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Kappeler PM, Fichtel C. Independent fitness consequences of group size variation in Verreaux's sifakas. Commun Biol 2024; 7:816. [PMID: 38965399 PMCID: PMC11224245 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06484-z] [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: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The costs and benefits of group living are also reflected in intraspecific variation in group size. Yet, little is known about general patterns of fitness consequences of this variation. We use demographic records collected over 25 years to determine how survival and reproductive success vary with group size in a Malagasy primate. We show that female reproductive rates of Verreaux's sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi) are not affected by total group size, but that they are supressed by the number of co-resident females, whereas mortality rates are significantly higher in larger groups. Neither annual rainfall nor the adult sex ratio have significant effects on birth and death rates. Hence, these sifakas enjoy the greatest net fitness benefits at small, and not the predicted intermediate group sizes. Thus, independent fitness proxies can vary independently as a function of group size as well as other factors, leading to deviations from optimal intermediate group sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
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Effects of Group Size on Behavior, Reproduction, and mRNA Expression in Brains of Brandt's Voles. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020311. [PMID: 36831854 PMCID: PMC9954483 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
For social animals, a moderate group size is greatly important to maintain their reproductive success. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanism of group size on behavior and reproduction has rarely been investigated. In this study, we examined the effects of group size (1, 2, 4 pairs of adult male and female voles raised per cage) on behavior and reproduction. Meanwhile, the mRNA expression of stress and reproduction response-related genes in male brains was detected. We found that Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) in the large-sized group fight more severely than those in the small-sized group. Meanwhile, male voles were more anxious than females. The average number of embryos and litters per female in the medium-sized group was significantly higher than that of large-sized group. In male voles, stress- or reproduction-response mRNA expressions were more related to final group size or final density due to death caused by fighting. Our results indicated that a moderate group size was beneficial to the reproductive output of Brandt's voles. Our study highlights the combined effects of stress- or reproduction-related gene expression or behavior in regulating the fitness of voles with different group sizes.
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Duncan C, Manser MB, Clutton‐Brock T. Decline and fall: The causes of group failure in cooperatively breeding meerkats. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14459-14474. [PMID: 34765119 PMCID: PMC8571573 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In many social vertebrates, variation in group persistence exerts an important effect on individual fitness and population demography. However, few studies have been able to investigate the failure of groups or the causes of the variation in their longevity. We use data from a long-term study of cooperatively breeding meerkats, Suricata suricatta, to investigate the different causes of group failure and the factors that drive these processes. Many newly formed groups failed within a year of formation, and smaller groups were more likely to fail. Groups that bred successfully and increased their size could persist for several years, even decades. Long-lived groups principally failed in association with the development of clinical tuberculosis, Mycobacterium suricattae, a disease that can spread throughout the group and be fatal for group members. Clinical tuberculosis was more likely to occur in groups that had smaller group sizes and that had experienced immigration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Duncan
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River ReserveVan ZylsrusSouth Africa
| | - Marta B. Manser
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River ReserveVan ZylsrusSouth Africa
- Animal BehaviourDepartment of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Tim Clutton‐Brock
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River ReserveVan ZylsrusSouth Africa
- Mammal Research InstituteUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
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O’Brien SL, Tammone MN, Cuello PA, Lacey EA. Multi-year assessment of variability in spatial and social relationships in a subterranean rodent, the highland tuco-tuco (Ctenomys opimus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03034-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In some species, populations routinely contain a mixture of lone and group-living individuals. Such facultative sociality may reflect individual differences in behavior as well as adaptive responses to variation in local environmental conditions. To explore interactions between individual- and population-level variabilities in behavior in a species provisionally described as facultatively social, we examined spatial and social relationships within a population of highland tuco-tucos (Ctenomys opimus) at Laguna de los Pozuelos, Jujuy Province, Argentina. Using data collected over 5 consecutive years, we sought to (1) confirm the regular occurrence of both lone and group-living individuals and (2) characterize the temporal consistency of individual social relationships. Our analyses revealed that although the study population typically contained lone as well as group-living animals, individual spatial and social relationships varied markedly over time. Specifically, the extent to which individuals remained resident in the same location across years varied, as did the number of conspecifics with which an animal lived, with an overall tendency for individuals to live in larger groups over successive years. Collectively, these analyses indicate that population-level patterns of behavior in C. opimus are consistent with facultative sociality but that this variation does not arise due to persistent differences in individual behavior (i.e., living alone versus with conspecifics). Instead, based on changes in spatial and social relationships across years, we suggest that variation in the tendency to live in groups is shaped primarily by local ecological and demographic conditions.
