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Mendoza-Díaz de León L, Cordero-Molina S, Krams I, Contreras-Garduño J. Lie to me to lay with me: Females deceive males via terminal investment. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301942. [PMID: 38976699 PMCID: PMC11230575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Historically, males have frequently been portrayed as the manipulative and deceptive gender, while females are often seen as adopting a coy and passive role. In this context, it is proposed that males use a terminal investment strategy, misleading females about their true poor condition, while females passively opt to mate with these deceptive males. However, we hypothesize that females in suboptimal condition may also engage in a terminal investment strategy by mimicking or enhancing their attractiveness to match that of females in better conditions. We studied this hypothesis in Tenebrio molitor, by subjecting females to three varying doses of lipopolysaccharides of Escherichia coli (LPS; 0.25, 0.5, or 1 mg ml-1), or three doses of the pro-oxidant Paraquat (PQ; 20, 40 or 80 mM), and subsequently assessing their survival and attractiveness to males. The LPS treatments and 20 mM of PQ had no significant effect on the survival or attractiveness of the females. However, females treated with 40 or 80 mM PQ survived fewer days compared to the control group. Those injected with 40 mM were more attractive than their control counterparts, while those treated with 80 mM were less attractive. Since the identical doses of LPS, which induce terminal investment in males, had no effect on females, we suggest sexual dimorphism in terminal investment. Furthermore, similar to males, if the stressor reaches a sufficiently high level, the signal becomes honest. These findings highlight how the quantity of stressors influences support for the terminal investment strategy in both males and females. Notably, this study challenges prevailing notions regarding gender roles in sexual selection, indicating that females, not just males, conceal their poor condition to attract mating partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mendoza-Díaz de León
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sagrario Cordero-Molina
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Indikris Krams
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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Muller MN, Sabbi KH, Thompson ME, Enigk DK, Hagberg L, Machanda ZP, Menante A, Otali E, Wrangham RW. Age-related reproductive effort in male chimpanzees: terminal investment or alternative tactics? Anim Behav 2024; 213:11-21. [PMID: 39007109 PMCID: PMC11238624 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.04.002] [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: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Because senescence impairs the ability of older males to compete successfully for mates, male reproductive strategies are expected to change with age. The terminal investment hypothesis proposes that older males, who could die soon, should take greater risks to obtain mating opportunities. Another possibility is that older males avoid such risks, adopting alternative reproductive tactics, such as increased affiliation with females, increased reliance on coalitions or sexual coercion to continue to compete with younger animals. We tested these hypotheses in wild chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, of the Kanyawara community, Kibale National Park, Uganda, where old males sire offspring at relatively high rates. Our data set included >40 000 incidents of male aggression and >5800 copulations observed between 2005 and 2017. We found that, even as their dominance status declined, old males maintained relatively high copulation rates, especially with established mothers. There was no evidence for terminal investment in response to ageing. Males became generally less aggressive as they aged. Neither did old males form affiliative bonds with females, nor use sexual coercion more frequently, as alternative reproductive tactics. Old males did, however, participate in coalitionary aggression at higher rates than young males and increased the proportion of their aggression that was coalitionary over time. Coalitions were positively associated with mating success, particularly for low- and middle-ranking males. These results support the hypothesis that ageing male chimpanzees use coalitions as an alternative reproductive tactic. The lack of evidence for terminal investment in response to ageing appears to reflect a broader mammalian pattern in which males who rely on fighting to secure mating opportunities avoid excessive risk taking as their formidability wanes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin N Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, U.S.A
| | - Kris H Sabbi
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A
| | | | - Drew K Enigk
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, U.S.A
| | - Lindsey Hagberg
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A
| | - Zarin P Machanda
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, U.S.A
| | - Ashley Menante
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, U.S.A
| | - Emily Otali
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Makerere University Biological Field Station, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Richard W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A
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Rystrom TL, Richter SH, Sachser N, Kaiser S. Social niche shapes social behavior and cortisol concentrations during adolescence in female guinea pigs. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105539. [PMID: 38608380 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Individualized social niches arise in social groups, resulting in divergent social behavior profiles among group members. During sensitive life phases, the individualized social niche can profoundly impact the development of social behavior and associated phenotypes such as hormone (e.g. cortisol) concentrations. Focusing on adolescence, we investigated the relationship between the individualized social niche, social behavior, and cortisol concentrations (baseline and responsiveness) in female guinea pigs. Females were pair-housed in early adolescence (initial social pair formation), and a social niche transition was induced after six weeks by replacing the partner with either a larger or smaller female. Regarding social behavior, dominance status was associated with aggression in both the initial social pairs and after the social niche transition, and the results suggest that aggression was rapidly and completely reshaped after the social niche transition. Meanwhile, submissive behavior was rapidly reshaped after the social niche transition, but this was incomplete. The dominance status attained in the initial social pair affected the extent of submissive behavior after the social niche transition, and this effect was still detected three weeks after the social niche transition. Regarding cortisol concentrations, higher baseline cortisol concentrations were measured in dominant females in the initial social pairs. After the social niche transition, cortisol responsiveness significantly increased for the females paired with a larger, older female relative to those paired with a smaller, younger female. These findings demonstrate that the social niche during adolescence plays a significant role in shaping behavior and hormone concentrations in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor L Rystrom
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
| | - Norbert Sachser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
| | - Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
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Martin RA, Riesch R, Plath M, Al Hanoosh NA, Wronski T. Reproductive biology of Gazella arabica: Predictors of offspring weight and short- and long-term offspring survival. Curr Zool 2023; 69:643-653. [PMID: 37876648 PMCID: PMC10591149 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac084] [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: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproductive traits are central to organismal fitness, and so the factors influencing patterns of reproduction and offspring survival are at the heart of biology. Making use of breeding data collected over 16 years at the King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre in Saudi Arabia, we investigated the reproductive biology of Arabian gazelles Gazella arabica. Offspring survival was mainly a function of birth weight, with heavier offspring having higher survival rates than lighter offspring. However, while sons were heavier than daughters, daughters had higher survival rates. We could not find evidence that giving birth to sons negatively impacts offspring weight in the following year. We uncovered large narrow-sense heritability (h2) in offspring weight at birth, while maternal effects (m2) on birth weight were of lesser importance. However, maternal effects on offspring survival were strong until weaning age, while paternal effects dominated survival to sexual maturity and first reproduction. We propose that variation in maternal postnatal care might overshadow the effects of maternal inheritance of birth weights, while the overall strong heritability of weight at birth and the paternal effects on survival illustrates strong variance in sire fitness based on genetic quality, suggesting a role for sexual selection by female mate choice in wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan A Martin
- Department of Biology, DeGrace Hall, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Rüdiger Riesch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, UK
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Martin Plath
- College of Nursing of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-902, Brazil
