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Delaunay A, Cossu-Doye O, Roura-Torres B, Sauvadet L, Ngoubangoye B, Huchard E, Charpentier MJE. An early-life challenge: becoming an older sibling in wild mandrills. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240597. [PMID: 39050716 PMCID: PMC11265912 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
In monotocous mammals, most individuals experience the birth of a younger sibling. This period may induce losses in maternal care and can be physiologically, energetically and emotionally challenging for the older sibling, yet has rarely been studied in wild primates. We used behavioural data collected from a natural population of mandrills to investigate changes in maternal care and mother-juvenile relationship throughout the transition to siblinghood (TTS), by comparing juveniles who recently experienced the birth of a younger sibling, to juveniles who did not. We found that the TTS was associated with an abrupt cessation of the weaning process for the juvenile, and to a decrease in maternal affiliation. Juveniles' reactions were sex-specific, as males associated less with their mother, while females tended to groom their mother more often after the birth of their sibling. Despite the substantial loss of maternal care, juveniles did not show an increase in conflict or anxiety-related behaviours. This study contributes to explain why short interbirth intervals often pose a risk to juveniles' survival in monotocous primates. Our results contrast existing studies and further highlight the importance of examining the TTS in species and populations with various life histories and ecologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axelle Delaunay
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology of Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Océane Cossu-Doye
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology of Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Berta Roura-Torres
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology of Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute of Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenback, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Elise Huchard
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology of Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie J. E. Charpentier
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology of Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestrasse 5, Konstanz78467, Germany
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2
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Vullioud C, Benhaiem S, Meneghini D, Szyf M, Shao Y, Hofer H, East ML, Fickel J, Weyrich A. Epigenetic signatures of social status in wild female spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Commun Biol 2024; 7:313. [PMID: 38548860 PMCID: PMC10978994 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05926-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
In mammalian societies, dominance hierarchies translate into inequalities in health, reproductive performance and survival. DNA methylation is thought to mediate the effects of social status on gene expression and phenotypic outcomes, yet a study of social status-specific DNA methylation profiles in different age classes in a wild social mammal is missing. We tested for social status signatures in DNA methylation profiles in wild female spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), cubs and adults, using non-invasively collected gut epithelium samples. In spotted hyena clans, female social status influences access to resources, foraging behavior, health, reproductive performance and survival. We identified 149 differentially methylated regions between 42 high- and low-ranking female spotted hyenas (cubs and adults). Differentially methylated genes were associated with energy conversion, immune function, glutamate receptor signalling and ion transport. Our results provide evidence that socio-environmental inequalities are reflected at the molecular level in cubs and adults in a wild social mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Vullioud
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah Benhaiem
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Dorina Meneghini
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Yong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion L East
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörns Fickel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
- University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Alexandra Weyrich
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany.
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
- Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
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3
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Catitti B, Kormann UG, van Bergen VS, Grüebler MU. Turning tables: food availability shapes dynamic aggressive behaviour among asynchronously hatching siblings in red kites Milvus milvus. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230328. [PMID: 37476514 PMCID: PMC10354486 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Aggression represents the backbone of dominance acquisition in several animal societies, where the decision to interact is dictated by its relative cost. Among siblings, such costs are weighted in the light of inclusive fitness, but how this translates to aggression patterns in response to changing external and internal conditions remains unclear. Using a null-model-based approach, we investigate how day-to-day changes in food provisioning affect aggression networks and food allocation in growing red kite (Milvus milvus) nestlings, whose dominance rank is largely dictated by age. We show that older siblings, irrespective of age, change from targeting only close-aged peers (close-competitor pattern) when food provisioning is low, to uniformly attacking all other peers (downward heuristic pattern) as food conditions improve. While food allocation was generally skewed towards the older siblings, the youngest sibling in the nest increased its probability of accessing food as more was provisioned and as downward heuristic patterns became more prominent, suggesting that different aggression patterns allow for catch-up growth after periods of low food. Our results indicate that dynamic aggression patterns within the nest modulate environmental effects on juvenile development by influencing the process of dominance acquisition and potentially impacting the fledging body condition, with far-reaching fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Catitti
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Urs G. Kormann
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
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4
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Delaunay A, Baniel A, Dezeure J, Carter AJ, Cowlishaw G, Charpentier MJ, Huchard E. Transition to siblinghood in a wild chacma baboon population. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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5
