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Curley JP, Champagne FA. Shaping the development of complex social behavior. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1530:46-63. [PMID: 37855311 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15076] [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] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Early life experiences can have an enduring impact on the brain and behavior, with implications for stress reactivity, cognition, and social behavior. In particular, the neural systems that contribute to the expression of social behavior are altered by early life social environments. However, paradigms that have been used to alter the social environment during development have typically focused on exposure to stress, adversity, and deprivation of species-typical social stimulation. Here, we explore whether complex social environments can shape the development of complex social behavior. We describe lab-based paradigms for studying early life social complexity in rodents that are generally focused on enriching the social and sensory experiences of the neonatal and juvenile periods of development. The impact of these experiences on social behavior and neuroplasticity is highlighted. Finally, we discuss the degree to which our current approaches for studying social behavior outcomes give insight into "complex" social behavior and how social complexity can be better integrated into lab-based methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Curley
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Frances A Champagne
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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2
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González-Portilla M, Montagud-Romero S, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Rodríguez-Arias M. Oleoylethanolamide restores stress-induced prepulse inhibition deficits and modulates inflammatory signaling in a sex-dependent manner. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023:10.1007/s00213-023-06403-w. [PMID: 37314479 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06403-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Social stress contributes to the development of depressive and anxiety symptomatology and promotes pro-inflammatory signaling in the central nervous system. In this study, we explored the effects of a lipid messenger with anti-inflammatory properties - oleoylethanolamide (OEA) - on the behavioral deficits caused by social stress in both male and female mice. METHODS Adult mice were assigned to an experimental group according to the stress condition (control or stress) and treatment (vehicle or OEA, 10 mg/kg, i.p.). Male mice in the stress condition underwent a protocol consisting of four social defeat (SD) encounters. In the case of female mice, we employed a procedure of vicarious SD. After the stress protocol resumed, anxiety, depressive-like behavior, social interaction, and prepulse inhibition (PPI) were assessed. In addition, we characterized the stress-induced inflammatory profile by measuring IL-6 and CX3CL1 levels in the striatum and hippocampus. RESULTS Our results showed that both SD and VSD induced behavioral alterations. We found that OEA treatment restored PPI deficits in socially defeated mice. Also, OEA affected differently stress-induced anxiety and depressive-like behavior in male and female mice. Biochemical analyses showed that both male and female stressed mice showed increased levels of IL-6 in the striatum compared to control mice. Similarly, VSD female mice exhibited increased striatal CX3CL1 levels. These neuroinflammation-associated signals were not affected by OEA treatment. CONCLUSIONS In summary, our results confirm that SD and VSD induced behavioral deficits together with inflammatory signaling in the striatum and hippocampus. We observed that OEA treatment reverses stress-induced PPI alterations in male and female mice. These data suggest that OEA can exert a buffering effect on stress-related sensorimotor gating behavioral processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macarena González-Portilla
- Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez 21, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sandra Montagud-Romero
- Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez 21, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca
- Unidad Clínica de Neurología, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010, Málaga, Spain
- Atención Primaria, Cronicidad Y Promoción de La Salud. Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAD) Rd21/0009/0005, Málaga, Spain
| | - Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez 21, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
- Atención Primaria, Cronicidad Y Promoción de La Salud. Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAD) Rd21/0009/0005, Málaga, Spain.
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3
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Tilker A, Sinovas P. Reading the signs: Camera-trapping provides new insights on scent marking in the large-antlered muntjac ( Muntiacus vuquangensis). Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9692. [PMID: 36694550 PMCID: PMC9842881 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9692] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We present evidence of scent marking in the large-antlered muntjac (Muntiacus vuquangensis). Given the importance of scent marking in individual recognition among ungulates, this behavior may serve to communicate the fitness cost of antagonistic interactions among rival males and could serve as a mechanism for mate assessment among females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Tilker
- Re:wildAustinTexasUSA
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
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4
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Lenschow C, Mendes ARP, Lima SQ. Hearing, touching, and multisensory integration during mate choice. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:943888. [PMID: 36247731 PMCID: PMC9559228 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.943888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mate choice is a potent generator of diversity and a fundamental pillar for sexual selection and evolution. Mate choice is a multistage affair, where complex sensory information and elaborate actions are used to identify, scrutinize, and evaluate potential mating partners. While widely accepted that communication during mate assessment relies on multimodal cues, most studies investigating the mechanisms controlling this fundamental behavior have restricted their focus to the dominant sensory modality used by the species under examination, such as vision in humans and smell in rodents. However, despite their undeniable importance for the initial recognition, attraction, and approach towards a potential mate, other modalities gain relevance as the interaction progresses, amongst which are touch and audition. In this review, we will: (1) focus on recent findings of how touch and audition can contribute to the evaluation and choice of mating partners, and (2) outline our current knowledge regarding the neuronal circuits processing touch and audition (amongst others) in the context of mate choice and ask (3) how these neural circuits are connected to areas that have been studied in the light of multisensory integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Lenschow
- Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Research, Neuroscience Program, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita P Mendes
- Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Research, Neuroscience Program, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Susana Q Lima
- Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Research, Neuroscience Program, Lisbon, Portugal
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5
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Ghaskadbi P, Nigam P, Habib B. Stranger Danger: Differential response to strangers and neighbors by a social carnivore, the Asiatic wild dog (Cuon alpinus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03188-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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6
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Bouguiyoud N, Morales-Grahl E, Bronchti G, Frasnelli J, Roullet FI, Al Aïn S. Effects of Congenital Blindness on Ultrasonic Vocalizations and Social Behaviors in the ZRDBA Mouse. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:884688. [PMID: 35592638 PMCID: PMC9110969 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.884688] [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: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mice produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) at different ages and social contexts, including maternal-pup separation, social play in juveniles, social interactions, and mating in adults. The USVs' recording can be used as an index of sensory detection, internal state, and social motivation. While sensory deprivation may alter USVs' emission and some social behaviors in deaf and anosmic rodents, little is known about the effects of visual deprivation in rodents. This longitudinal study aimed to assess acoustic communication and social behaviors using a mouse model of congenital blindness. Anophthalmic and sighted mice were assayed to a series of behavioral tests at three different ages, namely, the maternal isolation-induced pup USV test and the home odor discrimination and preference test on postnatal day (PND) 7, the juvenile social test on PND 30-35, and the female urine-induced USVs and scent-marking behavior at 2-3 months. Our results evidenced that (1) at PND 7, USVs' total number between both groups was similar, all mice vocalized less during the second isolation period than the first period, and both phenotypes showed similar discrimination and preference, favoring exploration of the home bedding odor; (2) at PND 30-35, anophthalmic mice engaged less in social behaviors in the juvenile play test than sighted ones, but the number of total USVs produced is not affected; and (3) at adulthood, when exposed to a female urine spot, anophthalmic male mice displayed faster responses in terms of USVs' emission and sniffing behavior, associated with a longer time spent exploring the female urinary odor. Interestingly, acoustic behavior in the pups and adults was correlated in sighted mice only. Together, our study reveals that congenital visual deprivation had no effect on the number of USVs emitted in the pups and juveniles, but affected the USVs' emission in the adult male and impacted the social behavior in juvenile and adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nouhaila Bouguiyoud