| | - Naif A Al Hanoosh
- National Center for Wildlife, King Khalid Wildlife Research Center, Thumamah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Torsten Wronski
- Faculty of Science, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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Dettmer AM, Chusyd DE. Early life adversities and lifelong health outcomes: A review of the literature on large, social, long-lived nonhuman mammals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105297. [PMID: 37391110 PMCID: PMC10529948 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Social nonhuman animals are powerful models for studying underlying factors related to lifelong health outcomes following early life adversities (ELAs). ELAs can be linked to lifelong health outcomes depending on the species, system, sensitive developmental periods, and biological pathways. This review focuses on the literature surrounding ELAs and lifelong health outcomes in large, social, relatively long-lived nonhuman mammals including nonhuman primates, canids, hyenas, elephants, ungulates, and cetaceans. These mammals, like humans but unlike the most-studied rodent models, have longer life histories, complex social structures, larger brains, and comparable stress and reproductive physiology. Collectively, these features make them compelling models for comparative aging research. We review studies of caregiver, social, and ecological ELAs, often in tandem, in these mammals. We consider experimental and observational studies and what each has contributed to our knowledge of health across the lifespan. We demonstrate the continued and expanded need for comparative research to inform about the social determinants of health and aging in both humans and nonhuman animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Dettmer
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, 230 S. Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Daniella E Chusyd
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Indiana University Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th St., Bloomington, IN, USA; Department of Health and Wellness Design, Indiana University Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th St., Bloomington, IN, USA
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Macdonald KR, Rotella JJ, Paterson JT. Evaluating the importance of individual heterogeneity in reproduction to Weddell seal population dynamics using integral projection models. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1828-1839. [PMID: 37395110 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13975] [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: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Identifying and accounting for unobserved individual heterogeneity in vital rates in demographic models is important for estimating population-level vital rates and identifying diverse life-history strategies, but much less is known about how this individual heterogeneity influences population dynamics. We aimed to understand how the distribution of individual heterogeneity in reproductive and survival rates influenced population dynamics using vital rates from a Weddell seal population by altering the distribution of individual heterogeneity in reproduction, which also altered the distribution of individual survival rates through the incorporation of our estimate of the correlation between the two rates and assessing resulting changes in population growth. We constructed an integral projection model (IPM) structured by age and reproductive state using estimates of vital rates for a long-lived mammal that has recently been shown to exhibit large individual heterogeneity in reproduction. Using output from the IPM, we evaluated how population dynamics changed with different underlying distributions of unobserved individual heterogeneity in reproduction. Results indicate that the changes to the underlying distribution of individual heterogeneity in reproduction cause very small changes in the population growth rate and other population metrics. The largest difference in the estimated population growth rate resulting from changes to the underlying distribution of individual heterogeneity was less than 1%. Our work highlights the differing importance of individual heterogeneity at the population level compared to the individual level. Although individual heterogeneity in reproduction may result in large differences in the lifetime fitness of individuals, changing the proportion of above- or below-average breeders in the population results in much smaller differences in annual population growth rate. For a long-lived mammal with stable and high adult-survival that gives birth to a single offspring, individual heterogeneity in reproduction has a limited effect on population dynamics. We posit that the limited effect of individual heterogeneity on population dynamics may be due to canalization of life-history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay J Rotella
- Ecology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - J Terrill Paterson
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Bozeman, Montana, USA
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Lacuesta L, Ungerfeld R, Santiago-Moreno J. Sexual stimulation of captive Iberian ibex bucks (Capra pyrenaica): Effect of male social rank on the response to estrous females. Behav Processes 2023; 210:104918. [PMID: 37459936 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The aims were to determine if the contact with estrous females stimulates testosterone and cortisol secretion in Iberian ibex bucks during or out of the breeding season and if their social rank affects this response. Nine Iberian ibex bucks (Capra pyrenaica), were challenged with estrous does during two periods: winter-spring and autumn (three tests at each season, separated 10 days). Individual success index (SI) was calculated in both season. Bucks were exposed to an estrous doe, their sexual and agonistic behavior was recorded, testosterone and cortisol concentrations were measured. There were no sexual interactions toward the estrous doe in any test. Testosterone concentration was unrelated to the SI in any season and was not modified with the tests. Cortisol concentration was greater in the first than in the second and third tests in both seasons (winter-spring: 99.7 ± 15.7 ng/mL, 65.9 ± 9.4 ng/mL and 62.3 ± 10.1 ng/mL P < 0.0001; autumn: 110.1 ± 15.8 ng/mL, 79.2 ± 13.4 ng/mL, and 87.6 ± 13.5 ng/mL; P < 0.01). Iberian ibex bucks allocated in captivity did not display sexual behaviors nor modify the testosterone secretion, which was not modified by social hierarchy, after estrous doe exposition, during or out of the pre-rutting period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Lacuesta
- Unidad Académica de Fisiología, Departamento de Biociencias Veterinarias, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Ruta 8 Km 18, 13000 Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Rodolfo Ungerfeld
- Unidad Académica de Fisiología, Departamento de Biociencias Veterinarias, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Ruta 8 Km 18, 13000 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Julián Santiago-Moreno
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro Km 5.9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Khowa AA, Tsvuura Z, Slotow R, Kraai M. The utilisation of domestic goats in rural and peri-urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Trop Anim Health Prod 2023; 55:204. [PMID: 37195342 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-023-03587-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Goats are a common ruminant in livestock husbandry systems in communal areas of southern Africa, but less so in peri-urban areas. While dynamics of goat farming in the former are relatively well-understood, little is known about it in peri-urban environments. We investigated the contribution of small-scale farming of goats to household livelihoods in rural and peri-urban areas in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. We used a semi-structured questionnaire survey to elicit views of 115 respondents on the contribution of goats to household income at two rural (Kokstad, Msinga) and two peri-urban (Howick, Pietermaritzburg) locations. Goats contributed to household income as a source of cash and meat in various sociocultural contexts such as at weddings, funerals and festive period gatherings (e.g. Easter and Christmas), including payment for household needs and expenses including food, school fees and medico-cultural consultations. These findings were more pronounced in rural areas, where more goats were kept than in peri-urban areas, which also had smaller herds per household. Goats were a source of cash in numerous ways including sales of their skins after slaughter and use of skins through value addition to make household craft items such as stools that could be sold for cash. None of the farmers milked their goats. Goat famers also kept cattle (52%), sheep (23%) and chickens (67%). Goat ownership appeared to be more profitable in rural areas and contributed to a lesser extent as a source of income in peri-urban areas where goats were largely kept for sale. There is potential for increased value addition of goat products to increase returns from small-scale goat farming in rural and peri-urban settings. Artefacts and cultural symbols derived from goat products are pervasive amongst Zulu people, and represent an additional avenue of research into 'hidden' valuation of goats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anele Aurelia Khowa
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
| | - Zivanai Tsvuura
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
| | - Rob Slotow
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
| | - Manqhai Kraai
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa.
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Sol Plaatje University, P. Bag X5008, Kimberley, 8300, South Africa.