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Imasaki Y, Endo T. Sibling Cannibalism in Group-Living Larvae of the Solitary Wasp, Isodontia harmandi (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae): Effects of Prey Availability and Size Discrepancy. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:157-168. [PMID: 36715112 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvad002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Sibling cannibalism has rarely been documented in the resource-based context of sibling rivalry. The solitary wasp Isodontia harmandi (Pérez) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) has an exceptional style of nursery 'communal brood cells', in which multiple larvae gregariously develop while relying on maternal prey provisioning. In this species there are several distinct features; e.g., cannibalism-driven brood reduction, single-sex broods, and mass provisioning. Rearing of the wasp larvae in artificial nest chambers provides the novel opportunity to study larval interactions under controlled conditions. To determine the factors that influence the occurrence of cannibalism and its timing, we conducted a rearing experiment using sib and non-sib pairs under two prey-availability treatments, and recorded the occurrence of cannibalism and the processes of larval growth and prey consumption over a 96-hr period. Cannibalism occurred more frequently in the low-prey treatment than in the high-prey treatment, and in female pairs than in male pairs. Cannibalism tended to occur earlier when the amount of prey remaining decreased rapidly. However, cannibalism did not occur only when all prey had been completely consumed, implying that it was not triggered directly by prey exhaustion. Cannibals were always larger than their victims, whose growth rates had often slowed before they were eaten. These results strongly imply that wasp larvae commit sibling cannibalism in the context of resource-based sibling rivalry, ensuring the double benefit of nutritional gains and reduced resource competition. We also investigated the possibility that wasp larvae monitor the size difference and/or body condition of brood-mates as an indicator of prey availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yui Imasaki
- Department of Biosphere Sciences, Kobe College, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Tomoji Endo
- Department of Biosphere Sciences, Kobe College, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
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Jiménez R, Burgos M, Barrionuevo FJ. The Biology and Evolution of Fierce Females (Moles and Hyenas). Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2023; 11:141-162. [PMID: 36130099 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-050622-043424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Talpid moles and spotted hyenas have become the paradigms of anatomical and behavioral female masculinization. Females of many mole species develop ovotestes that produce testosterone, show external genitalia that resemble that of males, and close their vaginal orifice after every estrus, and female spotted hyenas lack an external vaginal orifice and develop a pseudoscrotum and a large pseudopenis through which they urinate, mate, and give birth. We review current knowledge about several significant aspects of the biology and evolution of these females, including (a) their specific study methods; (b) their unique anatomical features, and how these peculiarities influence certain physiological functions; and (c) the role that steroid hormones as well as genetic and environmental factors may have in urogenital system development, aggressive behavior, and social dominance. Nevertheless, both mole and hyena females are exceptionally efficient mothers, so their peculiar genitalia should not call into question their femininity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Jiménez
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biotechnology, and Center of Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain; , ,
| | - Miguel Burgos
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biotechnology, and Center of Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain; , ,
| | - Francisco J Barrionuevo
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biotechnology, and Center of Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain; , ,
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7
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Benhaiem S, Kaidatzi S, Hofer H, East ML. Long‐term reproductive costs of snare injuries in a keystone terrestrial by‐catch species. Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Benhaiem
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - S. Kaidatzi
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - H. Hofer
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - M. L. East
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
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8
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East ML, Thierer D, Benhaiem S, Metzger S, Hofer H. Infanticide by Adult Females Causes Sexual Conflict in a Female-Dominated Social Mammal. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.860854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Infanticide by adult females includes any substantial contribution to the demise of young and inevitably imposes fitness costs on the victim’s genetic fathers, thereby generating sexual conflict with them. Few if any studies have quantified the impact of infanticide by females on male reproductive success, the magnitude of sexual conflict this causes and possible counterstrategies males use against infanticidal females. We examine these topics in spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) clans, where females socially dominate breeding males and strong female mate-choice is independent of male social status. We consider two causes of infanticide by females, violent attacks on cubs and fatal maternal neglect. Violent attacks are predicted during periods of social instability at the top of the female linear dominance hierarchy and victims are expected to predominantly have mothers above median rank. Fatal maternal neglect, when starving litters are abandoned, is associated with monopolization of food in clan territories by high-ranking females, and victims are predicted to have mothers below median rank. Female perpetrators of violent attacks are expected to reduce the reproductive success of the fathers of their victims more than perpetrators of fatal maternal neglect. We tested these predictions using 30 + years of data (54 recorded violent attacks, 43 cases of fatal maternal neglect, DNA profiling of 1,671 individuals). Using long-term observations at communal dens we investigated whether males use counterstrategies against infanticide reported in other mammals. Due to female social dominance over breeding males, strong female mate-choice and prolonged offspring dependence on lactation in spotted hyenas, we predicted that these counterstrategies were unlikely to be used by males against females, thus no incidences of them were likely to be observed. Our results revealed that breeding males lost cubs to violent attacks at all stages of their reproductive tenure and to perpetrators with whom they did not sire offspring. Amongst known sources of paternity loss, violent attacks comprised 12.2% and maternal neglect 9.8% of cases. Violent attacks significantly reduced offspring production rates of breeding males, suggesting that infanticide by females generates sexual conflict. As predicted, no evidence of males using counterstrategies against infanticide by females were observed.