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
- Cognition, Neurosciences, Affect et Comportement (CogNAC) Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
| | | | - Gilles Bronchti
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
| | - Johannes Frasnelli
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
- Cognition, Neurosciences, Affect et Comportement (CogNAC) Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
| | - Florence I. Roullet
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Syrina Al Aïn
- Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
- Cognition, Neurosciences, Affect et Comportement (CogNAC) Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
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Arakawa H, Higuchi Y. Exocrine scent marking: Coordinative role of arginine vasopressin in the systemic regulation of social signaling behaviors. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 136:104597. [PMID: 35248677 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neurohypophysial hormone that coordinatively regulates central socio-emotional behavior and peripheral control of antidiuretic fluid homeostasis. Most mammals, including rodents, utilize exocrine or urine-contained scent marking as a social signaling tool that facilitates social adaptation. The exocrine scent marking behavior is postulated to fine-tune sensory and cognitive abilities to recognize key social features via exocrine/urinary olfactory cues and subsequently control exocrine deposition or urinary marking through the mediation of osmotic fluid balance. AVP is implicated as a major player in controlling both recognition and signaling responses. This review provides constructive hypotheses on the coordinative processes of the AVP neurohypophysial circuits in the systemic regulations of fluid control and social-communicative behavior, via the expression of exocrine scent marking, and further emphasizes a potential role of AVP in a common mechanism underlying social communication in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Depertment of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan.
| | - Yuki Higuchi
- Depertment of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan
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Rathinakumar A, Baheerathan M, Caspers BA, Erinjery JJ, Kaliraj P, Baskaran S, Marimuthu G. Male Chemical Signalling to Recruit Females in the Greater Short-Nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus sphinx. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2021. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2021.23.1.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anbalagan Rathinakumar
- Department of Animal Behaviour & Physiology, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021, India
| | - Murugavel Baheerathan
- Department of Animal Behaviour & Physiology, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021, India
| | - Barbara A. Caspers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - Perumalswamy Kaliraj
- Department of Animal Behaviour & Physiology, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021, India
| | - Subbian Baskaran
- Department of Animal Behaviour & Physiology, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021, India
| | - Ganapathy Marimuthu
- Department of Animal Behaviour & Physiology, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625021, India
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Vilella‐Pacheco Z, Mitchem LD, Formica VA, Brodie ED. Male competition reverses female preference for male chemical cues. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4532-4541. [PMID: 33976828 PMCID: PMC8093714 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Females must choose among potential mates with different phenotypes in a variety of social contexts. Many male traits are inherent and unchanging, but others are labile to social context. Competition, for example, can cause physiological changes that reflect recent wins and losses that fluctuate throughout time. We may expect females to respond differently to males depending on the outcome of their most recent fight. In Bolitotherus cornutus (forked fungus beetles), males compete for access to females, but copulation requires female cooperation. In this study, we use behavioral trials to determine whether females use chemical cues to differentiate between males and whether the outcome of recent male competition alters female preference. We measured female association time with chemical cues of two size-matched males both before and after male-male competition. Females in our study preferred to associate with future losers before males interacted, but changed their preference for realized winners following male competitive interactions. Our study provides the first evidence of change in female preference based solely on the outcome of male-male competition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa D. Mitchem
- Mountain Lake Biological Station and Department of BiologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVAUSA
| | | | - Edmund D. Brodie
- Mountain Lake Biological Station and Department of BiologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVAUSA
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10
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González-Bernardo E, Bagnasco C, Bombieri G, Zarzo-Arias A, Ruiz-Villar H, Morales-González A, Lamamy C, Ordiz A, Cañedo D, Díaz J, Chamberlain DE, Penteriani V. Rubbing behavior of European brown bears: factors affecting rub tree selectivity and density. J Mammal 2021; 102:468-480. [PMID: 34121953 PMCID: PMC8189685 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Scent-mediated communication is considered the principal communication channel in many mammal species. Compared with visual and vocal communication, odors persist for a longer time, enabling individuals to interact without being in the same place at the same time. The brown bear (Ursus arctos), like other mammals, carries out chemical communication, for example, by means of scents deposited on marking (or rub) trees. In this study, we assessed rub tree selectivity of the brown bear in the predominantly deciduous forests of the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain). We first compared the characteristics of 101 brown bear rub trees with 263 control trees. We then analyzed the potential factors affecting the density of rub trees along 35 survey routes along footpaths. We hypothesized that: (1) bears would select particular trees, or tree species, with characteristics that make them more conspicuous; and (2) that bears would select trees located in areas with the highest presence of conspecifics, depending on the population density or the position of the trees within the species' range. We used linear models and generalized additive models to test these hypotheses. Our results showed that brown bears generally selected more conspicuous trees with a preference for birches (Betula spp.). This choice may facilitate the marking and/or detection of chemical signals and, therefore, the effectiveness of intraspecific communication. Conversely, the abundance of rub trees along footpaths did not seem to depend on the density of bear observations or their relative position within the population center or its border. Our results suggest that Cantabrian brown bears select trees based on their individual characteristics and their location, with no influence of characteristics of the bear population itself. Our findings can be used to locate target trees that could help in population monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique González-Bernardo
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, Mieres, Spain
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE), C.S.I.C., Avda. Montañana, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Carlotta Bagnasco
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, Turin, Italy
| | - Giulia Bombieri
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, Mieres, Spain
- Museo delle Scienze, Sezione Zoologia dei Vertebrati, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, Trento, Italy
| | - Alejandra Zarzo-Arias
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, Mieres, Spain
- Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká, Praha – Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Héctor Ruiz-Villar
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, Mieres, Spain
| | - Ana Morales-González
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, C.S.I.C., Department of Conservation Biology, Avda. Americo Vespucio, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Cindy Lamamy
- Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Dpt. BIOSE, Liège University, Passage des Déportés, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Andrés Ordiz
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - David Cañedo
- Consejería de Ordenación del Territorio, Infraestructuras y Medio Ambiente, Dirección General de Biodiversidad, Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Juan Díaz
- Consejería de Ordenación del Territorio, Infraestructuras y Medio Ambiente, Dirección General de Biodiversidad, Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Daniel E Chamberlain