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Schmidt NM, Michelsen A, Hansen LH, Aggerbeck MR, Stelvig M, Kutz S, Mosbacher JB. Sequential analysis of δ 15 N in guard hair suggests late gestation is the most critical period for muskox calf recruitment. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2023; 37:e9470. [PMID: 36601893 PMCID: PMC10078194 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Analysis of stable isotopes in tissue and excreta may provide information about animal diets and their nutritional state. As body condition may have a major influence on reproduction, linking stable isotope values to animal demographic rates may help unravel the drivers behind animal population dynamics. METHODS We performed sequential analysis of δ15 N values in guard hair from 21 muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) from Zackenberg in high arctic Greenland. We were able to reconstruct the dietary history for the population over a 5-year period with contrasting environmental conditions. We examined the linkage between guard hair δ15 N values in 12 three-month periods and muskox calf recruitment to detect critical periods for muskox reproduction. Finally, we conducted similar analyses of the correlation between environmental conditions (snow depth and air temperature) and calf recruitment. RESULTS δ15 N values exhibited a clear seasonal pattern with high levels in summer and low levels in winter. However, large inter-annual variation was found in winter values, suggesting varying levels of catabolism depending on snow conditions. In particular δ15 N values during January-March were linked to muskox recruitment rates, with higher values coinciding with lower calf recruitment. δ15 N values were a better predictor of muskox recruitment rates than environmental conditions. CONCLUSIONS Although environmental conditions may ultimately determine the dietary δ15 N signal in muskox guard hairs, muskox calf recruitment was more strongly correlated with δ15 N values than ambient snow and temperature. The period January-March, corresponding to late gestation, appears particularly critical for muskox reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Martin Schmidt
- Department of Ecoscience and Arctic Research CentreAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | - Anders Michelsen
- Department of BiologyUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagen ØDenmark
- Center for PermafrostUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagen KDenmark
| | - Lars Holst Hansen
- Department of Ecoscience and Arctic Research CentreAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | | | | | - Susan Kutz
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
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Female demographic changes contribute to the maintenance of social stability within a primate multilevel society. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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11
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Paterson JT, Proffitt KM, Rotella JJ. Incorporating vital rates and harvest into stochastic population models to forecast elk population dynamics. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kelly M. Proffitt
- Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Bozeman 59718 MT USA
| | - Jay J. Rotella
- Montana State University 310 Lewis Hall Bozeman MT 59718 USA
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“Move or Not to Move”—Red Deer Stags Movement Activity during the Rut. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12050591. [PMID: 35268160 PMCID: PMC8909082 DOI: 10.3390/ani12050591] [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: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Detailed animal movement analysis can help understand spatial population processes as the ultimate consequences of individual behaviour and ecological impacts. The mating strategy of mammalian herbivores is adapted to the distribution of females; thus, it is important to observe the activity of animals during a rut. In this paper, we used a new approach to examine the relationship between red deer stags’ movement activity and the fertile period of hinds. We presumed a relationship between stags’ daily activity changes and the period when hinds are in heat. We determined temporal conception trends, including the first and last conception dates in the examined population and the conception peak. In the same period, i.e., in the interval of major ecological significance when mating takes place, the activity of stags was analysed by GPS telemetry. The data collected in the examined period indicate that 60% of the hinds were conceived between 31 August and 19 September. We demonstrated that conception rates differed significantly between the first and second half of the rutting period. At the beginning of the reproductive cycle, the high number of hinds on heat (oestrus synchrony) increased the activity of stags (harem herding) compared to the pre-rutting period. As the mating season progressed, the movement activity of stags increased more (searching behaviour), induced by the decreasing number of fertile hinds. Therefore, we found that the oestrus of hinds significantly influenced the movement activity of stags in red deer.
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Cortat PR, Dias MB, Paula CJCD, Rangel PSC, Oliveira MEF, Souza-Fabjan JMGD, Fonseca JFD. Início do estro e sua correlação com os parâmetros ovarianos em cabras leiteiras. CIÊNCIA ANIMAL BRASILEIRA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1809-6891v22e-70813p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Resumo Este estudo avaliou os efeitos da dominância social sobre o comportamento do estro e os parâmetros ovarianos de cabras leiteiras submetidas à indução sincronizada do estro durante a estação não reprodutiva. A sincronização foi induzida em 23 cabras leiteira alocadas em baias coletivas. A ultrassonografia foi realizada em intervalos de 12 horas desde a remoção do dispositivo até a ovulação. Após a detecção do início do estro (EO), as cabras foram imediatamente removidas dos currais. A dominância foi pontuada de acordo com EO em relação à remoção do dispositivo, sendo: HD - alto dominante (<36 h; n = 8), MD - médio dominante (36 a 48 h; n = 10) e LD - baixo dominante (>478 h; n = 5). As cabras em estro foram inseminadas artificialmente em tempo flexível (FxTAI). O intervalo de estro foi maior (P<0,05) em LD (53,7 ± 6,5 h) do que em MD (37,9 ± 5,5 h) e cabras HD (32,3 ± 6,6 h), por sua vez, o intervalo entre a remoção do dispositivo e a ovulação foi semelhante (P> 0,05) em todos os grupos. O intervalo de EO a FxTAI foi maior em cabras HD quando comparado aos outros grupos (P<0,05). Em conclusão, embora a hierarquia social tenha influenciado o tempo de início do estro, os parâmetros ovarianos incluindo a ovulação não foram afetados.
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Cortat PR, Dias MB, Paula CJCD, Rangel PSC, Oliveira MEF, Souza-Fabjan JMGD, Fonseca JFD. Correlation between estrus onset and ovarian parameters in dairy goats. CIÊNCIA ANIMAL BRASILEIRA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1809-6891v22e-70813e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract This study assessed the effects of social dominance on the behavioral estrus and ovarian parameters of dairy goats subjected to synchronous estrus induction during the non-breeding season. Synchronous estrus was induced in 23 dairy goats allocated to collective pens. Ovarian ultrasonography was performed at 12 h intervals from device removal to ovulation. Upon estrus onset (EO) detection, the goats were immediately removed from the pens. Dominance was scored according to EO in relation to device removal in each pen, with HD - high dominants (<36 h; n = 8), MD - medium dominants (36 to 48 h; n = 10) and LD - low dominants (>48 h; n = 5). Goats in estrus underwent flexible time artificial insemination (FxTAI) according to EO. The estrus response was 100.0%. The interval to estrus was longer (P<0.05) in LD (53.7 ± 6.5 h) than in MD (37.9 ± 5.5 h) and HD goats (32.3 ± 6.6 h), while the interval from device removal to ovulation was similar (P>0.05) among all groups. The interval from EO to FxTAI was longer in HD goats compared to the other groups (P<0.05). In conclusion, although social hierarchy influenced the time of EO, the ovarian parameters, including ovulation, were not affected.
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15
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Valdez R, Bleich VC, Shahriary E. Growth, weights, and measurements of female wild sheep from Iran. MAMMALIA 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2021-0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Wild sheep (Ovis spp.) are of conservation concern throughout the Middle East. Little is known, however, about the natural history or ecology of this taxon. To better understand size relationships among wild sheep occupying Iran, we analyzed results from 120 females collected from widely separated ecosystems. Morphometrics and body weights for all age categories of females occupying the Khosh-Yeilagh Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Iran were larger than those for the same age classes of females occupying Bamou National Park in southwestern Iran. Females from Bamou National Park, however, obtained adult body weight (x̅ = 25.8 ± 2.47 [SD] kg) at an earlier age than those from the Khosh-Yeilagh Wildlife Refuge (x̅ = 36.6 ± 3.21 kg). Ecological differences between these two areas suggest that net primary productivity, which is a function of numerous climatic and geographical factors, has been a primary force contributing to these results. Weights and measurements reported here provide the basic information for additional, more detailed research necessary to fully understand the evolutionary significance and management implications of these differences in body size and emphasize the conservation value of even the most basic natural history information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Valdez
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology , New Mexico State University , Las Cruces , NM 88003 , USA
| | - Vernon C. Bleich
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science , University of Nevada Reno , Mail Stop 186—1664 North Virginia Street , Reno , NV 89557 , USA
| | - Eahsan Shahriary
- Environmental Science and Engineering Program, University of Texas at El Paso , El Paso , TX 79968 , USA
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16
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Rice C, Larue B, Festa-Bianchet M. Variation in age of primiparity in mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) estimated from horn growth increments. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Variation in age of primiparity is important for population dynamics and wildlife management because it can affect population growth. Using a novel technique based on the trade-off between annual horn growth and reproduction, we estimated the age of primiparity for 2274 female mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus (Blainville, 1816)) harvested across British Columbia, Canada, from 1976 to 2019. We then investigated spatio-temporal variation in the probability that harvested females were primiparous when aged 3, 4, or 5 years and older using Bayesian ordinal regressions. We found that the probability of primiparity at 3 years decreased over time in nearly all mountain ranges. In the Coastal Mountain range, however, the probability of primiparity at age 3 significantly increased. These results suggest that the large coastal populations of mountain goats could be more resilient to harvest than other populations in British Columbia, which may be experiencing environmental effects promoting later primiparity. Models predicting age of primiparity from annual growth measures are a valuable tool for wildlife management and could help conservation of many species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad Rice