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9
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Gicquel M, East ML, Hofer H, Cubaynes S, Benhaiem S. Climate change does not decouple interactions between a central‐place‐foraging predator and its migratory prey. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Gicquel
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Marion L. East
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Sarah Cubaynes
- CEFE Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University, IRD, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
| | - Sarah Benhaiem
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
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10
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Szenczi P, González D, Martínez-Byer S, Rödel HG, Hudson R, Bánszegi O. Motivation matters: lighter littermates of the domestic cat compete more successfully for meat at weaning. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03079-0] [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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Vicente-Alonso S, Sánchez-Sánchez L, Álvarez Solas S. On the way to systematize habituation: a protocol to minimize the effects of observer presence on wild groups of Leontocebus lagonotus. Primates 2021; 62:407-415. [PMID: 33428014 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-020-00877-4] [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: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Habituation is used in most field research with primates to minimize observer effects on their behavior. Despite its importance, there is little published on the methods used to habituate different taxa of primates or how these methods vary in different habitat types. We assessed changes in behavior and space use of two groups of Leontocebus lagonotus in the Ecuadorian Amazon in order to document this process. Although the subjects had not been studied before, visitors and researchers were more frequently in the home range of Group 1 than of Group 2. We followed both groups for 2 months, collecting behavioral data through scan sampling and recording the use of space (ground, understory, subcanopy, and canopy) and the routes along which we followed the groups. We then divided our data into two equivalent stages, randomized the data for each stage and looked for significant differences using Wilcoxon tests. Our results show a significant decrease in submissive behaviors toward the observer for both groups and a significant increase in resting and foraging for Group 1. In addition, Group 2 used the subcanopy significantly less and the understory more during the second stage. The routes the animals used were significantly longer in the second stage for Group 1, but not for Group 2. We conclude that our methodology is adequate to advance in the habituation of L. lagonotus in less than 2 months and that a group will habituate more quickly if it has had some previous neutral exposure to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Vicente-Alonso
- Fundació Universitat de Girona: Innovació i Formació and Fundació Mona, Girona, Spain.
| | - Lidia Sánchez-Sánchez
- Fundació Universitat de Girona: Innovació i Formació and Fundació Mona, Girona, Spain
| | - Sara Álvarez Solas
- Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador.,Grupo de Estudio de Primates del Ecuador (GEPE), Quito, Ecuador.,Grupo de Investigación de Biogeografía y Ecología Espacial (BioGeoE2), Tena, Ecuador
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12
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Kappeler PM. Parental Care. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-82879-0_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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13
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Ferreira SCM, Hofer H, Madeira de Carvalho L, East ML. Parasite infections in a social carnivore: Evidence of their fitness consequences and factors modulating infection load. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8783-8799. [PMID: 31410280 PMCID: PMC6686355 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
There are substantial individual differences in parasite composition and infection load in wildlife populations. Few studies have investigated the factors shaping this heterogeneity in large wild mammals or the impact of parasite infections on Darwinian fitness, particularly in juveniles. A host's parasite composition and infection load can be shaped by factors that determine contact with infective parasite stages and those that determine the host's resistance to infection, such as abiotic and social environmental factors, and age. Host-parasite interactions and synergies between coinfecting parasites may also be important. We test predictions derived from these different processes to investigate factors shaping infection loads (fecal egg/oocyte load) of two energetically costly gastrointestinal parasites: the hookworm Ancylostoma and the intracellular Cystoisospora, in juvenile spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in the Serengeti National Park, in Tanzania. We also assess whether parasite infections curtail survival to adulthood and longevity. Ancylostoma and Cystoisospora infection loads declined as the number of adult clan members increased, a result consistent with an encounter-reduction effect whereby adults reduced encounters between juveniles and infective larvae, but were not affected by the number of juveniles in a clan. Infection loads decreased with age, possibly because active immune responses to infection improved with age. Differences in parasite load between clans possibly indicate variation in abiotic environmental factors between clan den sites. The survival of juveniles (<365 days old) to adulthood decreased with Ancylostoma load, increased with age, and was modulated by maternal social status. High-ranking individuals with low Ancylostoma loads had a higher survivorship during the first 4 years of life than high-ranking individuals with high Ancylostoma loads. These findings suggest that high infection loads with energetically costly parasites such as hookworms during early life can have negative fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
- Department of Veterinary MedicineFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and PharmacyFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Luis Madeira de Carvalho
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina VeterinariaUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
| | - Marion L. East
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
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14
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Rosenbaum S, Gettler LT. With a little help from her friends (and family) part I: the ecology and evolution of non-maternal care in mammals. Physiol Behav 2019; 193:1-11. [PMID: 29933836 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
In the class Mammalia, most young are cared for exclusively by their mothers. In species where mothers receive help, however, non-maternal caregivers may play a crucial role in development and life history trajectories. In turn, recipients of such care may have important impacts on caregivers of all types. In Part I of this overview, we briefly review the evolutionary barriers to widespread non-maternal care in mammals, and explain why the exceptions are of particular theoretical importance. We also summarize the current understanding of the selective forces leading to non-maternal care, and the taxa and types of caretakers amongst which it occurs. Finally, we argue for a fresh look at the categorization schemes that have traditionally been used to separate various types of mammalian non-maternal caregivers. This two-part introduction is aimed at scientists from multiple disciplines who study diverse organismal systems. It draws from the social and biological sciences literatures to provide an overview of this special issue of Physiology and Behavior's suite of methodological offerings and theoretical underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States; Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, United States.
