1
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Cerrito P, Spear JK. Lack of evidence for coevolution between oxytocin receptor N-terminal variants and monogamy in placental mammals. Horm Behav 2023; 156:105437. [PMID: 37806189 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105437] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) is a neurohypophyseal hormone that influences a wide range of affiliative behaviors, such as pair-bonding and infant care, across mammals. The effects of OXT depend significantly on an adequate interaction with its receptor, OXTR. OXTR belongs to the G-protein coupled receptor family. The extracellular N-terminal domain of OXTR interacts with the linear C-terminal tail of OXT and is required for OXT binding. Across mammalian species there is a genetic diversity in OXTR terminal sequence. Previous work on primates has shown an association between OXTR phylogeny and monogamy. However, it is not clear whether this variation coevolved with either mating system (monogamy) or infant care behaviors (such as allomaternal care). Here, we take a phylogenetic comparative and evolutionary modeling approach across a wide range of placental mammals (n = 60) to test whether OXTR N-terminal variants co-evolved with either monogamy or allomaternal care behaviors. Our results indicate that the diversity in OXTR N-terminal region is unlikely to provide the underlying genetic bases for variation in mating system and/or allomaternal behavior as we find no evidence for co-evolution between protein sequence and affiliative behaviors. Hence, the role played by OXT in influencing affiliative behaviors is unlikely to be mediated by the genetic diversity of its receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Cerrito
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA; Collegium Helveticum, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Jeffrey K Spear
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA.
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2
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Mouginot M, Cheng L, Wilson ML, Feldblum JT, Städele V, Wroblewski EE, Vigilant L, Hahn BH, Li Y, Gilby IC, Pusey AE, Surbeck M. Reproductive inequality among males in the genus Pan. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220301. [PMID: 37381849 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproductive inequality, or reproductive skew, drives natural selection, but has been difficult to assess, particularly for males in species with promiscuous mating and slow life histories, such as bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Although bonobos are often portrayed as more egalitarian than chimpanzees, genetic studies have found high male reproductive skew in bonobos. Here, we discuss mechanisms likely to affect male reproductive skew in Pan, then re-examine skew patterns using paternity data from published work and new data from the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, Democratic Republic of Congo and Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Using the multinomial index (M), we found considerable overlap in skew between the species, but the highest skew occurred among bonobos. Additionally, for two of three bonobo communities, but no chimpanzee communities, the highest ranking male had greater siring success than predicted by priority-of-access. Thus, an expanded dataset covering a broader demographic range confirms that bonobos have high male reproductive skew. Detailed comparison of data from Pan highlights that reproductive skew models should consider male-male dynamics including the effect of between-group competition on incentives for reproductive concessions, but also female grouping patterns and factors related to male-female dynamics including the expression of female choice. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolutionary ecology of inequality'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maud Mouginot
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Leveda Cheng
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Michael L Wilson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Joseph T Feldblum
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Veronika Städele
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Emily E Wroblewski
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Linda Vigilant
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Beatrice H Hahn
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yingying Li
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ian C Gilby
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Anne E Pusey
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Martin Surbeck
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
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3
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Valenzuela-Toro AM, Costa DP, Mehta R, Pyenson ND, Koch PL. Unexpected decadal density-dependent shifts in California sea lion size, morphology, and foraging niche. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2111-2119.e4. [PMID: 37116482 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Many marine mammal populations are recovering after long eras of exploitation.1,2 To what degree density-dependent body size declines in recovering species reflect a general response to increased resource competition is unknown. We examined skull size (as a proxy for body size), skull morphology, and foraging dynamics of the top marine predator, the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), which have been steadily increasing over the last few decades and have approached or reached their carrying capacity in southern California.3 We show that, contrary to predictions, male California sea lions increased rather than decreased their average body size over a 46-year (1962-2008) recovery period. Larger males had proportionally longer oral cavities and more powerful bite strength, and their foraging niche expanded. Females between 1983 and 2007 maintained stable skull dimensions, but their isotopic niche was broader than contemporary males. Increased male body size is compatible with an intensification of density-dependent sexual selection for larger and more competitive individuals concurrent with an expanding foraging niche. High foraging variability among females would explain their body size stability during decades of population recovery. We demonstrate that body size reduction is not the universal response to population recovery in marine mammals and show that selective ecological dynamics could contribute to protecting populations against the increased density-dependent intraspecific competition. However, prey shifts associated with climate change will likely prevent California sea lions (and other marine mammals) from attaining these ecological dynamics, augmenting their vulnerability to resource competition and diminishing their capacity to overcome it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Valenzuela-Toro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA; Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA.