Significance statement
Characterizing variation in conspecific relationships is critical to understanding the adaptive bases for social behavior. Using data collected over 5 successive years, we examined temporal variation in spatial and social relationships within a population of highland tuco-tucos (C. opimus) from northern Argentina. In addition to providing the first multi-year assessment of the behavior and demography of this species, our analyses generate important insights into relationships between individual behavior and population-level patterns of social organization. The behavioral variability evident in our study population suggests that C. opimus is an ideal system in which to explore the causes and consequences of individual differences in social behavior.
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Buxton VL, Enos JK, Sperry JH, Ward MP. A review of conspecific attraction for habitat selection across taxa. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:12690-12699. [PMID: 33304487 PMCID: PMC7713925 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species across taxa select habitat based on conspecific presence, known as conspecific attraction. Studies that document conspecific attraction typically provide social information (i.e., cues that indicate the presence of a given species) and then determine if a given species is more likely to settle at locations where the social information is provided compared to those locations that do not. Although the number of studies examining conspecific attraction has grown in recent years, a comprehensive review has not yet been undertaken. Here, we conducted a review of the literature and found 151 studies investigating conspecific attraction across eight taxa. We found that conspecific attraction is widespread with between 80% and 100% of studies, depending on taxa, documenting positive associations between habitat selection and the presence of conspecific cues. Conspecific attraction has been documented more frequently in bird and fish species with less attention given to invertebrate and mammal species. We use the patterns we found to (a) provide an overview of the current state of research on conspecific attraction and (b) discuss how important factors, such as cue characteristics and life history traits, may play a role in shaping conspecific attraction patterns within and across taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie L. Buxton
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaILUSA
| | - Janice K. Enos
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and BehaviorUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaILUSA
| | | | - Michael P. Ward
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaILUSA
- Illinois Natural History SurveyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignILUSA
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Vitet C, Duncan P, Gimenez O, Mabika C, Chamaillé‐Jammes S. Plains zebras bring evidence that dilution and detection effects may not always matter behaviorally and demographically. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Camille Vitet
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
- LTSER France, Zone Atelier “Hwange”, Hwange National Park Bag 62 Dete Zimbabwe
| | - Patrick Duncan
- LTSER France, Zone Atelier “Hwange”, Hwange National Park Bag 62 Dete Zimbabwe
- CNRS‐UMR 7372 Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé Villiers‐en‐Bois France
| | - Olivier Gimenez
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
| | - Cheryl Mabika
- Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Scientific Services P.O. Box CY140, Causeway Harare Zimbabwe
| | - Simon Chamaillé‐Jammes
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
- LTSER France, Zone Atelier “Hwange”, Hwange National Park Bag 62 Dete Zimbabwe
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
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8
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Solomon NG, Keane B. Dispatches from the field: sociality and reproductive success in prairie voles. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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9
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Hayes LD, Ebensperger LA, Kelt DA, Meserve PL, Pillay N, Viblanc VA, Schradin C. Long-term field studies on rodents. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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10
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Behavioural correlates of group size and group persistence in the African ice rat Otomys sloggetti robertsi. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2293-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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11
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Beneficial effects of group size on oxidative balance in a wild cooperative breeder. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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12
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Nater CR, Canale CI, van Benthem KJ, Yuen CH, Schoepf I, Pillay N, Ozgul A, Schradin C. Interactive effects of exogenous and endogenous factors on demographic rates of an African rodent. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chloé R. Nater
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Univ. of Zurich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zurich Switzerland
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Dept of Biosciences; Univ. of Oslo; Blindern Oslo Norway
| | - Cindy I. Canale
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Univ. of Zurich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Koen J. van Benthem
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Univ. of Zurich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Chi-Hang Yuen
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences; Univ. of the Witwatersrand; Braamfontein Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Ivana Schoepf
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences; Univ. of the Witwatersrand; Braamfontein Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Neville Pillay
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences; Univ. of the Witwatersrand; Braamfontein Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Univ. of Zurich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Carsten Schradin
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences; Univ. of the Witwatersrand; Braamfontein Johannesburg South Africa
- Inst. Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien; Dépt d'Ecologie Physiologie et Ethologie; Strasbourg France