- Département de biologie et Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500, boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
- Département de biologie et Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500, boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Benjamin Larue
- Département de biologie et Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500, boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
- Département de biologie et Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500, boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- Département de biologie et Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500, boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
- Département de biologie et Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500, boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
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17
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Evans JC, Lindholm AK, König B. Family dynamics reveal that female house mice preferentially breed in their maternal community. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Whether females breed in their natal group is an important factor in the evolution of extended families in animal sociality. Breeding in natal groups comes with costs and benefits, depending on group size and presence of older relatives, including mothers. Studying the consequences of breeding in the natal versus another group provides insight into the decisions and trade-offs governing the formation and structure of family groups. We investigated the family dynamics of a population of free-ranging commensal house mice. Using dynamic community detection on long-term datasets, we determined which females first bred in their natal group. We then looked at how this influenced breeding success. We found most females (77%) exhibited strong philopatry, breeding in their natal groups. Breeding elsewhere was only somewhat predictable at very large and very small group sizes. Despite their philopatric preference, breeding elsewhere made no difference in how quickly and successfully a female bred. However, presence of their mother did lead females to breed sooner when born during high breeding activity, when competition over reproduction is high. Based on these results, potential loss of reproductive success from leaving the natal group does not seem to be the main driver of philopatry in female house mice. The effect of the presence of mothers suggests that benefiting from established social connections promotes breeding in the natal group. Mothers providing benefits also implies a lack of conflict between generations, which will be important for the development of stable social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian C Evans
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna K Lindholm
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Barbara König
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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18
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Holser RR, Crocker DE, Robinson PW, Condit R, Costa DP. Density-dependent effects on reproductive output in a capital breeding carnivore, the northern elephant seal ( Mirounga angustirostris). Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211258. [PMID: 34641731 PMCID: PMC8511744 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
All organisms face resource limitations that will ultimately restrict population growth, but the controlling mechanisms vary across ecosystems, taxa, and reproductive strategies. Using four decades of data, we examine how variation in the environment and population density affect reproductive outcomes in a capital-breeding carnivore, the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris). This species provides a unique opportunity to examine the relative importance of resource acquisition and density-dependence on breeding success. Capital breeders accrue resources over large temporal and spatial scales for use during an abbreviated reproductive period. This strategy may have evolved, in part, to confer resilience to short-term environmental variability. We observed density-dependent effects on weaning mass, and maternal age (experience) was more important than oceanographic conditions or maternal mass in determining offspring weaning mass. Together these findings show that the mechanisms controlling reproductive output are conserved across terrestrial and marine systems and vary with population dynamics, an important consideration when assessing the effect of extrinsic changes, such as climate change, on a population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R. Holser
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Daniel E. Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA
| | - Patrick W. Robinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Richard Condit
- Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
- Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL 60532, USA
| | - Daniel P. Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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19
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Donini V, Pedrotti L, Ferretti F, Corlatti L. Disentangling demographic effects of red deer on chamois population dynamics. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8264-8280. [PMID: 34188885 PMCID: PMC8216891 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigating the impact of ecological factors on sex- and age-specific vital rates is essential to understand animal population dynamics and detect the potential for interactions between sympatric species. We used block count data and autoregressive linear models to investigate variation in birth rate, kid survival, female survival, and male survival in a population of Alpine chamois Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra monitored over 27 years within the Stelvio National Park, Central Italian Alps, as function of climatic variables, density dependence, and interspecific competition with red deer Cervus elaphus. We also used path analysis to assess the indirect effect of deer abundance on chamois growth rate mediated by each demographic parameter. Based on previous findings, we predicted that birth rate at [t] would negatively relate to red deer abundance at year [t - 1]; survival rates between [t] and [t + 1] would negatively relate to red deer abundance at year [t - 1] and to the interactive effect of winter precipitation at [t + 1] and chamois density at [t]. Our results showed that birth rate was positively related to spring-summer precipitation in the previous year, but this effect was hampered by increasing red deer abundance. Kid and female survival rates were negatively related to the combined effect of chamois abundance and winter precipitation. Male and female survival rates were negatively related to lagged red deer abundance. The path analysis supported a negative indirect effect of red deer abundance on chamois growth rate mediated by birth rate and female survival. Our results suggest that chamois population dynamics was largely explained by the synergistic effect of density dependence and winter harshness, as well as by interspecific competition with red deer, whose effects were seemingly stronger on the kid-female segment of the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Donini
- Stelvio National Park, Sustainable Development and Protected Areas ServiceAutonomous Province of TrentoCogolo di PejoItaly
- Stelvio National ParkBormioItaly
| | - Luca Pedrotti
- Stelvio National Park, Sustainable Development and Protected Areas ServiceAutonomous Province of TrentoCogolo di PejoItaly
- Stelvio National ParkBormioItaly
| | | | - Luca Corlatti
- Stelvio National ParkBormioItaly
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and ManagementUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
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20
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Santymire RM, Adkin A, Bernier D, Hill B. Validating the use of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite analysis to assess the adrenocortical activity of the zoo-housed Sichuan takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana). Zoo Biol 2021; 40:479-484. [PMID: 33905549 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
With limited information known about the zoo-housed Sichuan takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana), there is a need to gain more knowledge about their basic physiology to be able to better assess their well-being. Our goal was to develop noninvasive methods to evaluate stress physiology in the Sichuan takins housed under human care. The objectives were: (1) validate the use of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) analysis to monitor adrenocortical activity and (2) determine the relationship between FGM concentrations and changes in various factors including environmental conditions, reproductive hormones, and social factors. Three (one male and two females) adult Sichuan takins were included in the study from Lincoln Park Zoo. A cortisol enzyme immunoassay was used to analyze FGM from samples that were collected 2-4 times per week. FGM was biochemically validated in the laboratory and biologically validated using pregnancy and parturition. Results showed that 1 day after birth one female had a more than a six-fold increase in FGM. A positive relationship (p < .05) was observed between FGM and temperature for two of the three takins. Finally, FGM values tended to increase during times when aggression (p = .09) and reproductive (p = .08) behaviors were observed. In conclusion, environmental, reproductive, and behavioral factors could affect adrenocortical activity in zoo-housed Sichuan takins; therefore, these methods can be used to assist in the management and conservation of this threatened species both in zoos and potentially in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Santymire
- Conservation and Science Department, Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Angie Adkin
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - David Bernier
- Animal Care Department, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Brandy Hill
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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21