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA; Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Rita Mehta
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Nicholas D Pyenson
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA; Department of Paleontology and Geology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, 4303 Memorial Way Northeast, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Paul L Koch
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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4
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Hunt KE, Buck CL, Ferguson SH, Fernández Ajo A, Heide-Jørgensen MP, Matthews CJD. Male Bowhead Whale Reproductive Histories Inferred from Baleen Testosterone and Stable Isotopes. Integr Org Biol 2022; 4:obac014. [PMID: 35617113 PMCID: PMC9125798 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obac014] [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] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Synopsis
Male mammals of seasonally reproducing species typically have annual testosterone (T) cycles, with T usually peaking during the breeding season, but occurrence of such cycles in male mysticete whales has been difficult to confirm. Baleen, a keratinized filter-feeding apparatus of mysticetes, incorporates hormones as it grows, such that a single baleen plate can record years of endocrine history with sufficient temporal resolution to discern seasonal patterns. We analyzed patterns of T every 2 cm across the full length of baleen plates from nine male bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) to investigate occurrence and regularity of T cycles and potential inferences about timing of breeding season, sexual maturation, and reproductive senescence. Baleen specimens ranged from 181–330 cm in length, representing an estimated 11 years (smallest whale) to 22 years (largest whale) of continuous baleen growth, as indicated by annual cycles in stable isotopes. All baleen specimens contained regularly spaced areas of high T content (T peaks) confirmed by time series analysis to be cyclic, with periods matching annual stable isotope cycles of the same individuals. In 8 of the 9 whales, T peaks preceded putative summer isotope peaks by a mean of 2.8 months, suggesting a mating season in late winter / early spring. The only exception to this pattern was the smallest and youngest male, which had T peaks synchronous with isotope peaks. This smallest, youngest whale also did not have T peaks in the first half of the plate, suggesting initiation of T cycling during the period of baleen growth. Linear mixed effect models suggest that whale age influences T concentrations, with the two largest and oldest males exhibiting a dramatic decline in T peak concentration across the period of baleen growth. Overall, these patterns are consistent with onset of sexual maturity in younger males and possible reproductive senescence in older males. We conclude that adult male bowheads undergo annual T cycles, and that analyses of T in baleen may enable investigation of reproductive seasonality, timing of the breeding season, and life history of male whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen E Hunt
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation & Department of Biology, George Mason University, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - C Loren Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 617 S. Beaver St., Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Steven H Ferguson
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Arctic Aquatic Research Division, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Alejandro Fernández Ajo
- Marine Mammal Institute, Fisheries and Wildlife Department, Oregon State University, Newport, OR 97365, USA
| | | | - Cory J D Matthews
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Arctic Aquatic Research Division, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
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5
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Nagaraj H, Owen K, Lea MA, Miller BS. Acoustic analysis of crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophaga) vocalizations in the Southern Kerguelen Plateau region of East Antarctica. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 150:3353. [PMID: 34852621 DOI: 10.1121/10.0006789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Crabeater seals are circumpolar, ice-dependent seals that produce distinct vocalizations during the breeding season. This study provides the first description of the acoustic repertoire of the crabeater seal in East Antarctica, using data from a stationary hydrophone at 1.8 km depth in the Southern Kerguelen Plateau region in 2014-2015. Two call types were identified in the data set: the low and the high moan calls. Of the 8821 calls detected, 92.5% were classified as low moan calls and 7.5% were high moan calls. The mean duration of the two call types was similar (2.3 and 2.8 s, respectively), however, the high moan calls had a higher frequency range (1020-4525 Hz, n = 11) than the low moan calls (360-2753 Hz, n = 120). The calls were primarily detected in the austral spring. Diel analysis showed that the low moan calls were mostly made at nighttime or proximal to dusk and dawn. The results of this study could aid in the development of automated detectors for crabeater seal vocalizations. This would facilitate comparisons of the distribution and abundance of the species using extant acoustic data and could increase knowledge on the breeding behavior of crabeater seals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsha Nagaraj