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, Turin, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Penteriani
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres Campus, Mieres, Spain
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11
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Lee W, Dowd HN, Nikain C, Dwortz MF, Yang ED, Curley JP. Effect of relative social rank within a social hierarchy on neural activation in response to familiar or unfamiliar social signals. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2864. [PMID: 33536481 PMCID: PMC7859216 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82255-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Competent social functioning of group-living species relies on the ability of individuals to detect and utilize conspecific social cues to guide behavior. Previous studies have identified numerous brain regions involved in processing these external cues, collectively referred to as the Social Decision-Making Network. However, how the brain encodes social information with respect to an individual's social status has not been thoroughly examined. In mice, cues about an individual's identity, including social status, are conveyed through urinary proteins. In this study, we assessed the neural cFos immunoreactivity in dominant and subordinate male mice exposed to familiar and unfamiliar dominant and subordinate male urine. The posteroventral medial amygdala was the only brain region that responded exclusively to dominant compared to subordinate male urine. In all other brain regions, including the VMH, PMv, and vlPAG, activity is modulated by a combination of odor familiarity and the social status of both the urine donor and the subject receiving the cue. We show that dominant subjects exhibit robust differential activity across different types of cues compared to subordinate subjects, suggesting that individuals perceive social cues differently depending on social experience. These data inform further investigation of neurobiological mechanisms underlying social-status related brain differences and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Lee
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hollie N Dowd
- School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Cyrus Nikain
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Eilene D Yang
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - James P Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
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12
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Bayram HL, Franco C, Brownridge P, Claydon AJ, Koch N, Hurst JL, Beynon RJ, Stockley P. Social status and ejaculate composition in the house mouse. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200083. [PMID: 33070725 PMCID: PMC7661446 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm competition theory predicts that males should tailor ejaculates according to their social status. Here, we test this in a model vertebrate, the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus), combining experimental data with a quantitative proteomics analysis of seminal fluid composition. Our analyses reveal that both sperm production and the composition of proteins found in seminal vesicle secretions differ according to social status. Dominant males invested more in ejaculate production overall. Their epididymides contained more sperm than those of subordinate or control males, despite similar testes size between the groups. Dominant males also had larger seminal vesicle glands than subordinate or control males, despite similar body size. However, the seminal vesicle secretions of subordinate males had a significantly higher protein concentration than those of dominant males. Moreover, detailed proteomic analysis revealed subtle but consistent differences in the composition of secreted seminal vesicle proteins according to social status, involving multiple proteins of potential functional significance in sperm competition. These findings have significant implications for understanding the dynamics and outcome of sperm competition, and highlight the importance of social status as a factor influencing both sperm and seminal fluid investment strategies. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen L. Bayram
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
- Centre for Proteome Research, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Catarina Franco
- Centre for Proteome Research, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Philip Brownridge
- Centre for Proteome Research, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Amy J. Claydon
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
- Centre for Proteome Research, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Natalie Koch
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
- Centre for Proteome Research, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Jane L. Hurst
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Robert J. Beynon
- Centre for Proteome Research, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Paula Stockley
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
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13
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Hill JE, DeVault TL, Belant JL. A review of ecological factors promoting road use by mammals. Mamm Rev 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E. Hill
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse NY13210USA
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia PO Drawer E Aiken SC29802USA
| | - Travis L. DeVault
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia PO Drawer E Aiken SC29802USA
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse NY13210USA
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14
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Cornhill KL, Kerley GIH. Cheetah behaviour at scent‐marking sites indicates differential use by sex and social rank. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristina L. Cornhill
- Department of Zoology Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - Graham I. H. Kerley
- Department of Zoology Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
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15
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Pause BM, Storch D, Lübke KT. Chemosensory communication of aggression: women's fine-tuned neural processing of male aggression signals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190270. [PMID: 32306885 PMCID: PMC7209929 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study is the first to examine the central nervous processing of aggression chemosignals within men and women by means of chemosensory event-related potential (CSERP) analysis. Axillary sweat was collected from 17 men and 17 women participating in a competitive computer game (aggression condition) and playing a construction game (control condition). Sweat samples were pooled with reference to donor gender and condition, and presented to 23 men and 25 women via a constant flow olfactometer. Ongoing electroencephalogram was recorded from 61 scalp locations, CSERPs (P2, P3-1, P3-2) were analysed and neuronal sources calculated (low-resolution electromagnetic tomography, LORETA). Women, especially, showed larger P3-1 and P3-2 amplitudes in response to male as compared with female aggression signals (all p values < 0.01). The peak activation of this effect was related to activity within the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 8). As male aggression commonly targets physical harm, the competence of the human brain to sensitively detect male aggression signals is considered to be highly adaptive. The detection of male aggression signals seems to be of higher importance for women than for men. It is suggested that the processing of male aggression signals in women induces an immediate response selection. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Olfactory communication in humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina M Pause
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Dunja Storch
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Katrin T Lübke
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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16
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Overmarking behaviour of zebra males: no scent masking, but a group cohesion function across three species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2744-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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17
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Freeman AR, Sheehan MJ, Ophir AG. Anogenital distance predicts sexual odour preference in African giant pouched rats. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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18
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Freeman AR, Ophir AG. Scent-marking behavior of the southern giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei). J Mammal 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander G Ophir
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY, USA
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19