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Korzan WJ, Summers CH. Evolution of stress responses refine mechanisms of social rank. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100328. [PMID: 33997153 PMCID: PMC8105687 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Social rank functions to facilitate coping responses to socially stressful situations and conditions. The evolution of social status appears to be inseparably connected to the evolution of stress. Stress, aggression, reward, and decision-making neurocircuitries overlap and interact to produce status-linked relationships, which are common among both male and female populations. Behavioral consequences stemming from social status and rank relationships are molded by aggressive interactions, which are inherently stressful. It seems likely that the balance of regulatory elements in pro- and anti-stress neurocircuitries results in rapid but brief stress responses that are advantageous to social dominance. These systems further produce, in coordination with reward and aggression circuitries, rapid adaptive responding during opportunities that arise to acquire food, mates, perch sites, territorial space, shelter and other resources. Rapid acquisition of resources and aggressive postures produces dominant individuals, who temporarily have distinct fitness advantages. For these reasons also, change in social status can occur rapidly. Social subordination results in slower and more chronic neural and endocrine reactions, a suite of unique defensive behaviors, and an increased propensity for anxious and depressive behavior and affect. These two behavioral phenotypes are but distinct ends of a spectrum, however, they may give us insights into the troubling mechanisms underlying the myriad of stress-related disorders to which they appear to be evolutionarily linked.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA.,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 USA
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22
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Kroeger SB, Blumstein DT, Martin JGA. How social behaviour and life-history traits change with age and in the year prior to death in female yellow-bellied marmots. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190745. [PMID: 33678024 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies in natural populations are essential to understand the evolutionary ecology of senescence and terminal allocation. While there are an increasing number of studies investigating late-life variation in different life-history traits of wild populations, little is known about these patterns in social behaviour. We used long-term individual based data on yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) to quantify how affiliative social behaviours and different life-history traits vary with age and in the last year of life, and how patterns compare between the two. We found that some social behaviours and all life-history traits varied with age, whereas terminal last year of life effects were only observed in life-history traits. Our results imply that affiliative social behaviours do not act as a mechanism to adjust allocation among traits when close to death, and highlight the importance of adopting an integrative approach, studying late-life variation and senescence across multiple different traits, to allow the identification of potential trade-offs. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja B Kroeger
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity, The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Klæbuveien 153, Trondheim 7031, Norway
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA.,The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Box 519, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
| | - Julien G A Martin
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
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23
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Larue B, Pelletier F, Côté SD, Hamel S, Festa‐Bianchet M. Growth and reproduction trade‐offs can estimate previous reproductive history in alpine ungulates. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Larue
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de biologie and Centre d'études Nordiques Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Sandra Hamel
- Département de biologie and Centre d'études Nordiques Université Laval Québec QC Canada
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24
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Does Size Matters? Relationships among Social Dominance and Some Morphometric Traits upon Out-of-Season Reproductive Outcomes in Anestrus Dairy Goats Treated with P4 + eCG. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9110354. [PMID: 33114387 PMCID: PMC7693818 DOI: 10.3390/biology9110354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary The possible role of the social rank (R) (i.e., low-LSR, middle-MSR, or high-HSR) in anestrus goats exposed to a P4 + eCG (D) (i.e., 100 or 350 IU) estrus induction protocol (EIP) upon some reproductive response variables was evaluated. Results confirmed that the high social ranked goats amalgamated some fundamental factors to be successful: augmented live weight and corporal measurements, aggressiveness, primacy to food access, and enhanced reproductive outcomes. Such morphometric, behavioral, growth-related, and reproductive advantages shown by the HSR-goats gave evidence to emphasize the need to better comprehend the biological foundation of relevant animal traits, and to be able to define future balanced management and breeding programs. While we still have a fragmentary knowledge regarding the role that social rank, live weight, and morphometric traits play in reproductive success, this study contributes to understanding how social dominance, aligned to morphological and growth related traits, modulates and even determines out-of-season reproductive success. Abstract The possible role of the social rank (R) (i.e., low-LSR, middle-MSR, or high-HSR) in anestrus goats exposed to a P4 + eCG (D) (i.e., 100 or 350 IU) estrus induction protocol (EIP) was evaluated. Goats (Alpine-Saanen-Nubian × Criollo; n = 70; 25° North) managed under stall-fed conditions were all ultrasound evaluated to confirm anestrous status, while the social rank was determined 30 d prior to the EIP. The response variables included estrus induction (EI, %), duration of estrus (DUR, h), ovulation rate (OR, n), live weight (LW, kg), thoracic perimeter (TP, cm), thoracic diameter (TD, cm), body length (BL, cm), height at withers (HW, cm), beard length (BEA, cm), compactness index (COM, cm), and anamorphosis index (ANA, cm), as affected by R, D, and the R × D interaction were evaluated, while the correlation coefficients among reproductive and morphometric variables were quantified. An R × D interaction (p < 0.05) affected the response variables EI, DUR, and OR. While the largest (p < 0.05) EI% occurred in the HSR goats, irrespective of eCG (i.e., 100 or 350 IU), both the shortest estrus duration (DUR, h) and the lowest ovulation rate (OR, n) occurred in the LSR + D100 combination, with no differences among HSR and MSR either with D100 or D350. Regarding the LW and morphometric response variables, (i.e., LW, TP, TD, BL, HW, BEA, COM, and ANA) all of them favored either the HSR and MSR groups, with the lowest phenotypic values occurring in the LSR-goats. The EI% was observed to be positively correlated (p < 0.05) with DUR (0.71), LW (0.28), TP (0.31), TD (0.34), BL (0.33), HW (0.35), COM (0.23), and ANA (0.23). While DUR was correlated (p < 0.05) with TP (0.26) and ANA (0.24), OR demonstrated no-correlation (p > 0.05) with any response variable, either reproductive or morphometric. As expected, LW had high correlation coefficients (p < 0.01) with TP (0.86), TD (0.88), BL (0.82), HW (0.75), BEA (0.51), COM (0.97), and ANA (0.75). In general, the morphometric variables as a whole demonstrated important correlation coefficients among them (p < 0.01), ranging from 0.38 up to 0.84. To estimate the importance of the morphometric differences between social rank upon estrus induction, a principal component (PC) analysis was performed based on the correlation matrix derived from the corporal measurements. The PC1 and PC2 explained 70.3% and 17.6% of the morphometric variation, respectively. The PC1 was a measure of the goat size (i.e., small, medium, large) and its association with estrus occurrence was evaluated using a logistic regression model; the bigger the goat, the increased probability of being in estrus, by up to five times compared to small goats. Our results confirm that the higher social ranked, larger goats amalgamated some fundamental factors to be successful: aggressiveness, primacy to food access, augmented live weight, and corporal size; all of these were able to modulate out-of-season reproductive success in crossbred dairy goats subjected to an estrus induction protocol and managed under stall-fed conditions in Northern Mexico.
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25
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Zuñiga-Garcia S, Meza-Herrera CA, Mendoza-Cortina A, Otal-Salaverri J, Perez-Marin C, Lopez-Flores NM, Carrillo E, Calderon-Leyva G, Gutierrez-Guzman UN, Veliz-Deras FG. Effect of Social Rank upon Estrus Induction and Some Reproductive Outcomes in Anestrus Goats Treated With Progesterone + eCG. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E1125. [PMID: 32630701 PMCID: PMC7401613 DOI: 10.3390/ani10071125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the possible role of the social rank [R] (i.e., low-LSR, middle-MSR, or high-HSR) in anestrus goats exposed to a P4 + eCG [D] (i.e., 100 or 350 IU) estrus induction protocol (EIP). Adult, multiparous (two to three lactations), multiracial, dairy-type goats (Alpine-Saanen-Nubian x Criollo goats (n = 70; 25°51' North) managed under stall-fed conditions were all ultrasound evaluated to confirm anestrus status while the R was determined 30 d prior to the EIP. The variables of estrus induction (EI, %), estrus latency (LAT, h), estrus duration (DUR, h), ovulation (OVU, %), ovulation rate (OR, n), corpus luteum size (CLS, cm), pregnancy (PREG, %), kidding (KIDD, %), and litter size (LS, n) as affected by R, D, and the R × D interaction, were evaluated. While OVU and CLS favored (p < 0.05) HSR (96% and + 1.04 ± 0.07 cm), an increased (p < 0.05) LS occurred in D350 vs. D100 (2.06 ± 0.2 vs. 1.36 ± 0.2); neither R nor D affected (p > 0.05; 38.5%) KIDD. However, EI, LAT, DUR, OR, and PREG were affected by the R × D interaction. The HSR group had the largest (p < 0.05) EI % and DUR h, irrespective of D. The shortest (p < 0.05) LAT occurred in D350, irrespective of R. While the largest (p < 0.05) OR occurred in HSR and MSR within D350, the HSR + D350 group had the largest PREG (p < 0.05). These research outcomes are central to defining out-of-season reproductive strategies designed to attenuate seasonal reproduction in goats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Zuñiga-Garcia
- Unidad Laguna, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Periférico Raúl López Sánchez y Carretera a Santa Fe, 27054 Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico; (S.Z.-G.); (G.C.-L.)
| | - Cesar A. Meza-Herrera
- Unidad Regional Universitaria de Zonas Áridas, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 35230 Bermejillo, Durango, Mexico; (C.A.M.-H.); (A.M.-C.); (N.M.L.-F.)
| | - Adela Mendoza-Cortina
- Unidad Regional Universitaria de Zonas Áridas, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 35230 Bermejillo, Durango, Mexico; (C.A.M.-H.); (A.M.-C.); (N.M.L.-F.)
| | - Julio Otal-Salaverri
- Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
| | - Carlos Perez-Marin
- Instituto de Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain;
| | - Noé M. Lopez-Flores
- Unidad Regional Universitaria de Zonas Áridas, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 35230 Bermejillo, Durango, Mexico; (C.A.M.-H.); (A.M.-C.); (N.M.L.-F.)