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7005, Australia
| | - Kylie Owen
- Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, 104 05, Sweden
| | - Mary-Anne Lea
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7005, Australia
| | - Brian S Miller
- Australian Antarctic Division, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania, 7050, Australia
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6
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LaRue M, Salas L, Nur N, Ainley D, Stammerjohn S, Pennycook J, Dozier M, Saints J, Stamatiou K, Barrington L, Rotella J. Insights from the first global population estimate of Weddell seals in Antarctica. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabh3674. [PMID: 34559555 PMCID: PMC8462891 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh3674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The Weddell seal is one of the best-studied marine mammals in the world, owing to a multidecadal demographic effort in the southernmost part of its range. Despite their occurrence around the Antarctic coastline, we know little about larger scale patterns in distribution, population size, or structure. We combined high-resolution satellite imagery from 2011, crowd-sourcing, and habitat modeling to report the first global population estimate for the species and environmental factors that influence its distribution. We estimated ~202,000 (95% confidence interval: 85,345 to 523,140) sub-adult and adult female seals, with proximate ocean depth and fast-ice variables as factors explaining spatial prevalence. Distances to penguin colonies were associated with seal presence, but only emperor penguin population size had a strong negative relationship. The small, estimated population size relative to previous estimates and the seals’ nexus with trophic competitors indicates that a community ecology approach is required in efforts to monitor the Southern Ocean ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle LaRue
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, 116 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455 USA
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Leo Salas
- Point Blue Conservation Sciences, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma CA 94954 USA
| | - Nadav Nur
- Point Blue Conservation Sciences, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma CA 94954 USA
| | - David Ainley
- H. T. Harvey and Associates Ecological Consultants, 983 University Avenue, Building D, Los Gatos, CA 95032 USA
| | - Sharon Stammerjohn
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO 80303 USA
| | - Jean Pennycook
- H. T. Harvey and Associates Ecological Consultants, 983 University Avenue, Building D, Los Gatos, CA 95032 USA
| | - Melissa Dozier
- Maxar Technologies, 1300 W 120th Avenue, Westminster, CO, 80234 USA
| | - Jon Saints
- BlueSky Resources, 2250 6th St, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | | | - Luke Barrington
- Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA
| | - Jay Rotella
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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7
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Howell L, LaRue M, Flanagan SP. Environmental DNA as a tool for monitoring Antarctic vertebrates. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.1900299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Howell
- Gateway Antarctica, School of Earth and Environment, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Michelle LaRue
- Gateway Antarctica, School of Earth and Environment, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Sarah P. Flanagan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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8
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Brusa JL, Rotella JJ, Garrott RA, Paterson JT, Link WA. Variation of annual apparent survival and detection rates with age, year and individual identity in male Weddell seals (
Leptonychotes weddellii
) from long‐term mark‐recapture data. POPUL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/1438-390x.12036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jamie L. Brusa
- Department of EcologyMontana State University Bozeman Montana
| | - Jay J. Rotella
- Department of EcologyMontana State University Bozeman Montana
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9
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Lucena-Perez M, Soriano L, López-Bao JV, Marmesat E, Fernández L, Palomares F, Godoy JA. Reproductive biology and genealogy in the endangered Iberian lynx: Implications for conservation. Mamm Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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10