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Coombes HA, Stockley P, Hurst JL. Female Chemical Signalling Underlying Reproduction in Mammals. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:851-873. [PMID: 29992368 PMCID: PMC6096499 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0981-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemical communication plays many key roles in mammalian reproduction, although attention has focused particularly on male scent signalling. Here, we review evidence that female chemical signals also play important roles in sexual attraction, in mediating reproductive competition and cooperation between females, and in maternal care, all central to female reproductive success. Female odours function not only to advertise sexual receptivity and location, they can also have important physiological priming effects on male development and sperm production. However, the extent to which female scents are used to assess the quality of females as potential mates has received little attention. Female investment in scent signalling is strongly influenced by the social structure and breeding system of the species. Although investment is typically male-biased, high competition between females can lead to a reversed pattern of female- biased investment. As among males, scent marking and counter-marking are often used to advertise territory defence and high social rank. Female odours have been implicated in the reproductive suppression of young or subordinate females across a range of social systems, with females of lower competitive ability potentially benefiting by delaying reproduction until conditions are more favourable. Further, the ability to recognise individuals, group members and kin through scent underpins group cohesion and cooperation in many social species, as well as playing an important role in mother-offspring recognition. However, despite the diversity of female scent signals, chemical communication in female mammals remains relatively understudied and poorly understood. We highlight several key areas of future research that are worthy of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly A Coombes
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK.
| | - Paula Stockley
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Jane L Hurst
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
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20
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Brandies PA, Grueber CE, Ivy JA, Hogg CJ, Belov K. Disentangling the mechanisms of mate choice in a captive koala population. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5438. [PMID: 30155356 PMCID: PMC6108315 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful captive breeding programs are crucial to the long-term survival of many threatened species. However, pair incompatibility (breeding failure) limits sustainability of many captive populations. Understanding whether the drivers of this incompatibility are behavioral, genetic, or a combination of both, is crucial to improving breeding programs. We used 28 years of pairing data from the San Diego Zoo koala colony, plus genetic analyses using both major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-linked and non-MHC-linked microsatellite markers, to show that both genetic and non-genetic factors can influence mating success. Male age was reconfirmed to be a contributing factor to the likelihood of a koala pair copulating. This trend could also be related to a pair's age difference, which was highly correlated with male age in our dataset. Familiarity was reconfirmed to increase the probability of a successful copulation. Our data provided evidence that females select mates based on MHC and genome-wide similarity. Male heterozygosity at MHC class II loci was associated with both pre- and post-copulatory female choice. Genome-wide similarity, and similarity at the MHC class II DAB locus, were also associated with female choice at the post-copulatory level. Finally, certain MHC-linked alleles were associated with either increased or decreased mating success. We predict that utilizing a variety of behavioral and MHC-dependent mate choice mechanisms improves female fitness through increased reproductive success. This study highlights the complexity of mate choice mechanisms in a species, and the importance of ascertaining mate choice mechanisms to improve the success of captive breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parice A. Brandies
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Catherine E. Grueber
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Carolyn J. Hogg
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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21
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Male Scent Gland Signals Mating Status in Greater Spear-Nosed Bats, Phyllostomus hastatus. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:975-986. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-1003-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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22
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Fanjul MS, Varas MF, Zenuto RR. Female preference for males that have exclusively marked or invaded territories depends on male presence and its identity in the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Sol Fanjul
- Grupo ‘Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento’; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC); Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Mar del Plata Argentina
| | - María Florencia Varas
- Grupo ‘Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento’; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC); Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Mar del Plata Argentina
| | - Roxana Rita Zenuto
- Grupo ‘Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento’; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC); Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Mar del Plata Argentina
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23
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Gale T, Garratt M, Brooks RC. Perceived threats of infanticide reduce maternal allocation during lactation and lead to elevated oxidative damage in offspring. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Teagan Gale
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES) Evolution and Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Kensington NSW Australia
| | - Michael Garratt
- Department of Pathology University of Michigan Medical School Ann Arbor Michigan
| | - Robert C. Brooks
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES) Evolution and Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Kensington NSW Australia
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Lee W, Khan A, Curley JP. Major urinary protein levels are associated with social status and context in mouse social hierarchies. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1570. [PMID: 28931741 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We have previously shown that male mice living in groups of 12 males establish and maintain stable linear social hierarchies with each individual having a defined social rank. However, it is not clear which social cues mice use to signal and recognize their relative social status within their hierarchy. In this study, we investigate how individual social status both in pairs and in groups affects the levels of major urinary proteins (MUPs) and specifically MUP20 in urine. We housed groups of adult outbred CD1 male mice in a complex social environment for three weeks and collected urine samples from all individuals repeatedly. We found that dominant males produce more MUPs than subordinates when housed in pairs and that the production of MUPs and MUP20 is significantly higher in alpha males compared with all other individuals in a social hierarchy. Furthermore, we found that hepatic mRNA expression of Mup3 and Mup20 is significantly higher in alpha males than in subordinate males. We also show that alpha males have lower urinary creatinine levels consistent with these males urinating more than others living in hierarchies. These differences emerged within one week of animals being housed together in social hierarchies. This study demonstrates that as males transition to become alpha males, they undergo physiological changes that contribute to communication of their social status that may have implications for the energetic demands of maintaining dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Lee
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amber Khan
- The Sophie Davis School of Medicine, The City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - James P Curley
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA .,Center for Integrative Animal Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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25
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Becker EA, Castelli FR, Yohn CN, Spencer L, Marler CA. Species differences in urine scent-marking and counter-marking in Peromyscus. Behav Processes 2017; 146:1-9. [PMID: 29100968 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Species comparisons indicate that scent-marking may differ as a function of mating system and co-housing with the opposite sex ("pairing"). We previously demonstrated that pairing may decrease male solicitation to unfamiliar females in the monogamous Peromyscus californicus but not in the non-monogamous P. leucopus. Whether urine scent-marking of females changes following pairing and whether scent-marking of paired males varies in response to scent-marks of their cagemate versus those of an unfamiliar female has not been examined. Therefore, we tested P. californicus and P. leucopus for within and between species differences in urine scent-marking of: 1) paired and non-paired females in an unscented arena, and 2) paired males in response to their female cagemate's or an unfamiliar female's scent-marks (counter-marking). Consistent with previous findings, P. californicus of both sexes deposited more urine scent-marks and covered greater surface area than P. leucopus. In both species, female scent-marking did not differ according to pairing status and male counter-marking did not differ in response to the scent-marks of their female cagemate versus an unfamiliar female. More females of both species and more P. leucopus, but not P. californicus, males scent-marked more around the perimeter than centrally. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Becker
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States; Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University 5600 City Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States.