- Instituto de Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain;
| | | | - Guadalupe Calderon-Leyva
- Unidad Laguna, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Periférico Raúl López Sánchez y Carretera a Santa Fe, 27054 Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico; (S.Z.-G.); (G.C.-L.)
| | - Ulises N. Gutierrez-Guzman
- Facultad de Agricultura y Zootecnia, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, 35111 Venecia, Durango, Mexico;
| | - Francisco G. Veliz-Deras
- Unidad Laguna, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Periférico Raúl López Sánchez y Carretera a Santa Fe, 27054 Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico; (S.Z.-G.); (G.C.-L.)
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Lehman CP, Rominger EM, Neiles BY. Mountain goat survival and mortality during a period of increased puma abundance in the Black Hills, South Dakota. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9143. [PMID: 32523807 PMCID: PMC7263294 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated survival and cause-specific mortality for a mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) population during a period when the puma (Puma concolor) population was growing in the Black Hills, South Dakota, 2006–2018. We obtained survival data from 47 adult goats (n = 33 females, n = 14 males). Annual survival varied from 0.538 (95% CI [0.285–0.773]) to 1.00 (95% CI [1.00–1.00]) and puma predation was the primary cause-specific mortality factor over a 12-year period. Cumulative hectares of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) disturbance was a covariate of importance (wi = 0.972; β = 0.580, 95% CI [0.302–0.859]) influencing survival. To our knowledge, this is the first account of puma being the primary mortality factor of mountain goats over a long-term study. The Black Hills system is unique because we could examine the expanded realized niche of puma in the absence of other large carnivores and their influence on mountain goats. We hypothesize that puma were being sustained at higher densities due to alternate prey sources (e.g., white-tailed deer; Odocoileous virginianus) and this small population of mountain goats was susceptible to predation by one or several specialized puma in the Black Hills. However, we also hypothesize a changing landscape with increased tree mortality due to insect infestation provided conditions for better predator detection by goats and increased survival. Alternatively, open canopy conditions may have increased understory forage production potentially increasing mountain goat survival but we did not evaluate this relationship. Survival and mortality rates of mountain goats should continue to be monitored as this small population may be highly susceptible to population declines due to slow growth rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chadwick P Lehman
- South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks, Custer, SD, United States of America
| | - Eric M Rominger
- New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Santa Fe, NM, United States of America
| | - Brady Y Neiles
- South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks, Custer, SD, United States of America
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Dulude‐de Broin F, Hamel S, Mastromonaco GF, Côté SD. Predation risk and mountain goat reproduction: Evidence for stress‐induced breeding suppression in a wild ungulate. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Dulude‐de Broin
- Département de biologie Université Laval Québec City QC Canada
- Centre d'études nordiquesQuébec City QC Canada
| | - Sandra Hamel
- Département de biologie Université Laval Québec City QC Canada
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics UiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | | | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de biologie Université Laval Québec City QC Canada
- Centre d'études nordiquesQuébec City QC Canada
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28
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Dulude-de Broin F, Côté SD, Whiteside DP, Mastromonaco GF. Faecal metabolites and hair cortisol as biological markers of HPA-axis activity in the Rocky mountain goat. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 280:147-157. [PMID: 31009603 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring glucocorticoids in faeces and hair is increasingly used in ecological studies and provides a powerful and minimally intrusive mean to identify physiological challenges faced by wild animals. Using a cortisol and a corticosterone immunoassays, we conducted an adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) challenge with five weekly repeated injections to validate the use of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and hair cortisol concentration as biological markers of the HPA-axis activity in captive mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus). We also investigated the effect of endogenous (age, sex, reproductive status) and methodological (faecal sample collection date, freezing delay and hair type) variables on cortisol values using faecal and hair samples collected from marked wild mountain goats during a long-term study. The cortisol enzyme immunoassay was reliable for mountain goat faeces and hair, and was sensitive enough to detect a clear rise in glucocorticoid concentration following ACTH injections for both matrices. Age and sex had no detectable effect on faecal glucocorticoid metabolites, but hair cortisol concentration was higher in kids and yearlings than in older goats, and lower in adult males compared to adult females. Reproductive status had no detectable effect on both faecal and hair measurements. Faecal metabolite concentrations increased with sample collection date in late spring until mid-summer and decreased afterward until early fall. Guard hair had nearly twice as much cortisol per gram as undercoat hair. Prolonged delay to freezing reduced the concentration of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites, but degradation seemed limited when samples were exposed to wind and sun or when ambient temperature was low. We conclude that faeces and hair can be used as valid biomarkers of the HPA-axis activity in mountain goat provided that confounding variables are taken into account when interpreting measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Dulude-de Broin
- Département de biologie, and Centre d'études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Steeve D Côté
- Département de biologie, and Centre d'études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Douglas P Whiteside
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta T2N 4Z6, Canada; Calgary Zoo, Alberta T2E 7V6, Canada
| | - Gabriela F Mastromonaco
- Reproductive Physiology, Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M1B 5K7, Canada
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Festa‐Bianchet M, Côté SD, Hamel S, Pelletier F. Long‐term studies of bighorn sheep and mountain goats reveal fitness costs of reproduction. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1118-1133. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Festa‐Bianchet
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke Québec Canada
- Centre d'études nordiques Québec City Québec Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Centre d'études nordiques Québec City Québec Canada
- Département de biologie Université Laval Sainte‐Foy Québec Canada
| | - Sandra Hamel
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics UiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke Québec Canada
- Centre d'études nordiques Québec City Québec Canada
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Singh A, Faber-Hammond JJ, O'Rourke CF, Renn SC. Gut microbial diversity increases with social rank in the African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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31
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Corlatti L, Ferretti F, Lovari S. Hunting lactating female ungulates deserves caution: the case of the chamois. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2018.1561526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Corlatti
- Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Straße 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor-Mendel Strasse 33, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Francesco Ferretti
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Sandro Lovari
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
- Maremma Natural History Musem, Strada Corsini 5, 58100 Grosseto, Italy
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32
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Salogni E, Galimberti F, Sanvito S, Miller E. Male and female pups of the highly sexually dimorphic northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) differ slightly in body size. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, males generally are larger than females, though such sexual-size differences have been documented primarily in adults and are relatively poorly known in early life. We studied sexual-size differences in pups of the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris (Gill, 1866)), which in adulthood is one of the most sexually dimorphic mammals. We studied body size at birth and weaning, at Islas San Benito, Mexico, at the southernmost limit of the species’ breeding range. Males were 10% heavier and 2% longer than females at birth. Sexes did not differ significantly in either measure of body size at weaning, although males were slightly heavier (4%) and longer (1%) than females. Neither growth rate nor suckling duration differed between the sexes. In previous studies in California, USA, pups at weaning were heavier than in our study, and males were heavier than females. These differences may reflect ecological, temporal, or life-history differences across populations. The modest difference in sexual-size dimorphism early in life in this species compared with the great difference in adulthood likely reflects multiple selective forces, including constraints on neonatal size set by body size of females, and the weakness of sexual selection at that stage of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Salogni
