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Corley M, Garcia de la Chica A, van der Heide G, Rotundo M, Caccone A, Fernandez-Duque E. Inbreeding avoidance, competition and natal dispersal in a pair-living, genetically monogamous mammal, Azara's owl monkey ( Aotus azarae). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240379. [PMID: 39113772 PMCID: PMC11305132 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240379] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Natal dispersal is an important life-history stage influencing individual fitness, social dynamics of groups and population structure. Understanding factors influencing dispersal is essential for evaluating explanations for the evolution and maintenance of social organization, including parental care and mating systems. The social and mating systems of Azara's owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) are infrequent among mammals; these primates are pair-living, serially and genetically monogamous and both sexes directly care for offspring. To evaluate the role that competition and inbreeding avoidance play in shaping dispersal patterns, we used 25 years of demographic and genetic data to examine how variation in timing of natal dispersal is related to social (adult replacements, step-parents, births and group size) and ecological factors (seasonal abundance of resources) in a wild population of A. azarae in Formosa, Argentina. We found that all males and females dispersed from their natal groups, but subadults delayed dispersal when a step-parent of the opposite sex joined the group, indicating that they may perceive these step-parents as potential mates. Dispersal was more probable when resource conditions were better, regardless of age. Overall, agonistic conflict over food and potential mates with adults in the natal group, as well as inbreeding avoidance, contribute to regulating dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Corley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
| | - Alba Garcia de la Chica
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución-Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina
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2
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Glinin TS, Petrova MV, Shcherbinina V, Shubina AN, Dukelskaya AV, Starshova PV, Mamontova V, Burnusuz A, Godunova AO, Romashchenko AV, Moshkin MP, Khaitovich P, Daev EV. Pheromone of grouped female mice impairs genome stability in male mice through stress-mediated pathways. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17622. [PMID: 37848549 PMCID: PMC10582102 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44647-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Population density is known to affect the health and survival of many species, and is especially important for social animals. In mice, living in crowded conditions results in the disruption of social interactions, chronic stress, and immune and reproductive suppression; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigated the role of chemosignals in the regulation of mouse physiology and behavior in response to social crowding. The pheromone 2,5-dimethylpyrazine (2,5-DMP), which is released by female mice in crowded conditions, induced aversion, glucocorticoid elevation and, when chronic, resulted in reproductive and immune suppression. 2,5-DMP olfaction induced genome destabilization in bone marrow cells in a stress-dependent manner, providing a plausible mechanism for crowding-induced immune dysfunction. Interestingly, the genome-destabilizing effect of 2,5-DMP was comparable to a potent mouse stressor (immobilization), and both stressors led to correlated expression changes in genes regulating cellular stress response. Thus, our findings demonstrate that, in mice, the health effects of crowding may be explained at least in part by chemosignals and also propose a significant role of stress and genome destabilization in the emergence of crowding effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timofey S Glinin
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034.
- Open Longevity, 15260 Ventura Blvd, STE 2230, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91403, USA.
- Endocrine Neoplasia Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Marina V Petrova
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Center of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Bolshoy Blv. 30, Moscow, Russia, 121205
| | - Veronika Shcherbinina
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Laboratory of Higher Nervous Activity Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Makarova Emb. 6, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Anastasia N Shubina
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Open Longevity, 15260 Ventura Blvd, STE 2230, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91403, USA
| | - Anna V Dukelskaya
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Polina V Starshova
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Victoria Mamontova
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center for Cancer Research (Mildred-Scheel-Nachwuchszentrum, MSNZ), University Hospital Würzburg, Josef-Schneider Str. 2, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter of the University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexandra Burnusuz
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Alena O Godunova
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Academician Lavrentiev Avenue, 10, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Alexander V Romashchenko
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Academician Lavrentiev Avenue, 10, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
- International Tomography Center, Institutskaya St., 3A, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
- Federal Research Centre of Biological Systems and Agrotechnologies, RAS, St. January 9, 29, Orenburg, Russia, 460000
| | - Mikhail P Moshkin
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Academician Lavrentiev Avenue, 10, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Philipp Khaitovich
- Center for Neurobiology and Brain Restoration, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobelya St., Moscow, Russia, 121205
| | - Eugene V Daev
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Laboratory of Higher Nervous Activity Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Makarova Emb. 6, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
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3
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Finn KT, Thorley J, Bensch HM, Zöttl M. Subterranean Life-Style Does Not Limit Long Distance Dispersal in African Mole-Rats. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.879014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal from the natal site to breeding sites is a crucial phase in the life history of animals and can have profound effects on the reproductive ecology and the structure of animal societies. However, few studies have assessed dispersal dynamics in subterranean mammals and it is unknown whether dispersal distances are constrained by living underground. Here we show, in social, subterranean Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), that a subterranean lifestyle does not preclude long distance dispersal and that both sexes are capable of successfully dispersing long distances (>4 km). Body condition did not predict dispersal distance, but dispersers from larger groups traveled farther than individuals from smaller groups. Subsequently we show in a phylogenetically controlled comparative analysis of dispersal distances in subterranean and surface-dwelling rodents that living underground does not constrain dispersal distances and that dispersal capacity is mainly a consequence of body size in both lifestyles.