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Salas L, Nur N, Ainley D, Burns J, Rotella J, Ballard G. Coping with the loss of large, energy-dense prey: a potential bottleneck for Weddell Seals in the Ross Sea. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:10-25. [PMID: 28052497 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Extraction of Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) in the Ross Sea began in 1997, following a management plan that targets the largest fish with a goal of reducing the spawning biomass by 50% over 35 yr. We investigate the potential long-term consequences of the reduced availability of this prey for Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii). Energy demands in seals are acute, especially immediately following lactation, when females must recover substantial mass and cope with molting costs. We tested the hypothesis that toothfish are critically important for adult female seals during this period. Toothfish body mass is three orders of magnitude greater, and its energy density nearly double that of the most common seal prey, Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum). Reduction or elimination of toothfish consumption could impair a female's ability to sufficiently recover and successfully produce a pup in the following pupping season. Our goals are to (1) illustrate mechanisms and conditions whereby toothfish depletion might plausibly affect seal population trends; (2) identify measurable parameters of the seals' ecology that may help better understand the potential negative impact of toothfish depletion on seal populations; and (3) promote a precautionary management approach for the fishery that includes monitoring of seal populations We constructed a set of inter-linked models of seal diving behavior, physiological condition, and demography based on existing information. We evaluate the effect of the following factors on seal mass recovery and intrinsic population growth rates: fishery depletion rate, daily diving limits, probability of a successful dive, and body mass recovery target. We show that loss of toothfish has the greatest potential impact on seal populations' growth rate. Under some scenarios, populations may decrease at >10% per year. Critical parameters to better understand fishery impacts include prevalence and size of toothfish in the seals' diet; the relationship between diet and the rate of mass recovery; and female breeding propensity in relation to body condition at the end of the molting period. Our results lend support to concerns about the potential negative impact of toothfish extraction in the Ross Sea; and to advocate for a precautionary management approach by the fishery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo Salas
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California, 94954, USA
| | - Nadav Nur
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California, 94954, USA
| | - David Ainley
- H. T. Harvey and Associates Ecological Consultants, Los Gatos, California, 95032, USA
| | - Jennifer Burns
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, 99508, USA
| | - Jay Rotella
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
| | - Grant Ballard
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California, 94954, USA
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11
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Le Vaillant M, Ropert-Coudert Y, Le Maho Y, Le Bohec C. Individual parameters shape foraging activity in breeding king penguins. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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12
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Rioux-Paquette E, Garant D, Martin AM, Coulson G, Festa-Bianchet M. Paternity in eastern grey kangaroos: moderate skew despite strong sexual dimorphism. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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13
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Franco-Trecu V, Costa P, Schramm Y, Tassino B, Inchausti P. Sex on the rocks: reproductive tactics and breeding success of South American fur seal males. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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14
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Chambert T, Rotella JJ, Garrott RA. An evolutionary perspective on reproductive individual heterogeneity in a marine vertebrate. J Anim Ecol 2014; 83:1158-68. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Accepted: 02/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Chambert
- Department of Ecology; Montana State University; Bozeman MT 59717 USA
| | - Jay J. Rotella
- Department of Ecology; Montana State University; Bozeman MT 59717 USA
| | - Robert A. Garrott
- Department of Ecology; Montana State University; Bozeman MT 59717 USA
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15
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Krüger O, Wolf JBW, Jonker RM, Hoffman JI, Trillmich F. DISENTANGLING THE CONTRIBUTION OF SEXUAL SELECTION AND ECOLOGY TO THE EVOLUTION OF SIZE DIMORPHISM IN PINNIPEDS. Evolution 2014; 68:1485-96. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Krüger
- Department of Animal Behaviour; Bielefeld University; PO Box 10 01 31 33501 Bielefeld Germany
| | - Jochen B. W. Wolf
- Department of Evolutionary Biology; Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D 75236 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Rudy M. Jonker
- Department of Animal Behaviour; Bielefeld University; PO Box 10 01 31 33501 Bielefeld Germany
| | - Joseph I. Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour; Bielefeld University; PO Box 10 01 31 33501 Bielefeld Germany
| | - Fritz Trillmich
- Department of Animal Behaviour; Bielefeld University; PO Box 10 01 31 33501 Bielefeld Germany