| | - Frank R Castelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Christine N Yohn
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University 5600 City Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States
| | - Lindsey Spencer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Catherine A Marler
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States; Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 250 N Mills St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
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26
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Fanjul MS, Zenuto RR. Female choice, male dominance and condition-related traits in the polygynous subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum. Behav Processes 2017; 142:46-55. [PMID: 28591643 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Ctenomys talarum is a solitary and highly territorial species in which dominant males aggressively deter other males and monopolize reproductive activity. Female preference for dominant males is not easy to assess due to coercive mating by males. Hence, we aimed to answer if behavioural dominance and several condition-related traits like testosterone and cortisol levels, endoparasite load, and hematocrit volume may affect female preference when they have the opportunity to exert it. We designed a laboratory experiment using wild-caught C. talarum and employed a combined approach involving behavioural observations and the measurements of parameters of physical condition. We staged dyadic encounters between males to determine dominance index and then analyzed female preference towards tethered males (n=15) or their odours (n=18). Male dominance did not affect female preferences when odours were presented. When two tethered males were offered, females preferred those with higher dominance index. Preference of females for dominant males would mainly represent indirect benefits. Females did not show preference for males in relation to any physiological trait evaluated. Dominance was found negatively related to cortisol levels, probably avoiding the glucocorticoids-related costs, and positively related to parasite diversity, since they could tolerate it without impairing their health.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Fanjul
- Grupo 'Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento', Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Box 1260, CP 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
| | - R R Zenuto
- Grupo 'Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento', Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Box 1260, CP 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
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27
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Okuyama T, Yokoi S, Takeuchi H. Molecular basis of social competence in medaka fish. Dev Growth Differ 2017; 59:211-218. [DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teruhiro Okuyama
- RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory; Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Saori Yokoi
- Laboratory of Bioresources; National Institute for Basic Biology; Nishigonaka 38 Myodaiji Okazaki 444-8585 Aichi Japan
| | - Hideaki Takeuchi
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology; Okayama University; Tsushimanaka 3-1-1 Kita-ku Okayama-shi Okayama 700-8530 Japan
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28
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Bonatto F, Priotto J, Coda J, Steinmann AR. Female Intrasexual Territoriality and its Potential Adaptive Significance: The Pampean Grassland Mouse as an Ecological Model Species. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Bonatto
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Ecología Poblacional y Comportamental (GIEPCO); Departamento de Ciencias Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
| | - José Priotto
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Ecología Poblacional y Comportamental (GIEPCO); Departamento de Ciencias Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
| | - José Coda
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Ecología Poblacional y Comportamental (GIEPCO); Departamento de Ciencias Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
| | - Andrea R. Steinmann
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Ecología Poblacional y Comportamental (GIEPCO); Departamento de Ciencias Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
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29
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Mitchell J, Cant MA, Vitikainen EIK, Nichols HJ. Smelling fit: scent marking exposes parasitic infection status in the banded mongoose. Curr Zool 2017; 63:237-247. [PMID: 29491982 PMCID: PMC5804179 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Preference for uninfected mates is presumed beneficial as it minimizes one’s risk of contracting an infection and infecting one’s offspring. In avian systems, visual ornaments are often used to indicate parasite burdens and facilitate mate choice. However, in mammals, olfactory cues have been proposed to act as a mechanism allowing potential mates to be discriminated by infection status. The effect of infection upon mammalian mate choice is mainly studied in captive rodents where experimental trials support preference for the odors of uninfected mates and some data suggest scent marking is reduced in individuals with high infection burdens. Nevertheless, whether such effects occur in nonmodel and wild systems remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the interplay between parasite load (estimated using fecal egg counts) and scent marking behavior in a wild population of banded mongooses Mungos mungo. Focusing on a costly protozoan parasite of the genus Isospora and the nematode worm Toxocara, we first show that banded mongooses that engage in frequent, intensive scent marking have lower Isospora loads, suggesting marking behavior may be an indicator trait regarding infection status. We then use odor presentations to demonstrate that banded mongooses mark less in response to odors of opposite sexed individuals with high Isospora and Toxocara loads. As both of these parasites are known to have detrimental effects upon the health of preweaned young in other species, they would appear key targets to avoid during mate choice. Results provide support for scent as an important ornament and mechanism for advertising parasitic infection within wild mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Mitchell
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Michael A Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Emma I K Vitikainen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Hazel J Nichols
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
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30
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Allen C, Cobey KD, Havlíček J, Roberts SC. The impact of artificial fragrances on the assessment of mate quality cues in body odor. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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31
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Krause ET, Schrader L, Caspers BA. Olfaction in Chicken (Gallus gallus): A Neglected Mode of Social Communication? Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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32
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Yokoi S, Ansai S, Kinoshita M, Naruse K, Kamei Y, Young LJ, Okuyama T, Takeuchi H. Mate-guarding behavior enhances male reproductive success via familiarization with mating partners in medaka fish. Front Zool 2016; 13:21. [PMID: 27257431 PMCID: PMC4890520 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0152-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Male-male competition and female mating preference are major mechanisms of sexual selection, which influences individual fitness. How male-male competition affects female preference, however, remains poorly understood. Under laboratory conditions, medaka (Oryzias latipes) males compete to position themselves between a rival male and the female (mate-guarding) in triadic relationships (male, male, and female). In addition, females prefer to mate with visually familiar males. In the present study, to examine whether mate-guarding affects female preference via visual familiarization, we established a novel behavioral test to simultaneously quantify visual familiarization of focal males with females and mate-guarding against rival males. In addition, we investigated the effect of familiarization on male reproductive success in triadic relationships. Results Three fish (female, male, male) were placed separately in a transparent three-chamber tank, which allowed the male in the center (near male) to maintain closer proximity to the female than the other male (far male). Placement of the wild-type male in the center blocked visual familiarization of the far male by the female via mate-guarding. In contrast, placement of an arginine-vasotocin receptor mutant male, which exhibits mate-guarding deficits, in the center, allowing for maintaining close proximity to the female, did not block familiarization of the far male by the female. We also demonstrated that the reproductive success of males was significantly decreased by depriving females visual familiarization with the males. Conclusions Our findings indicated that, at least in triadic relationships, dominance in mate-guarding, not simply close proximity, allows males to gain familiarity with the female over their rivals, which may enhance female preference for the dominant male. These findings focusing on the triadic relationships of medaka may contribute to our understanding of the adaptive significance of persistent mate-guarding, as well as female preference for familiar mates. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-016-0152-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saori Yokoi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan ; Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi Japan
| | - Satoshi Ansai
- Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masato Kinoshita
- Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Naruse
- Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kamei
- Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi Japan
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Teruhiro Okuyama
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan ; The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
| | - Hideaki Takeuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan ; Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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Seagraves KM, Arthur BJ, Egnor SER. Evidence for an audience effect in mice: male social partners alter the male vocal response to female cues. J Exp Biol 2016; 219:1437-48. [PMID: 27207951 PMCID: PMC4874560 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.129361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Mice (Mus musculus) form large and dynamic social groups and emit ultrasonic vocalizations in a variety of social contexts. Surprisingly, these vocalizations have been studied almost exclusively in the context of cues from only one social partner, despite the observation that in many social species the presence of additional listeners changes the structure of communication signals. Here, we show that male vocal behavior elicited by female odor is affected by the presence of a male audience - with changes in vocalization count, acoustic structure and syllable complexity. We further show that single sensory cues are not sufficient to elicit this audience effect, indicating that multiple cues may be necessary for an audience to be apparent. Together, these experiments reveal that some features of mouse vocal behavior are only expressed in more complex social situations, and introduce a powerful new assay for measuring detection of the presence of social partners in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M Seagraves
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ben J Arthur
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - S E Roian Egnor
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
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Eppley TM, Ganzhorn JU, Donati G. Latrine behaviour as a multimodal communicatory signal station in wild lemurs: the case of Hapalemur meridionalis. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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35
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Gibson AB, Garratt M, Brooks RC. Experimental evidence that litter size imposes an oxidative challenge to offspring. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:3911-8. [PMID: 26519509 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.116327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The post-natal environment in which young develop can substantially impact development, adult phenotype and fitness. In wild mice, competition among litter-mates affects development rate and adult behaviour. We manipulated post-natal litter size in a cross-fostering design to investigate the effects of enlarged and reduced litter sizes on sexual signalling, oxidative stress and the links between them. Oxidative stress causes somatic damage that can limit reproductive success and lifespan, and is predicted to mediate investment in life-history traits, including sexual signals. We predicted that litter enlargement would cause an increase in potential oxidative stress, inhibit growth and reduce sexual signalling in male mice. Males reared in enlarged litters were smaller at weaning and, despite rapid growth immediately after weaning, remained smaller at 10 weeks of age than those reared in smaller litters. Females from enlarged litters were consistently smaller throughout post-weaning development and showed no increase in growth rate compared with females from reduced litters. In enlarged litters, protein thiol concentration was lower at weaning in the liver and kidneys, with this trend continuing at 10 weeks of age in the kidneys only. Aconitase enzyme activity was also lower in mice from enlarged litters at weaning and 10 weeks of age in the kidneys. Male mice from enlarged litters scent marked more frequently and had larger preputial glands than those from reduced litters, indicating greater sexual signalling investment irrespective of this increased oxidative challenge. The results of this study are the first to reveal oxidative costs of developmental stress in small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa B Gibson
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Michael Garratt
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Robert C Brooks
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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36
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Nelson AC, Cunningham CB, Ruff JS, Potts WK. Protein pheromone expression levels predict and respond to the formation of social dominance networks. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1213-24. [PMID: 25867293 PMCID: PMC4478133 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2014] [Revised: 04/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Communication signals are key regulators of social networks and are thought to be under selective pressure to honestly reflect social status, including dominance status. The odours of dominants and nondominants differentially influence behaviour, and identification of the specific pheromones associated with, and predictive of, dominance status is essential for understanding the mechanisms of network formation and maintenance. In mice, major urinary proteins (MUPs) are excreted in extraordinary large quantities and expression level has been hypothesized to provide an honest signal of dominance status. Here, we evaluate whether MUPs are associated with dominance in wild-derived mice by analysing expression levels before, during and after competition for reproductive resources over 3 days. During competition, dominant males have 24% greater urinary MUP expression than nondominants. The MUP darcin, a pheromone that stimulates female attraction, is predictive of dominance status: dominant males have higher darcin expression before competition. Dominants also have a higher ratio of darcin to other MUPs before and during competition. These differences appear transient, because there are no differences in MUPs or darcin after competition. We also find MUP expression is affected by sire dominance status: socially naive sons of dominant males have lower MUP expression, but this apparent repression is released during competition. A requisite condition for the evolution of communication signals is honesty, and we provide novel insight into pheromones and social networks by showing that MUP and darcin expression is a reliable signal of dominance status, a primary determinant of male fitness in many species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C. Nelson
- University of Utah, Department of Biology, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
- Harvard University, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cambridge, MA 02144
| | - Christopher B. Cunningham
- University of Utah, Department of Biology, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
- University of Georgia, Department of Genetics, Athens, GA 30602
| | - James S. Ruff