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Elephant Seal Research Group, Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands, FIQQ 1ZZ
| | - F. Galimberti
- Elephant Seal Research Group, Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands, FIQQ 1ZZ
| | - S. Sanvito
- Elephant Seal Research Group, Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands, FIQQ 1ZZ
| | - E.H. Miller
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
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Déry F, Hamel S, Côté SD. Getting ready for the winter: Timing and determinants of molt in an alpine ungulate. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:2920-2932. [PMID: 30891226 PMCID: PMC6405896 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Because growth of new hairs entails energetic costs, individual condition and access to food should determine the timing of molt. Previous studies on the timing of molt in ungulates have mostly focused on the influence of age class and reproductive status, but the effects of body condition and environmental phenology have not been evaluated. Our goal was to assess how intrinsic traits and environmental conditions determine the timing of winter coat shedding in a mountain goat population monitored for 27 years. The date of molt completion followed a U shape with age, suggesting that senescence occurs in terms of the molting process in mountain goats. Juveniles of both sexes delayed molting in a similar fashion, but molt timing differed between sexes during adulthood. Males molted progressively earlier until reaching age when reproduction peaked, after which they started delaying molting again. Females reached earliest molt dates at age of first reproduction and then progressively delayed molt date. Lactating females molted 10 days later than barren females on average, but this only occurred in females in good condition. Thus, although it has been shown that reproduction delays molt in ungulates, our results indicate that body condition can override this effect. Overall, our results revealed that access to both extrinsic and intrinsic resources is one of the key mechanisms driving molting processes in a mammalian herbivore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Déry
- Département de biologie and Centre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQuébecCanada
| | - Sandra Hamel
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and EconomicsUiT The Arctic University of NorwayTromsøNorway
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de biologie and Centre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQuébecCanada
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35
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Silva LR, Lardy S, Ferreira AC, Rey B, Doutrelant C, Covas R. Females pay the oxidative cost of dominance in a highly social bird. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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36
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Villagrán M, Beracochea F, Bartoš L, Ungerfeld R. Hierarchical status and body traits and reproductive characteristics of male pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus) maintained in all-male groups. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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37
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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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38
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De Bacco C, Larremore DB, Moore C. A physical model for efficient ranking in networks. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaar8260. [PMID: 30035220 PMCID: PMC6054508 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar8260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
We present a physically inspired model and an efficient algorithm to infer hierarchical rankings of nodes in directed networks. It assigns real-valued ranks to nodes rather than simply ordinal ranks, and it formalizes the assumption that interactions are more likely to occur between individuals with similar ranks. It provides a natural statistical significance test for the inferred hierarchy, and it can be used to perform inference tasks such as predicting the existence or direction of edges. The ranking is obtained by solving a linear system of equations, which is sparse if the network is; thus, the resulting algorithm is extremely efficient and scalable. We illustrate these findings by analyzing real and synthetic data, including data sets from animal behavior, faculty hiring, social support networks, and sports tournaments. We show that our method often outperforms a variety of others, in both speed and accuracy, in recovering the underlying ranks and predicting edge directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina De Bacco
- Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
- Corresponding author. (C.D.B.); (D.B.L.); (C.M.)
| | - Daniel B. Larremore
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- Corresponding author. (C.D.B.); (D.B.L.); (C.M.)
| | - Cristopher Moore
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
- Corresponding author. (C.D.B.); (D.B.L.); (C.M.)
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Corlatti L, Gugiatti A, Ferrari N, Formenti N, Trogu T, Pedrotti L. The cooler the better? Indirect effect of spring-summer temperature on fecundity in a capital breeder. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Corlatti
- Stelvio National Park; Via De Simoni 42 23032 Bormio Italy
- Wildlife Ecology and Management; University of Freiburg; Tennenbacher Straße 4 79106 Freiburg Germany
| | | | - Nicola Ferrari
- Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health; Università degli Studi di Milano; Via Celoria 10 20133 Milan Italy
| | - Nicoletta Formenti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health; Università degli Studi di Milano; Via Celoria 10 20133 Milan Italy
| | - Tiziana Trogu
- Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health; Università degli Studi di Milano; Via Celoria 10 20133 Milan Italy
| | - Luca Pedrotti
- Stelvio National Park; Via De Simoni 42 23032 Bormio Italy
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40
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Büntgen U, Galván JD, Mysterud A, Krusic PJ, Hülsmann L, Jenny H, Senn J, Bollmann K. Horn growth variation and hunting selection of the Alpine ibex. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1069-1079. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ulf Büntgen
- Department of Geography; University of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Birmensdorf Switzerland
- Global Change Research Centre and Masaryk University; Brno Czech Republic
| | - Juan D. Galván
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES); Department of Biosciences; University of Oslo; Oslo Norway
| | - Paul J. Krusic
- Department of Geography; University of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
- Department of Physical Geography; Stockholm University; Stockholm Sweden
| | - Lisa Hülsmann
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Birmensdorf Switzerland
- Forest Ecology; Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems; Department of Environmental Sciences; ETH Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
- Department of Theoretical Ecology; University of Regensburg; Regensburg Germany
| | - Hannes Jenny
- Department of Wildlife and Fishery Service Grisons; Chur Switzerland
| | - Josef Senn
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Kurt Bollmann
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL; Birmensdorf Switzerland
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41
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Šárová R, Špinka M, Ceacero F. Higher dominance position does not result in higher reproductive success in female beef cattle. J Anim Sci 2018; 95:3301-3309. [PMID: 28805904 DOI: 10.2527/jas.2017.1415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate whether beef cows that achieve higher dominance status than their age-mates have prolonged reproductive life, increased number of offspring born and weaned, and/or heavier BW of the offspring. We also assessed whether maternal dominance rank affects the offspring sex ratio. We recorded data on 309 potential deliveries of female beef cows with known dominance status in a seasonally pastured herd over a 14-yr period and linked them with yearly records of dominance status of the cows assessed around feeding. We did not find any effect of age-corrected dominance index on cow reproductive success measured as delivery or weaning success, calf birth weight or weaning weight, survival of the cow to the following reproductive season, or sex of the conceived calf (generalized linear models, > 0.05). In conclusion, the results indicate that in a typical situation of pastured beef cattle, there might be no selection for individual striving to achieve higher dominance status.