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Frafjord K. Influence of Reproductive Status: Home Range Size in Water Voles (Arvicola amphibius). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154338. [PMID: 27115881 PMCID: PMC4846030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between home range and reproductive status of water voles (Arvicola amphibius) was studied by radio-tracking on an island off the coast of northern Norway in 2006–2009. The aim was to test assumptions about the species’ social structure relative to other microtines. Juveniles used fairly small ranges (about 400 m²), with no difference between males and females. Subadults, overwintered voles in April, had ranges similar to juveniles. Reproductively active males (mean 2774.0 m²) increased their range seven-fold relative to juvenile males, with ranges on average 3.3 times larger than adult females (mean 848.3 m²), which also expanded their range. Most litters were born in May and June, and as reproduction ceased in July adult males reduced their range whilst females did not. Body mass or year did not influence home range size. Overlap of home ranges varied, but could be extensive in both adult males and females. The water vole had a social structure similar to some Microtus species, but females appeared to be non-territorial and males perhaps conditioned territorial and non-territorial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Frafjord
- Department of Natural Sciences, Tromsø University Museum, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- * E-mail: (KF)
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Lardy S, Allainé D, Bonenfant C, Cohas A. Sex-specific determinants of fitness in a social mammal. Ecology 2015; 96:2947-59. [DOI: 10.1890/15-0425.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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15
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The social life of eastern water dragons: sex differences, spatial overlap and genetic relatedness. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Batzli GO. Krebs, C. J.2013. Population Fluctuations in Rodents. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, ix + 306 pp. ISBN 978-0-226-01035-9, price (hardbound), $55.00. J Mammal 2014. [DOI: 10.1644/13-mamm-r-195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Woodruff JA, Lacey EA, Bentley GE, Kriegsfeld LJ. Effects of social environment on baseline glucocorticoid levels in a communally breeding rodent, the colonial tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis). Horm Behav 2013; 64:566-72. [PMID: 23928366 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2013] [Revised: 07/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The social environment in which an animal lives can profoundly impact its physiology, including glucocorticoid (GC) responses to external stressors. In social, group-living species, individuals may face stressors arising from regular interactions with conspecifics as well as those associated with basic life history needs such as acquiring food or shelter. To explore the relative contributions of these two types of stressors on glucocorticoid physiology in a communally breeding mammal, we characterized baseline GC levels in female colonial tuco-tucos (Ctenomys sociabilis), which are subterranean rodents endemic to southwestern Argentina. Long-term field studies have revealed that while about half of all yearling female C. sociabilis live and breed alone, the remainder live and breed within their natal group. We assessed the effects of this intraspecific variation in social environment on GC physiology by comparing concentrations of baseline fecal corticosterone metabolite (fCM) for (1) lone and group-living yearling females in a free-living population of C. sociabilis and (2) captive yearling female C. sociabilis that had been experimentally assigned to live alone or with conspecifics. In both cases, lone females displayed significantly higher mean baseline fCM concentrations. Data from free-living animals indicated that this outcome arose from differences in circadian patterns of GC production. fCM concentrations for group-living animals declined in the afternoon while fCM in lone individuals did not. These findings suggest that for C. sociabilis, stressors associated with basic life history functions present greater challenges than those arising from interactions with conspecifics. Our study is one of the first to examine GC levels in a plural-breeding mammal in which the effects of group-living are not confounded by differences in reproductive or dominance status, thereby generating important insights into the endocrine consequences of group-living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Woodruff
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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Effects of experience and avpr1a microsatellite length on parental care in male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1524-7] [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]
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McGuire B, Getz LL, Bemis WE, Oli MK. Social dynamics and dispersal in free-living prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). J Mammal 2013. [DOI: 10.1644/11-mamm-a-387.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Ebensperger LA, Rivera DS, Hayes LD. Direct fitness of group living mammals varies with breeding strategy, climate and fitness estimates. J Anim Ecol 2012; 81:1013-23. [PMID: 22384924 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.01973.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
1. Understanding how variation in fitness relates to variation in group living remains critical to determine whether this major aspect of social behaviour is currently adaptive. 2. Available evidence in social mammals aimed to examine this issue remains controversial. Studies show positive (i.e. potentially adaptive), neutral or even negative fitness effects of group living. 3. Attempts to explain this variation rely on intrinsic and extrinsic factors to social groups. Thus, relatively more positive fitness effects are predicted in singularly breeding as opposed to plural breeding species. Fitness effects of sociality in turn may depend on ecological conditions (i.e. extrinsic factors) that influence associated benefits and costs. 4. We used meta-analytic tools to review how breeding strategy or ecological conditions influence the effect size associated with direct fitness-sociality relationships reported in the mammalian literature. Additionally, we determined how taxonomic affiliation of species studied, different fitness and sociality measures used, and major climatic conditions of study sites explained any variation in direct fitness effect size. 5. We found group living had modest, yet positive effects on direct fitness. This generally adaptive scenario was contingent not only upon breeding strategy and climate of study sites, but also on fitness measures examined. Thus, positive and significant effects characterized singular as opposed to plural breeding strategies. 6. We found more positive fitness effects on studies conducted in tropical as opposed to temperate or arid climates. More positive and significant effects were noted on studies that relied on group fecundity, male fecundity and offspring survival as measures of fitness. 7. To conclude, direct fitness consequences of mammalian group living are driven by interspecific differences in breeding strategy and climate conditions. Other factors not examined in this study, namely individual variation in direct and indirect fitness benefits and potential interactions between social and ecological conditions, may be important and require further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Ebensperger
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología and Biodiversidad (CASEB), and Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile.