- University of Utah, Department of Biology, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Wayne K. Potts
- University of Utah, Department of Biology, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
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38
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Owen M, Lahti D. Sexual dimorphism and condition dependence in the anal pad of the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus). CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Secondary sexual traits tend to be sexually dimorphic, and theory predicts that such traits should also be condition-dependent in a sex-specific manner. We investigate these phenomena in a field study of the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus (Hodgson, 1836); formerly Herpestes javanicus (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hillaire, 1818)), in the first attempt at understanding secondary sexual traits and sexual selection in this species. Small Indian mongooses are solitary and nonterritorial, and they likely depend on chemical (scent) rather than visual or acoustic signals for communication. Additionally, they possess a fleshy projection around their anus, the anal pad, thought to aid in scent-marking. Our results revealed strong male-biased sexual dimorphism in mass, skull and body lengths, canine diameters, and anal pad area. After controlling for the influence of body length, males were 31% heavier and possessed anal pads that were 68% larger than females’. Additionally, anal pad size was positively related to body size in males but not in females and was condition-dependent in males but not in females. Taken together, our findings provide indirect evidence that the anal pad might have evolved, at least in part, via sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M.A. Owen
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367, USA; Graduate Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367, USA; Graduate Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - D.C. Lahti
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367, USA; Graduate Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367, USA; Graduate Subprogram in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, City University of New York, 365 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
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Ferkin MH. The response of rodents to scent marks: four broad hypotheses. Horm Behav 2015; 68:43-52. [PMID: 25637402 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Revised: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Chemosignals and Reproduction". Many terrestrial mammals must be able to distinguish between the myriad of scent marks they encounter in order for them to facilitate or deter direct interactions with their scent donors. I review studies that examine how rodents, mainly meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), respond when they encounter the scent marks of conspecifics and heterospecifics, and how context, as well as the age and condition of senders and receivers, affect their responses. The review uses four broad hypotheses to discuss the response of rodents to scent marks. The four hypotheses are as follows: 1) Scent marks convey accurate information to the receiver about the sender's state and phenotype and genotype. 2) Scent marks are individually distinct. 3) The response of receivers to scent marks is flexible and would be modulated by the cognitive abilities of receivers. 4) Receivers respond to the information contained or conveyed by the scent mark in a manner that will increase their survival and fitness. The studies cited in this review show that scent marks signal accurate information about the sender's phenotype, genotype, and condition, which receivers use to distinguish among the scent marks of different conspecifics and heterospecifics, and by doing so, receivers tailor their response accordingly to increase their survival and fitness. Thus, the four broad hypotheses may serve as guide to increase our understanding of the response of receivers to scent marks and provide a conceptual framework for future research and the development of additional hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Ferkin
- The University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences, Ellington Hall, 3700 Walker Ave, Memphis, TN 38152, USA.
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Roberts SA, Davidson AJ, Beynon RJ, Hurst JL. Female attraction to male scent and associative learning: the house mouse as a mammalian model. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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42
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Dröscher I, Kappeler PM. Maintenance of familiarity and social bonding via communal latrine use in a solitary primate ( Lepilemur leucopus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014; 68:2043-2058. [PMID: 25395720 PMCID: PMC4220112 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1810-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Revised: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Latrine use (i.e., the repeated use of specific defecation/urination sites) has been described for several mammals, including carnivores, ungulates, and primates. However, the functional significance of latrine use in primates has not been studied systematically yet. We, therefore, followed 14 radio-collared individuals of the pair-living white-footed sportive lemur (Lepilemur leucopus) for 1097 hours of continuous focal observations to investigate latrine distribution, seasonality of latrine use, as well as age and sex of users to test various hypotheses related to possible functions of latrine use, including territory demarcation, resource defense, signaling of reproductive state, social bonding, and mate defense. All individuals of a social unit exhibited communal use of latrines located in the core area of their territory, supporting the social boding hypothesis. Latrine use seems to facilitate familiarity and social bonding within social units via olfactory communication in this primate that lives in family units but exhibits low levels of spatial cohesion and direct social interactions. In addition, frequency of latrine visitation was higher during nights of perceived intruder pressure, supporting the mate defense hypothesis. However, animals did not react to experimentally introduced feces from neighboring or strange social units, indicating that urine may be the more important component of latrines than feces in this arboreal species. Based on a survey of latrine use and function in other mammals, we conclude that latrines facilitate communication particularly in nocturnal species with limited habitat visibility and in species where individuals are not permanently cohesive because they constitute predictable areas for information exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Dröscher
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology & Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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43
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Neural Mechanisms and Information Processing in Recognition Systems. INSECTS 2014; 5:722-41. [PMID: 26462936 PMCID: PMC4592617 DOI: 10.3390/insects5040722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2014] [Revised: 09/06/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Nestmate recognition is a hallmark of social insects. It is based on the match/mismatch of an identity signal carried by members of the society with that of the perceiving individual. While the behavioral response, amicable or aggressive, is very clear, the neural systems underlying recognition are not fully understood. Here we contrast two alternative hypotheses for the neural mechanisms that are responsible for the perception and information processing in recognition. We focus on recognition via chemical signals, as the common modality in social insects. The first, classical, hypothesis states that upon perception of recognition cues by the sensory system the information is passed as is to the antennal lobes and to higher brain centers where the information is deciphered and compared to a neural template. Match or mismatch information is then transferred to some behavior-generating centers where the appropriate response is elicited. An alternative hypothesis, that of “pre-filter mechanism”, posits that the decision as to whether to pass on the information to the central nervous system takes place in the peripheral sensory system. We suggest that, through sensory adaptation, only alien signals are passed on to the brain, specifically to an “aggressive-behavior-switching center”, where the response is generated if the signal is above a certain threshold.