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States; The Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
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15
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Aigueperse N, Houdelier C, Nicolle C, Lumineau S. Mother-chick interactions are affected by chicks' sex and brood composition in Japanese quail. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 61:832-842. [PMID: 30895607 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Sex is a trait which leads mothers to invest asymmetrically in their young, especially in species with a strong dimorphism. Authors usually consider that members of the largest sex require the most investment by mothers. In other cases, mothers care preferentially for members of the sex that increase their fitness, e.g. males, in numerous species. In quail, a precocial bird, mother seems to take more care of their males which are more sensitive to their separation. This study investigates the influence of chicks' sex and brood's sexual composition on the maternal behavior of quail. We evaluated three batches of mothers, composed of (a) unisex broods of males (MM), (b) unisex broods of females (FF), and (c) mixed sex broods (Mx). We recorded mother-chick interactions during 11 days of mothering. We found that MM mothers spent more time warming their chicks and FF mothers were more active. Moreover, females rejected more aggressively and earlier their female chicks than their male chicks. Finally, Mx chicks, whatever their sex, interacted more with their mothers. Our results highlight a greater quantity and quality of maternal care towards male. Mothers invest more in male chicks. We discussed results in terms of each sex's needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadège Aigueperse
- Ethos (Ethologie animale et humaine), Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, Rennes, France
| | - Cécilia Houdelier
- Ethos (Ethologie animale et humaine), Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, Rennes, France
| | - Céline Nicolle
- Ethos (Ethologie animale et humaine), Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, Rennes, France
| | - Sophie Lumineau
- Ethos (Ethologie animale et humaine), Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, Rennes, France
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16
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Benhaiem S, Marescot L, East ML, Kramer-Schadt S, Gimenez O, Lebreton JD, Hofer H. Slow recovery from a disease epidemic in the spotted hyena, a keystone social carnivore. Commun Biol 2018; 1:201. [PMID: 30480102 PMCID: PMC6244218 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0197-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Predicting the impact of disease epidemics on wildlife populations is one of the twenty-first century's main conservation challenges. The long-term demographic responses of wildlife populations to epidemics and the life history and social traits modulating these responses are generally unknown, particularly for K-selected social species. Here we develop a stage-structured matrix population model to provide a long-term projection of demographic responses by a keystone social predator, the spotted hyena, to a virulent epidemic of canine distemper virus (CDV) in the Serengeti ecosystem in 1993/1994 and predict the recovery time for the population following the epidemic. Using two decades of longitudinal data from 625 known hyenas, we demonstrate that although the reduction in population size was moderate, i.e., the population showed high ecological 'resistance' to the novel CDV genotype present, recovery was slow. Interestingly, high-ranking females accelerated the population's recovery, thereby lessening the impact of the epidemic on the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Benhaiem
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Lucile Marescot
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315, Berlin, Germany
- CEFE, CNRS, University Montpellier, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Marion L East
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstr. 12, 12165, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olivier Gimenez
- CEFE, CNRS, University Montpellier, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Jean-Dominique Lebreton
- CEFE, CNRS, University Montpellier, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Oertzenweg 19b, Berlin, 14163, Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 3, Berlin, 14195, Germany
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17
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Pacoureau N, Authier M, Delord K, Barbraud C. Population response of an apex Antarctic consumer to its prey and climate fluctuations. Oecologia 2018; 189:279-291. [PMID: 30116877 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4249-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental endeavor in population ecology is to identify the drivers of population dynamics. A few empirical studies included the effect of prey abundance when investigating simultaneously the effects of density-dependence and climate factors on marine top-predator population dynamics. Our aim was to unravel the mechanisms forcing population dynamics of an apex consumer seabird, the south polar skua, using long-term climatic and population time series of the consumer and its prey in Terre Adélie, Antarctica. Influences of density-dependence, climatic factors, and prey abundance with lag effects were tested on the breeding population dynamics with a Bayesian multi-model inference approach. We evidenced a negative trend in breeding population growth rate when density increased. Lagged effects of sea-ice concentration and air temperature in spring and a contemporary effect of prey resources were supported. Remarkably, results outline a reverse response of the south polar skua and one of its main preys to the same environmental factor (sea-ice concentration), suggesting a strong link between skua and penguin dynamics. The causal mechanisms may involve competition for food and space through territorial behavior as well as local climate and prey availability, which probably operate on breeding parameters (breeding propensity, breeding success, or recruitment) rather than on adult survival. Our results provide new insights on the relative importance of factors forcing the population dynamics of an apex consumer including density-dependence, local climate conditions, and direct and indirect effects of prey abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Pacoureau
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR-CNRS 7372, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Matthieu Authier