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16
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Cope RC, Lanyon JM, Seddon JM, Pollett PK. Development and testing of a genetic marker-based pedigree reconstruction system 'PR-genie' incorporating size-class data. Mol Ecol Resour 2014; 14:857-70. [PMID: 24373173 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Revised: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 12/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
For wildlife populations, it is often difficult to determine biological parameters that indicate breeding patterns and population mixing, but knowledge of these parameters is essential for effective management. A pedigree encodes the relationship between individuals and can provide insight into the dynamics of a population over its recent history. Here, we present a method for the reconstruction of pedigrees for wild populations of animals that live long enough to breed multiple times over their lifetime and that have complex or unknown generational structures. Reconstruction was based on microsatellite genotype data along with ancillary biological information: sex and observed body size class as an indicator of relative age of individuals within the population. Using body size-class data to infer relative age has not been considered previously in wildlife genealogy and provides a marked improvement in accuracy of pedigree reconstruction. Body size-class data are particularly useful for wild populations because it is much easier to collect noninvasively than absolute age data. This new pedigree reconstruction system, PR-genie, performs reconstruction using maximum likelihood with optimization driven by the cross-entropy method. We demonstrated pedigree reconstruction performance on simulated populations (comparing reconstructed pedigrees to known true pedigrees) over a wide range of population parameters and under assortative and intergenerational mating schema. Reconstruction accuracy increased with the presence of size-class data and as the amount and quality of genetic data increased. We provide recommendations as to the amount and quality of data necessary to provide insight into detailed familial relationships in a wildlife population using this pedigree reconstruction technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Cope
- School of Biological Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
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17
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Bonin CA, Goebel ME, Hoffman JI, Burton RS. High male reproductive success in a low-density Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) breeding colony. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1674-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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18
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González-Suárez M, Cassini MH. Variance in male reproductive success and sexual size dimorphism in pinnipeds: testing an assumption of sexual selection theory. Mamm Rev 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Manuela González-Suárez
- Department of Conservation Biology; Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC; Calle Américo Vespucio s/n 41092 Sevilla Spain
| | - Marcelo H. Cassini
- Behavioural Biology Lab; IBYME-CONICET; Obligado 2490 1428 Buenos Aires Argentina
- Group of Studies in Ecology of Mammals; DCB; Universidad de Luján; Rutas 5 y 7 6700 Buenos Aires Argentina
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Year-round acoustic detection of bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) in the Beaufort Sea relative to changing environmental conditions, 2008–2010. Polar Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-013-1337-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Lidgard D, Bowen W, Boness D. Longitudinal changes and consistency in male physical and behavioural traits have implications for mating success in the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus). CAN J ZOOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1139/z2012-053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We examined age-related changes and consistency in physical and behavioural traits of 20 male grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius, 1791)) and implications for a proxy of mating success (number of oestrous females attended) over four successive breeding seasons on Sable Island, Canada. Across the study, young males (10–15 years) gained body mass, while old males (23–31 years) lost body mass. Body length was an important determinant of tenure (time spent at a site among females) and males of all ages exhibited a high level of consistency in duration of tenure (r = 0.40–0.50). In young males, our proxy of success showed a strong relationship with arrival body mass and also exhibited a high level of consistency (r = 0.50). None of the physical traits measured explained variation in success by exhibiting mating tactics that did not involve tenure, which is likely due to the opportunistic nature of those tactics. Whereas young male grey seals exhibited age-dependent improvements in success owing to changes in their physical state, later in life physical traits were less influential and suggest that nonphysical traits may compensate for a deteriorating physical state and its impact on male success.