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44
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Firman RC. Female social preference for males that have evolved via monogamy: evidence of a trade-off between pre- and post-copulatory sexually selected traits? Biol Lett 2014; 10:20140659. [PMID: 25296931 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
When females mate with multiple males both pre- and post-copulatory sexual selections occur. It has been suggested that females benefit from polyandry when better-quality males are successful in sperm competition and sire high-quality offspring. Indeed, studies of experimental evolution have confirmed that sperm competition selects for both increased ejaculate quality and elevated offspring viability. Fewer investigations have explored whether these fitness benefits are evident beyond early life-history stages. Here, I used house mice (Mus domesticus) from selection lines that had been evolving for 25 generations under either polygamy or monogamy to test whether females preferred males from lines that had evolved with sperm competition. Males from the polygamous lines had previously been shown to achieve a fitness advantage under semi-natural conditions, deeming them to be of high genetic quality and leading to the a priori expectation that females would prefer males that had evolved with sperm competition compared with males that had not. Contrary to expectation, the data showed that sexually receptive females spent more time associating with males from the monogamous lines. This unexpected but interesting result is discussed in relation to sperm competition theory that predicts a trade-off between male investment in pre- and post-copulatory sexually selected traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée C Firman
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology (M092), University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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45
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Costello A, Greiner E, Meikle D. Investigation of female house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) by males in relation to the presence and absence of anogenital odors from dominant or subordinate males. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2014.953598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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46
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Piñeiro A, Barja I. Evaluating the function of wildcat faecal marks in relation to the defence of favourable hunting areas. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2014.905499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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47
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Ramm SA, Stockley P. Sequential male mate choice under sperm competition risk. Behav Ecol 2014; 25:660-667. [PMID: 24822023 PMCID: PMC4014308 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Revised: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
New research shows that male house mice can be coy too. Male eagerness to mate is a central tenet of sexual selection theory, based on the expectation that male reproductive success is limited mainly by access to females. Here, we show that where sperm supplies are limited, males too can display considerable restraint in mating, targeting reproductive effort toward particular females. Male eagerness to mate is a central paradigm of sexual selection theory. However, limited sperm supplies mean that male sexual restraint might sometimes be favored under promiscuous mating. Here, we demonstrate dynamic plasticity in male mating effort when females are encountered sequentially under varying sperm competition risk. Rather than showing consistent eagerness to mate, male house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) instead tailor their mating effort according to likely reproductive payoffs. They are significantly less likely to mate when sperm competition is certain and potential reproductive payoffs low, but dramatically increase investment if they do choose to mate under such circumstances. By contrast, male mice are significantly more likely to mate in situations simulating extra-territorial copulations, where future risk of competition is high but so too are potential reproductive rewards. Differential mating propensity appears to be the primary mechanism by which male house mice allocate sperm adaptively under sperm competition risk because we find no evidence for facultative adjustment of sperm numbers per ejaculate or ejaculation frequency in response to female-related cues. We conclude that sequential male mate choice under sperm competition risk could be a widespread but often unappreciated mechanism of strategic sperm allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Ramm
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group , Institute of Integrative Biology , University of Liverpool , Leahurst Campus , Chester High Road , Neston CH64 7TE , UK
| | - Paula Stockley
- Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group , Institute of Integrative Biology , University of Liverpool , Leahurst Campus , Chester High Road , Neston CH64 7TE , UK
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48
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Jordan NR, Apps PJ, Golabek KA, McNutt JW. Top marks from top dogs: tandem marking and pair bond advertisement in African wild dogs. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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49
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Trojan Genes or Transparent Genomes? Sexual Selection and Potential Impacts of Genetically Modified Animals in Natural Ecosystems. Evol Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-013-9268-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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50
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Thonhauser KE, Raveh S, Hettyey A, Beissmann H, Penn DJ. Scent marking increases male reproductive success in wild house mice. Anim Behav 2013; 86:1013-1021. [PMID: 25554707 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Scent marking is often assumed to be a secondary sexual trait that increases males' mating and reproductive success, although direct evidence for this hypothesis is lacking. We conducted a study with wild-derived house mice, Mus musculus musculus, to test whether scent marking increases males' reproductive success when females can freely choose between two territorial males. We also experimentally manipulated males' competitive scent marking by exchanging scent-marked tiles between the neighbouring males' territories (intrusion treatment) or relocating males' tiles within their own territory (control). Experimental animals were tested twice and we examined whether individual males were consistent in their marking. We found that males marked more in the intrusion treatment than controls and more at shared territorial borders than elsewhere. We found high day-to-day variation in most individuals' scent marking, and yet the sum of individuals' scent marking was consistent over time and across different social conditions. Genetic paternity analyses revealed that males' scent marking significantly increased their reproductive success in both the intrusion treatment and the controls. Surprisingly, however, female social preference was not positively correlated with male scent marking. These results provide direct evidence that scent marking increases males' reproductive success when females can choose their mates, even though it did not increase females' social preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin E Thonhauser
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shirley Raveh
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria ; Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Attila Hettyey
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria ; Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Helmut Beissmann
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dustin J Penn
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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