- Observatoire PELAGIS, UMS-CNRS 3462, Université de la Rochelle, allée 4 de l'Océan, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR-CNRS 7372, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR-CNRS 7372, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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18
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Brumley MR, Hoagland R, Truong M, Robinson SR. Responsiveness of rat fetuses to sibling motor activity: Communication in utero? Dev Psychobiol 2018; 60:265-277. [PMID: 29442370 PMCID: PMC10591451 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has revealed that fetuses detect and respond to extrauterine stimuli such as maternal movement and speech, but little attention has been cast on how fetuses may directly influence and respond to each other in the womb. This study investigated whether motor activity of E20 rat fetuses influenced the behavior of siblings in utero. Three experiments showed that; (a) contiguous siblings expressed a higher frequency of synchronized movement than noncontiguous siblings; (b) fetuses that lay between two siblings immobilized with curare showed less movement relative to fetuses between saline or uninjected controls; and (c) fetuses between two siblings behaviorally activated by the opioid agonist U50,488 also showed less activity and specific behavioral changes compared to controls. Our findings suggest that rat fetuses are directly impacted by sibling motor activity, and thus that a rudimentary form of communication between siblings may influence the development of fetuses in utero.
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19
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González D, Szenczi P, Bánszegi O, Hudson R. Testing aggressive behaviour in a feeding context: Importance of ethologically relevant stimuli. Behav Processes 2018; 150:1-7. [PMID: 29454644 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The choice of stimuli used in tests of animal behaviour can have a critical effect on the outcome. Here we report two experiments showing how different foods influenced aggressive behaviour in competition tests at weaning among littermates of the domestic cat. Whereas in Experiment 1 canned food elicited almost no overt competition, a piece of raw beef rib elicited clearly aggressive behaviour among littermates. In Experiment 2 the food stimuli were chosen to differ from raw beef rib in various combinations of taste/smell, texture and monopolizability. Kittens showed different levels of aggression in response to the five stimuli tested, which suggests that the strong effect of beef rib in eliciting aggressive behaviour was due to a complex combination of features. We suggest that using stimuli approximating the evolved, functional significance to the species concerned is more likely to result in robust, biologically relevant behaviours than more artificial stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel González
- Insituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70228, CP 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Péter Szenczi
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Km. 1.5 Carretera Tlaxcala-Puebla, CP 90062 La Loma Xicohténcatl, Mexico.
| | - Oxána Bánszegi
- Insituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70228, CP 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Robyn Hudson
- Insituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70228, CP 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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21
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Hofer H, Benhaiem S, Golla W, East ML. Trade-offs in lactation and milk intake by competing siblings in a fluctuating environment. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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22
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Pribbenow S, East ML, Ganswindt A, Tordiffe ASW, Hofer H, Dehnhard M. Measuring Faecal Epi-Androsterone as an Indicator of Gonadal Activity in Spotted Hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128706. [PMID: 26107516 PMCID: PMC4481319 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) that measure faecal testosterone metabolites (fTM) are useful tools to monitor gonadal activity. The aim of this study was to validate an "in-house" epiandrosterone EIA to monitor fTM in spotted hyenas. FTM were characterised in a male and a female hyena that each received an injection of 3H-testosterone. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses revealed a cluster of highly polar enzyme-hydrolysable hormone metabolite conjugates. We performed hydrolysis using β-glucuronidase to deconjugate metabolites and improve sensitivity of the assay. Because β-glucuronidase from Helix pomatia has been reported to bias testosterone measurements in some species, we compared the enzymatic activity of the commonly used β-glucuronidase extracted from H. pomatia with the same enzyme from Escherichia coli. Our results showed that β-glucuronidases from both sources produced similar results from spotted hyena faeces. We therefore hydrolysed samples with H. pomatia enzymes. HPLC analyses also demonstrated that following hydrolysis the epiandrosterone EIA measured significant amounts of immunoreactive metabolites corresponding to radiolabelled metabolites in both sexes. Additionally, HPLC and GC-MS analyses confirmed the presence of epiandrosterone in faeces of spotted hyenas. The biological relevance of the epiandrosterone EIA was validated by demonstrating (1) a significant increase in fTM levels in response to a testosterone injection within 16 h, (2) no biological responsiveness to an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) injection and (3) significant differences in fTM levels between juvenile males and adult immigrant males in a free-ranging wild population. Our results clearly demonstrate that the epiandrosterone EIA is a reliable non-invasive method to monitor gonadal activity in spotted hyenas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Pribbenow
- Department Reproduction Biology and Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion L. East
- Department Reproduction Biology and Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., Berlin, Germany
| | - Andre Ganswindt
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Republic of South Africa
- National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Adrian S. W. Tordiffe
- National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinarian Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Republic of South Africa
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department Reproduction Biology and Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Dehnhard