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Villagrán M, Alvarez L, Ungerfeld R. Social rank and reproductive performance in a herd of farmed red deer females (Cervus elaphus). ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/an16838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Hierarchical relationships between individuals determine unequal access to recourses like food and individuals of the other gender, resulting in a higher reproductive success of high-social ranked individuals. Environmental conditions and food availability may determine how strong these effects are. The aim of this work was to determine if social rank of farmed red deer females affect the reproductive results of a hormonal oestrous synchronisation treatment with ad libitum food. The studied responses included the time to oestrus onset, percentage of females that came into oestrus, conception and calving rates, gestation length, and calf gender. The study was performed during autumn on a research farm located in Mexico (20°36ʹ N, 99°55ʹ W). Forty-nine adult red deer females were assigned to two replications of 21 and 28 animals respectively and were allocated into independent paddocks with ad libitum food and water availability. Oestrous cycles were synchronised with a traditional protocol of intravaginal devices impregnated with progesterone. Agonistic behaviours between females were recorded (total = 1626 interactions), hierarchical position (Success Index = SI) of each animal was calculated and individuals were categorised as high (n = 13), medium (n = 20) or low-ranked (n = 16) individuals. Reproductive data were recorded during the 5 days after the oestrous synchronisation treatment and during the calving period. Any of the recorded responses differ between HR, MR and LR females. Female SI, age and bodyweight were not related with the probability of coming into oestrus, result pregnant, and giving birth to a male calf. Thirty-seven (78.5%) females of this study gave birth. From these calves, 15 were males and 22 were females. Due to high percentage of females in oestrus that gave birth (85.7%), it was not possible to detect the relationship between female SI, age, and bodyweight with the conception rate. Female SI, age and bodyweight were unrelated to time to oestrus onset (r2 = 0.09; P = 0.17), and to gestation length (r2 = 0.10; P = 0.20). In conclusion, with ad libitum high quality food, the social rank of red deer hinds did not affect the time to oestrus onset, percentage of females that came into oestrus, gestation length, calving and conception rates, and offspring sex ratio after an oestrous synchronisation hormonal treatment.
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43
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Charest Castro K, Leblond M, Côté SD. Costs and benefits of post-weaning associations in mountain goats. BEHAVIOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
To better understand the potential costs and benefits of prolonged parental care in gregarious species, we studied post-weaning associations in a marked population of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) monitored for 22 years. We calculated the occurrence and frequency of associations involving 1- and 2-year-old juveniles. We investigated (1) the influence of maternal characteristics and population size on the formation of post-weaning associations, (2) the short-term costs of associations on maternal reproductive success, and (3) the short-term benefits of associations on life-history traits of juveniles. We found that barren mothers associated more frequently with 1-year-olds than summer yeld and lactating mothers. Associations with 2-year-olds tended to increase the probability that a mother would be barren the following year. Post-weaning associations did not influence the body mass of newborn kids nor the body mass and survival of juveniles. We discuss how benefits for associated juveniles may appear later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Charest Castro
- aCentre for Northern Studies and Département de biologie, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Mathieu Leblond
- aCentre for Northern Studies and Département de biologie, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- bCurrent affiliation: Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- aCentre for Northern Studies and Département de biologie, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
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Fisheries-independent surveys identify critical habitats for young scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) in the Rewa Delta, Fiji. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17273. [PMID: 29222430 PMCID: PMC5722814 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17152-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sharp declines in numerous shark populations around the world have generated considerable interest in better understanding and characterising their biology, ecology and critical habitats. The scalloped hammerhead shark (SHS, Sphyrna lewini) is subject to a multitude of natural and anthropogenic threats that are often exacerbated within the coastal embayments and estuaries used during SHS early life stages. In this study, we describe the temporal and spatial distribution, age class composition, and reproductive biology of SHS in the Rewa Delta (RD), Fiji. A total of 1054 SHS (including 796 tagged individuals; 101 of which were recaptured) were captured from September 2014 to March 2016 in the RD. A majority of the captures in this area were neonates and young-of-the-year (YOY) (99.8%). Significant seasonality in patterns of occurrence of both neonates and YOY individuals suggests a defined parturition period during the austral summer. Between the seven sampling sites in the RD we also found significant differences in SHS neonate catch per unit of effort, and average total length of individuals. According to the data, the RD is likely to represent an important nursery area for SHS up to one year of age.
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Abstract
Although reproductive strategies can be influenced by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, life history theory provides a rigorous framework for explaining variation in reproductive effort. The terminal investment hypothesis proposes that a decreased expectation of future reproduction (as might arise from a mortality threat) should precipitate increased investment in current reproduction. Terminal investment has been widely studied, and a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic cues that elicit such a response have been identified across an array of taxa. Although terminal investment is often treated as a static strategy, the level at which a cue of decreased future reproduction is sufficient to trigger increased current reproductive effort (i.e., the terminal investment threshold) may depend on context, including the internal state of the organism or its current external environment, independent of the cue that triggers a shift in reproductive investment. Here, we review empirical studies that address the terminal investment hypothesis, exploring both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that mediate its expression. Based on these studies, we propose a novel framework within which to view the strategy of terminal investment, incorporating factors that influence an individual's residual reproductive value beyond a terminal investment trigger - the dynamic terminal investment threshold.
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Chen C, Chen P, Hou R, Zhang Z, Feng F, Yang Z, Gu X, Qi D. The development and characteristics of feeding behaviour in captive giant pandas. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.v66.i3.a7.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Chen
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu 610086, China
| | - Peng Chen
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu 610086, China
| | - Rong Hou
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu 610086, China
| | - Zhihe Zhang
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu 610086, China
| | - Feifei Feng
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu 610086, China
| | - Zhisong Yang
- College of Life, China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan Province 637009, China
| | - Xiaodong Gu
- Sichuan Forestry Department, Wildlife Conservation Division, Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Dunwu Qi
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu 610086, China
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Richard Q, Toïgo C, Appolinaire J, Loison A, Garel M. From gestation to weaning: Combining robust design and multi‐event models unveils cost of lactation in a large herbivore. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:1497-1509. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Richard
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune SauvageUnité Faune de Montagne Gières France
| | - Carole Toïgo
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune SauvageUnité Faune de Montagne Gières France
| | - Joël Appolinaire
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune SauvageUnité Faune de Montagne Gières France
| | - Anne Loison
- Laboratoire d’Écologie AlpineCNRS UMR5553Université de Savoie Le Bourget‐du‐Lac France
| | - Mathieu Garel
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune SauvageUnité Faune de Montagne Gières France
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Choquet R, Garnier A, Awuve E, Besnard A. Transient state estimation using continuous-time processes applied to opportunistic capture–recapture data. Ecol Modell 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Panagakis A, Hamel S, Côté SD. Influence of Early Reproductive Success on Longevity and Late Reproductive Success in an Alpine Ungulate. Am Nat 2017; 189:667-683. [PMID: 28514626 DOI: 10.1086/691388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The life-history theories of aging predict lifetime trade-offs between early reproductive allocation and late-life survival, reproduction, or both components of fitness. Recent studies in wild populations have found evidence for these early-late life trade-offs, but rarely have they been found across multiple traits while exploring the additional effects of variation in environmental conditions and individual quality. Benefiting from longitudinal data on adult female mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), we investigated the influence of age at first reproduction (AFR) and early reproductive success (ERS) on longevity, late reproductive success, and senescence rates while accounting for the influence of natal environmental conditions and individual quality. Contrary to predictions, we did not find evidence for early-late life trade-offs. Instead, an earlier AFR and a greater ERS had positive but weak direct effects on late reproductive success. Natal population density, however, was the strongest determinant of all life-history traits, having a direct negative effect on female longevity, late reproductive success, AFR, and ERS. Although natal density reduced the probability of annual reproduction and annual survival during adulthood, higher allocation to reproduction in early life and poorer natal conditions did not lead to accelerated rates of senescence during adulthood. The results of this investigation provide an integrated picture of early-late life trade-offs, underscoring the importance of accounting for environmental conditions because of their potentially strong implications for population dynamics.
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DE VRIES D, KOENIG A, BORRIES C. Female reproductive success in a species with an age-inversed hierarchy. Integr Zool 2016; 11:433-446. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dorien DE VRIES
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences; Stony Brook University, SUNY; NY USA
| | - Andreas KOENIG
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences; Stony Brook University, SUNY; NY USA
- Department of Anthropology; Stony Brook University, SUNY; NY USA
| | - Carola BORRIES
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences; Stony Brook University, SUNY; NY USA
- Department of Anthropology; Stony Brook University, SUNY; NY USA
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