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Affiliation(s)
- D.C. Lidgard
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - W.D. Bowen
- Population Ecology Division, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - D.J. Boness
- Department of Conservation Biology, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20008, USA
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Wiszniewski J, Corrigan S, Beheregaray LB, Möller LM. Male reproductive success increases with alliance size in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). J Anim Ecol 2011; 81:423-31. [PMID: 21981240 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01910.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. Determining the extent of variation in male mating strategies and reproductive success is necessary to understand the fitness benefits of social and cooperative behaviour. 2. This study assesses the reproductive success of male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in a small embayment population where different behavioural strategies of males have previously been identified. Parentage for 44 sampled calves was examined using 23 microsatellite loci and one mitochondrial DNA marker. Our candidate parent pool of 70 males and 64 females contained individuals sampled from both the embayment and adjacent coastal populations. 3. A moderate level of polygyny was detected in our sample. We assigned paternity of 23 calves to 12 males at the strict 95% confidence level and an additional nine calves to two males at the 80% confidence level. The majority (92%) of successful males were identified as residents to the embayment, and 46% of offspring were located within the same social group or community as their father. 4. Our results suggest that the size of alliances was the best predictor of reproductive success for males in this population, while the strength of association among allied males, alliance stability and male ranging patterns had little influence. In line with predictions for male alliances formed between unrelated individuals, we found that reproductive skew within alliances was not large. 5. Together, our genetic and behavioural analyses demonstrate that alliance formation between male dolphins is a successful strategy to enhance reproductive output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Wiszniewski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia.
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Parkos JJ, Wahl DH, Philipp DP. Influence of behavior and mating success on brood-specific contribution to fish recruitment in ponds. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2011; 21:2576-2586. [PMID: 22073645 DOI: 10.1890/10-1870.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
One source of uncertainty in predicting the response of populations to exploitation is individual differences within a population in both vulnerability to capture and contribution to population renewal. For species with parental care, individuals engaged in nesting behavior are often targeted for exploitation, but predicting outcomes of this nonrandom vulnerability will depend in part on an understanding of how parental traits are related to potential for brood contribution to the population. Variation in brood-specific contribution to recruitment of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), a fish species with extended parental care, was quantified to determine if differences in mating success, parental care behaviors, and timing of reproduction influenced offspring recruitment. Dependence of these relationships on brood predation was tested in communities that differed in the presence of bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus, an important nest predator. Daily snorkel surveys were conducted in experimental ponds during spring to monitor male spawning and parental care behaviors in populations of largemouth bass. Tissue samples collected from larvae in nests were used to develop brood-specific DNA fingerprints for determining nest origins of fall recruits. Largemouth bass spawning period in bluegill ponds was longer and more variable in duration, with lower, more variable mating success, than in ponds without bluegill. In all populations, only one or two broods provided the majority of recruits, and these were broods produced during the earliest days of spawning by the oldest, largest males. In bluegill ponds, brood contribution from earliest nests also increased with brood size. Earliest nesters were the oldest males, and recruits from these nests were often above average in body size. Offspring needed to be guarded to at least swim-up larval stage to contribute any recruits. Termination of parental protection before offspring were free swimming mainly occurred with broods guarded by smaller males in ponds with brood predators. These age- and size-specific differences in timing of spawning and duration of parental care are consistent with influences of residual reproductive value and energetic constraints on reproductive behavior. Furthermore, these patterns of individual contribution to recruitment imply that fisheries that selectively target either nesting individuals or larger, older males could potentially decrease recruitment at the population scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Parkos
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA.