- Department Reproduction Biology and Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research, Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., Berlin, Germany
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23
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Grueber CE, Hogg CJ, Ivy JA, Belov K. Impacts of early viability selection on management of inbreeding and genetic diversity in conservation. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:1645-53. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2014] [Revised: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E. Grueber
- Faculty of Veterinary Science; University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
- San Diego Zoo Global; PO Box 120551 San Diego CA 92112 USA
| | - Carolyn J. Hogg
- Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia; PO Box 20 Mosman NSW 2088 Australia
| | - Jamie A. Ivy
- San Diego Zoo Global; PO Box 120551 San Diego CA 92112 USA
| | - Katherine Belov
- Faculty of Veterinary Science; University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
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24
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East ML, Otto E, Helms J, Thierer D, Cable J, Hofer H. Does lactation lead to resource allocation trade-offs in the spotted hyaena? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1897-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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25
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26
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East ML, Kurze C, Wilhelm K, Benhaiem S, Hofer H. Factors influencing Dipylidium sp. infection in a free-ranging social carnivore, the spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2013; 2:257-65. [PMID: 24533344 PMCID: PMC3862517 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2013.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2013] [Revised: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We investigated Dipylidium infection in a social carnivore, the spotted hyaena. Infection predominantly occurred in juveniles, most adults were probably immune. Juvenile infection prevalence increased with the number of hyaenas visiting dens. Infection prevalence in juveniles decreased when they were least well fed. The use of communal dens maintains Dipylidium infection in spotted hyaena clans.
We provide the first genetic sequence data for a Dipylidium species from a wild carnivore plus an analysis of the effects of ecological, demographic, physiological and behavioural factors on Dipylidium sp. infection prevalence in a social carnivore, the spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Our sequence data from a mitochondrial gene fragment (1176 base pair long) had a similarity of between 99% and 89% to Dipylidium caninum. We determined infection prevalence in 146 faecal samples from 124 known animals in three social groups (termed clans) using molecular screening and Dipylidium proglottid presence. Our analysis revealed significantly higher infection prevalence in juveniles (55%) than adults (15.8%), indicating that predominantly juveniles maintained infection in clans. The likelihood of infection in juveniles significantly: (1) increased as the number of adults and older juveniles (>6 months) at communal dens increased, implying a positive relationship between this factor and the size of the intermediate host (probably a flea species) population at communal dens; (2) decreased as the number of younger juveniles (<6 months) increased, suggesting that the chance of susceptible juveniles ingesting infected fleas during self-grooming declined as the number of infected fleas per younger juvenile declined; and (3) decreased during periods of low prey abundance in clan territories when an increased reliance on long-distances foraging excursions reduces the number of clan members visiting communal dens, possibly resulting in a decline in flea populations at dens. Long-distance foraging also increases the intervals (in days) between nursing visits by lactating females to their offspring. Lengthy intervals between milk intake by infected juveniles may reduce adult Dipylidium fecundity and hence decrease infection prevalence in the den flea population. Our study provides useful insights into Dipylidium epidemiology in a social carnivore population subject to large fluctuations in prey abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion L East
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Kurze
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany ; Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Philippstr. 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kerstin Wilhelm
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah Benhaiem
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
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27
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Benhaiem S, Hofer H, Dehnhard M, Helms J, East ML. Sibling competition and hunger increase allostatic load in spotted hyaenas. Biol Lett 2013; 9:20130040. [PMID: 23616643 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Allostatis is the process of maintaining homeostatis through behavioural or physiological responses to challenges, and its cumulative energetic cost is termed allostatic load. The allostatic load hypothesis predicts that hunger and the mechanisms that establish and maintain social dominance should have a strong impact on allostatic load. In spotted hyaenas, dominance between twin siblings emerges during intense early competition for maternal milk and involves trained winner/loser effects. Conflict over access to teats declines with age as behavioural dominance conventions are established. In young litters, the allostatic load of subordinates measured in terms of faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations (fGMCs) should be higher than that of dominants. When low milk provisioning threatens survival, hungry subordinates are more assertive, particularly when competing against a dominant sister. Dominants challenged by assertive subordinates should have allostatic loads and fGMCs above those of dominants with subordinates that adhere to dominance conventions. We show that in young litters, subordinates had significantly higher fGMCs than dominants, and dominant sisters had significantly higher fGMCs than dominant brothers. When hungry, both dominants and subordinates had significantly higher fGMCs than when fed. Our results provide evidence that hunger and sibling competition affect allostatic load in spotted hyaenas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Benhaiem
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, Berlin 10315, Germany.