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Foerster S, Cords M, Monfort SL. Social behavior, foraging strategies, and fecal glucocorticoids in female blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis): potential fitness benefits of high rank in a forest guenon. Am J Primatol 2011; 73:870-82. [PMID: 21495049 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2010] [Revised: 02/08/2011] [Accepted: 03/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Socioecological theory predicts that aggressive feeding competition is associated with linear dominance hierarchies and reproductive advantages for high-ranking females. Female blue monkeys contest fruits and have a linear dominance hierarchy, yet previous research has shown no evidence that high-ranking females benefit from greater feeding success or fertility. Here, we assess whether individuals differ in fecal glucocorticoid (fGC) excretion and examine proximate determinants of such differences to infer potential fitness correlates of rank, using data collected from two study groups in the Kakamega Forest, Kenya. We found that higher ranking females had preferential access to fruits in both groups, although the behavioral mechanisms leading to this effect varied between groups. Despite a consistent rank difference in feeding on fruits, an overall rank effect on fGCs emerged in only one group; females of this group spent comparatively more time feeding on fruits, fruits accounted for a greater proportion of the diet, and females engaged in more frequent food-related agonism. In addition, more females in this group were lactating during a period of low fruit availability, when rank effects on fGCs were particularly strong. Regardless of fruit availability, among lactating females of both groups higher rank was associated with lower fGC levels, indicating lower energetic stress in higher ranking females when energy demands were particularly high. Individual rates of agonism, a potential psychological stressor, were unrelated to fGCs at all times. After we accounted for rates of agonism and feeding on fruits, females of one group who groomed others more had lower fGCs, suggesting that variable social coping behavior can contribute to fGC variation in some groups. This study provides the first empirical evidence that high-ranking female blue monkeys may obtain fitness benefits from their social status, by gaining priority of access to fruits during critical times in the reproductive cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Foerster
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
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McGuire B, Getz LL. Alternative male reproductive tactics in a natural population of prairie voles Microtus ochrogaster. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.4098/j.at.0001-7051.077.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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24
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Blowers TE, Waterman JM, Kuhar CW, Bettinger TL. Social behaviors within a group of captive female Hippopotamus amphibius. J ETHOL 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-009-0184-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [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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Campbell JC, Laugero KD, Van Westerhuyzen JA, Hostetler CM, Cohen JD, Bales KL. Costs of pair-bonding and paternal care in male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Physiol Behav 2009; 98:367-73. [PMID: 19576236 PMCID: PMC2755084 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2009] [Revised: 06/17/2009] [Accepted: 06/23/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The direct costs of paternal care are relatively well documented in primates, however little research has explored these effects in monogamous rodents. The present study examines the long-term effects that pairing and parenting have on male prairie voles. We hypothesized that there would be a significant weight loss over the course of pairing and parenting, presumably from the energetic demands that accompany these changes in social condition. In a longitudinal study, we followed ten male prairie voles through being housed with their brother; paired with a female; and caring for three consecutive litters. We found a significant drop in bodyweight across time, with maximum weight loss near the weaning of the first litter. At that same time, feeding increased, leading to possible recovery in weight; however, leptin levels dropped precipitously across time and did not recover. Corticosterone did not change significantly across time points, and overall activity levels also did not vary significantly over the course of the study. In addition, newly paired males showed a significant increase in preference for a 2% sucrose solution during a three-hour test, indicating a metabolic need for more calories. A cross-sectional study confirmed leptin and corticosterone findings, and showed significant loss of subcutaneous (inguinal) fat in males that had cared for a litter of pups, when compared to males housed with their brothers or newly paired males. These results suggest that cohabitation with a female, and caring for pups, all have costs for male prairie voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua C Campbell
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Hayes LD, Chesh AS, Castro RA, Tolhuysen LO, Burger JR, Bhattacharjee J, Ebensperger LA. Fitness consequences of group living in the degu Octodon degus, a plural breeder rodent with communal care. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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27