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Yurkowski DJ, Chambellant M, Ferguson SH. Bacular and testicular growth and allometry in the ringed seal (Pusa hispida): evidence of polygyny? J Mammal 2011. [DOI: 10.1644/10-mamm-a-082.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Pörschmann U, Trillmich F, Mueller B, Wolf JBW. Male reproductive success and its behavioural correlates in a polygynous mammal, the Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki). Mol Ecol 2010; 19:2574-86. [PMID: 20497325 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04665.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection theory predicts competitive males and choosy females. Nevertheless, since molecular marker-based studies, paternity outside the expected mating patterns has increasingly been described. Even in highly polygynous systems, where paternity is expected to be strongly skewed towards large, dominant males, alternative mating tactics have been suggested. We examined reproductive success in the polygynous Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki). Semiaquatic territoriality allows females to move freely and may lower the degree of polygyny otherwise suggested by both territorial behaviour and strong sexual dimorphism. We assigned paternities with 22 microsatellites and analysed how male reproductive success was related to size, dominance status, intra-sexual agonistic behaviour, proximity to females, and attendance in the colony. Male behaviour was consistent across two seasons for all parameters under consideration. Attendance was by far the most important determinant of paternal success. Skew in reproductive success towards large, dominant males was weak and dominance status played no role. This appears to be caused by an extremely long reproductive season lasting five or more months, making it difficult for any male to monopolize receptive females. Females seem to choose displaying males that were present in the colony for a long time rather than dominance per se. Sexual dimorphism in Galápagos sea lions may thus be more influenced by selection for fasting than fighting ability. Our data provide further evidence for alternative mating tactics, as several males gained relatively high reproductive success despite short attendance and hardly any involvement in agonistic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Pörschmann
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
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Harcourt RG, Turner E, Hall A, Waas JR, Hindell M. Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2010; 196:147-54. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-009-0501-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2009] [Revised: 12/15/2009] [Accepted: 12/18/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Tatarenkov A, Healey CIM, Grether GF, Avise JC. Pronounced reproductive skew in a natural population of green swordtails, Xiphophorus helleri. Mol Ecol 2008; 17:4522-34. [PMID: 18986497 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03936.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
For many species in nature, a sire's progeny may be distributed among a few or many dams. This poses logistical challenges--typically much greater across males than across females--for assessing means and variances in mating success (number of mates) and reproductive success (number of progeny). Here we overcome these difficulties by exhaustively analyzing a population of green swordtail fish (Xiphophorus helleri) for genetic paternity (and maternity) using a suite of highly polymorphic microsatellite loci. Genetic analyses of 1476 progeny from 69 pregnant females and 158 candidate sires revealed pronounced skews in male reproductive success both within and among broods. These skews were statistically significant, greater than in females, and correlated in males but not in females with mating success. We also compare the standardized variances in swordtail reproductive success to the few such available estimates for other taxa, notably several mammal species with varied mating systems and degrees of sexual dimorphism. The comparison showed that the opportunity for selection on male X. helleri is among the highest yet reported in fishes, and it is intermediate compared to estimates available for mammals. This study is one of a few exhaustive genetic assessments of joint-sex parentage in a natural fish population, and results are relevant to the operation of sexual selection in this sexually dimorphic, high-fecundity species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Tatarenkov
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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Abstract
The development of population genetic structure in ice-breeding seal species is likely to be shaped by a combination of breeding habitat and life-history characteristics. Species that return to breed on predictable fast-ice locations are more likely to exhibit natal fidelity than pack-ice-breeding species, which in turn facilitates the development of genetic differentiation between subpopulations. Other aspects of life history such as geographically distinct vocalizations, female gregariousness, and the potential for polygynous breeding may also facilitate population structure. Based on these factors, we predicted that fast-ice-breeding seal species (the Weddell and ringed seal) would show elevated genetic differentiation compared to pack-ice-breeding species (the leopard, Ross, crabeater and bearded seals). We tested this prediction using microsatellite analysis to examine population structure of these six ice-breeding species. Our results did not support this prediction. While none of the Antarctic pack-ice species showed statistically significant population structure, the bearded seal of the Arctic pack ice showed strong differentiation between subpopulations. Again in contrast, the fast-ice-breeding Weddell seal of the Antarctic showed clear evidence for genetic differentiation while the ringed seal, breeding in similar habitat in the Arctic, did not. These results suggest that the development of population structure in ice-breeding phocid seals is a more complex outcome of the interplay of phylogenetic and ecological factors than can be predicted on the basis of breeding substrate and life-history characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey S Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2E9, Canada
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SPONG GÖRANF, HODGE SARAHJ, YOUNG ANDREWJ, CLUTTON-BROCK TIMH. Factors affecting the reproductive success of dominant male meerkats. Mol Ecol 2008; 17:2287-99. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03734.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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