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28
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Hudson
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Ciudad Universitaria; México; DF; Mexico
| | - Hans Distel
- Institut für Medizinische Psychologie; Ludwig-Maximilians Universität; München; Germany
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29
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Clutton-Brock T, Huchard E. Social competition and its consequences in female mammals. J Zool (1987) 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - E. Huchard
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
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30
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Antonevich AL, Erofeeva MN, Naidenko CV. Early sibling aggression of Eurasian lynx depends on the growth rate. DOKLADY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES : PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USSR, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SECTIONS 2012; 447:360-362. [PMID: 23292470 DOI: 10.1134/s001249661206004x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A L Antonevich
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow, 117071 Russia
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31
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Benhaiem S, Dehnhard M, Bonanni R, Hofer H, Goymann W, Eulenberger K, East ML. Validation of an enzyme immunoassay for the measurement of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2012; 178:265-71. [PMID: 22634955 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2012] [Revised: 05/04/2012] [Accepted: 05/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The use of enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) to measure faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM) is a useful non-invasive technique to monitor adrenocortical activity in vertebrates. The first objective of this study was to validate an 'in-house' EIA (cortisol-3-CMO) for the measurement of fGCM concentrations in spotted hyenas. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to characterise fGCM in samples from a captive hyena that received an i.v. injection of [(3)H] cortisol. All HPLC fractions were analysed with the EIA for the presence and quantities of radiolabelled fGCM. Radiolabelled fGCM consisted of substances with a higher polarity than cortisol and substances of lower polarity that eluted between cortisol and corticosterone. Authentic radiolabelled cortisol was not detected. The EIA measured substantial amounts of immunoreactivity corresponding to the radioactive peaks. It also detected a significant increase in fGCMs after an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge in two other captive animals and a significant increase in fGCMs in a fourth captive animal after anaesthesia. The second objective was to investigate an age effect on fGCM: we conducted pairwise comparisons of fGCM concentrations in individual free-ranging juvenile spotted hyenas when less than 6 months of age and when between 6 and 24 months of age. We expected juveniles to experience a more unpredictable and therefore more stressful environment when younger than when older. When younger, juveniles had significantly higher fGCM concentrations than when they were older. Our results demonstrate that our assay can be used to assess adrenocortical activity in spotted hyenas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Benhaiem
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315 Berlin, Germany.
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32
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Benhaiem S, Hofer H, Kramer-Schadt S, Brunner E, East ML. Sibling rivalry: training effects, emergence of dominance and incomplete control. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:3727-35. [PMID: 22719032 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Within-brood or -litter dominance provides fitness-related benefits if dominant siblings selfishly skew access to food provided by parents in their favour. Models of facultative siblicide assume that dominants exert complete control over their subordinate sibling's access to food and that control is maintained, irrespective of the subordinate's hunger level. By contrast, a recent functional hypothesis suggests that subordinates should contest access to food when the cost of not doing so is high. Here, we show that within spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) twin litters, dominants most effectively skew access to maternal milk in their favour when their aggression prompts a highly submissive response. When hungry, subordinates were less submissive in response to aggression, thereby decreasing lost suckling time and increasing suckling time lost by dominants. In a species where adult females socially dominate adult males, juvenile females were more often dominant than males in mixed-sex litters, and subordinate sisters used more effective counter-tactics against dominant brothers than subordinate brothers against dominant sisters. Our results provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence in a mammal that dominant offspring in twin litters do not exert complete control over their sibling's access to resources (milk), and that sibling dominance relationships are influenced by sibling sex and training effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Benhaiem
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, 10315 Berlin, Germany.
