-handed. Reports on visual focusing coherently rank females as superior in focusing on single social and physical stimuli. Only male dogs are able to discriminate kin; however, the timing of the olfactory recording in sexes is related to the stimulus relevance. Dogs are largely in line with life-history theories, which indicate that sex differences in dogs are mainly rooted in their biological and evolutionary heritage, remaining unchanged despite artificial selection. In contrast, the higher intraspecific sociability in wild male animals was not replicated in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Scandurra
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | | | - Anna Di Cosmo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Biagio D'Aniello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", 80126 Naples, Italy.
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