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Estimates of reproductive success for group-living prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster, in high-density populations. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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POTEAUX CHANTAL, BUSQUET NICOLAS, GOUAT PATRICK, KATONA KRISZTIÁN, BAUDOIN CLAUDE. Socio-genetic structure of mound-building mice, Mus spicilegus, in autumn and early spring. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00944.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Hayes LD, Solomon NG. A Comparison of the Maternal Care of Females within Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster) Communal Groups. Ethology 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01344.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Nutt KJ. Genetic reconstruction of breeding patterns in gundis (Rodentia: Ctenodactylidae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0396-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Abstract
According to behavioural ecology theory, sociality evolves when the net benefits of close association with conspecifics exceed the costs. The nature and relative magnitude of the benefits and costs of sociality are expected to vary across species and habitats. When sociality is favoured, animals may form groups that range from small pair-bonded units to huge aggregations. The size and composition of social groups have diverse effects on morphology and behaviour, ranging from the extent of sexual dimorphism to brain size, and the structure of social relationships. This general argument implies that sociality has fitness consequences for individuals. However, for most mammalian species, especially long-lived animals like primates, there are sizable gaps in the chain of evidence that links sociality and social bonds to fitness outcomes. These gaps reflect the difficulty of quantifying the cumulative effects of behavioural interactions on fitness and the lack of information about the nature of social relationships among individuals in most taxa. Here, I review what is known about the reproductive consequences of sociality for mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan B Silk
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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An experimental examination of the consequences of communal versus solitary breeding on maternal condition and the early postnatal growth and survival of degu, Octodon degus, pups. Anim Behav 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Solomon NG, Steward LR, Ulrich KL. Asymmetry in age suppresses reproduction in female woodland voles, Microtus pinetorum. Anim Behav 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Randall JA, Rogovin K, Parker PG, Eimes JA. Flexible social structure of a desert rodent, Rhombomys opimus: philopatry, kinship, and ecological constraints. Behav Ecol 2005. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ari078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Rogovin K, Randall JA, Kolosova I, Moshkin M. PREDATION ON A SOCIAL DESERT RODENT, RHOMBOMYS OPIMUS: EFFECT OF GROUP SIZE, COMPOSITION, AND LOCATION. J Mammal 2004. [DOI: 10.1644/bns-014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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40
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Costs and benefits of communal rearing to female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2004. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-004-0815-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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41
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Schradin C, Pillay N. The Striped Mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) From the Succulent Karoo, South Africa: A Territorial Group-Living Solitary Forager With Communal Breeding and Helpers at the Nest. J Comp Psychol 2004; 118:37-47. [PMID: 15008671 DOI: 10.1037/0735-7036.118.1.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The authors studied the striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) in the semiarid succulent karoo of South Africa. Mice forage alone, but they live in groups that share a common nest. Groups consist of 1 to 4 breeding females, 1 to 2 breeding males, and their offspring of both sexes, which remain in their natal group even after reaching adulthood, participating in territorial defense and nest building without showing signs of reproductive activity. Interactions are typically amicable and take place inside or in front of the nest. In contrast, encounters with mice from other groups are aggressive. Group living in the succulent karoo is possibly due to ecological constraints imposed by habitat saturation because of a year-round stable food supply as well as associated benefits of philopatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Schradin
- Ecophysiological Studies Research Group, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Getz L, Mcguire B, Carter C. Social behavior, reproduction and demography of the prairie vole,Microtus ochrogaster. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2003. [DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2003.9522676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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