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33
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Crofoot MC, Lambert TD, Kays R, Wikelski MC. Does watching a monkey change its behaviour? Quantifying observer effects in habituated wild primates using automated radiotelemetry. Anim Behav 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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34
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The fitness of dispersing spotted hyaena sons is influenced by maternal social status. Nat Commun 2010; 1:60. [PMID: 20975715 PMCID: PMC2964455 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2010] [Accepted: 07/29/2010] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Life history theory predicts that mothers should provide their offspring with a privileged upbringing if this enhances their offspring's and their own fitness. In many mammals, high-ranking mothers provide their offspring with a privileged upbringing. Whether dispersing sons gain fitness benefits during adulthood from such privileges (a 'silver spoon' effect) has rarely been examined. In this paper, we show that in the complex, female-dominated society of spotted hyaenas, high-born sons grew at higher rates, were more likely to disperse to clans offering the best fitness prospects, started reproducing earlier and had a higher reproductive value than did lower-born sons. This illustrates the evolutionary importance of maternal effects even in societies in which male size or fighting ability does not influence fitness. By demonstrating for the first time in a non-human mammal that maternal status influences immigration patterns, the study also advances our understanding of two key ecological and evolutionary processes, dispersal and habitat selection. Spotted hyaenas live in clans with a hierarchy of females with different social ranks. In this paper, the sons of high-ranking female hyaenas are shown to have greater fitness than sons born of mothers of medium and low rank. This study highlights the importance of maternal effects in evolution.
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Holekamp KE, Dloniak SM. Intraspecific Variation in the Behavioral Ecology of a Tropical Carnivore, the Spotted Hyena. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3454(10)42006-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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36
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Hudson R, Raihani G, González D, Bautista A, Distel H. Nipple preference and contests in suckling kittens of the domestic cat are unrelated to presumed nipple quality. Dev Psychobiol 2009; 51:322-32. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.20371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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37
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Muciño E, Bautista A, Jiménez I, Martínez-Gómez M, Hudson R. Differential development of body equilibrium among littermates in the newborn rabbit. Dev Psychobiol 2009; 51:24-33. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.20339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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38
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Soulsbury CD, Iossa G, Baker PJ, Harris S. Environmental variation at the onset of independent foraging affects full-grown body mass in the red fox. Proc Biol Sci 2008; 275:2411-8. [PMID: 18628118 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The period following the withdrawal of parental care has been highlighted as a key developmental period for juveniles. One reason for this is that juveniles cannot forage as competently as adults, potentially placing them at greater risk from environmentally-induced changes in food availability. However, no study has examined this topic. Using a long-term dataset on red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), we examined (i) dietary changes that occurred in the one-month period following the attainment of nutritional independence, (ii) diet composition in relation to climatic variation, and (iii) the effect of climatic variation on subsequent full-grown mass. Diet at nutritional independence contained increased quantities of easy-to-catch food items (earthworms and insects) when compared with pre-independence. Interannual variation in the volume of rainfall at nutritional independence was positively correlated to the proportion of earthworms in cub diet. Pre-independence cub mass and rainfall immediately following nutritional independence explained a significant proportion of variance in full-grown mass, with environmental variation affecting full-grown mass of the entire cohorts. Thus, weather-mediated availability of easy-to-catch food items at a key developmental stage has lifelong implications for the development of juvenile foxes by affecting full-grown mass, which in turn appears to be an important component of individual reproductive potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl D Soulsbury
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK.
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39
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Rödel HG, Bautista A, García-Torres E, Martínez-Gómez M, Hudson R. Why do heavy littermates grow better than lighter ones? A study in wild and domestic European rabbits. Physiol Behav 2008; 95:441-8. [PMID: 18675835 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2008] [Revised: 06/23/2008] [Accepted: 07/07/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Birth mass can vary considerably among mammalian littermates. Heavier pups often show higher growth rates than their lighter siblings, which might positively affect fitness-relevant parameters during later life. Such a correlation between birth mass and pre-weaning growth within litters was confirmed by our study of wild-type and domestic European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) living in a semi-natural environment and under laboratory housing conditions, respectively. Our study indicates that at least two main mechanisms account for this relationship in our study species: heavier pups had a higher milk intake and also showed a more efficient conversion of milk into body mass. Furthermore, our study suggests that the better milk conversion by heavy pups was driven by three synergistic mechanisms: heavier pups had comparatively more huddling partners in the nest, they did not need to perform large amounts of proactive behavior in order to reach and remain in a central position within the litter huddle, and they could maintain a comparatively higher body temperature most probably due to their more favorable surface area to volume ratio. In conclusion, our study of European rabbits provides strong evidence that both under natural conditions and in the laboratory, within-litter differences in birth mass are maintained and may even increase during pups' early postnatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiko G Rödel
- Department of Animal Physiology, University of Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
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Rödel HG, Hudson R, von Holst D. Optimal litter size for individual growth of European rabbit pups depends on their thermal environment. Oecologia 2008; 155:677-89. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-008-0958-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2007] [Accepted: 12/19/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Hudson R, Trillmich F. Sibling competition and cooperation in mammals: challenges, developments and prospects. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0417-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Sibling competition in guinea pigs (Cavia aperea f. porcellus): scrambling for mother’s teats is stressful. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0419-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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