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Neumann K, Pinter-Wollman N. The effect of resource availability on interspecific competition between a native and an invasive ant. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210146. [PMID: 35369748 PMCID: PMC8977667 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Interspecific competition influences the composition of ecological communities. Species may differ in their needs for different resources, therefore resource availability may determine the outcome of interspecific interactions. Species often compete over food, shelter or both. When more than one resource is limited, different species may prioritize different resources. To determine the impact of resource availability on the competitive relationship between an invasive and a native species, we examined interactions between groups of the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) and the native odorous ant (Tapinoma sessile) over (1) food, (2) shelter or (3) both simultaneously. We further examined the mechanisms underlying the competitive relationship, asking whether aggressive interactions, exploratory behaviour or the order of arrival at a resource explained resource use. Shelter was preferred by both species when no competitors were present. In a competitive setting, L. humile groups controlled shelter through aggressive displacement but lost control over food due to investment of workers in the control of shelter. Thus, there are tradeoffs when competing over multiple resources and aggressive interactions allow invasive species to displace native species from a preferred resource. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Intergroup conflict across taxa’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Neumann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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5
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Ebensperger LA, Quirici V, Bunster V, León C, Ramírez‐Estrada J, Hayes LD. Effects of Radio‐Collars are not Contingent on Socioecological Conditions in Degus. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luis A. Ebensperger
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Verónica Quirici
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, República 440 Santiago Chile
| | - Valentina Bunster
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Cecilia León
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Juan Ramírez‐Estrada
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Loren D. Hayes
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Sciences University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga 37403 TN USA
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6
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Root‐Bernstein M, Muñoz C, Armesto JJ. Disturbance and the (surprising?) role of ecosystem engineering in explaining spatial patterns of non-native plant establishment. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11730-11738. [PMID: 34522336 PMCID: PMC8427612 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Different conceptions of disturbance differ in the degree to which they appeal to mechanisms that are general and equivalent, or species-, functional group-, or interaction-specific. Some concepts of disturbance, for example, predict that soil disturbances and herbivory have identical impacts on species richness via identical mechanisms (reduction in biomass and in competition). An alternative hypothesis is that the specific traits of disturbance agents (small mammals) and plants differentially affect the richness or abundance of different plant groups. We tested these hypotheses on a degu (Octodon degus) colony in central Chile. We ask whether native and non-native forbs respond differently to degu bioturbation on runways versus herbivory on grazing lawns. We ask whether this can explain the increase in non-native plants on degu colonies. We found that biopedturbation did not explain the locations of non-native plants. We did not find direct evidence of grazing increasing non-native herbs either, but a grazing effect appears to be mediated by grass, which is the dominant cover. Further, we provide supplementary evidence to support our interpretation that a key mechanism of non-native spread is the formation of dry soil conditions on grazing lawns. Thus, ecosystem engineering (alteration of soil qualities) may be an outcome of disturbances, in which each interacts with specific plant traits, to create the observed pattern of non-native spread in the colony. Based on these results, we propose to extend Jentsch and White (Ecology, 100, 2019, e02734) concept of combined pulse/ disturbance events to the long-term process duality of ecosystem engineering/ disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith Root‐Bernstein
- CNRSMusée National d’Histoire NaturelleParisFrance
- Instituto de Ecología y BiodiversidadSantiagoChile
- Center for Sustainability and Applied EcologySantiagoChile
| | - César Muñoz
- Department of EcologyPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - Juan J. Armesto
- Instituto de Ecología y BiodiversidadSantiagoChile
- Department of EcologyPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
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7
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Socioecological conditions predict degu social instability and provide limited cues to forecast subsequent breeding conditions. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03017-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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8
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Taxonomic revision of the populations assigned to Octodon degus (Hystricomorpha: Octodontidae): With the designation of a neotype for Sciurus degus G. I. Molina, 1782 and the description of a new subspecies. ZOOL ANZ 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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9
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Bauer CM, Correa LA, Ebensperger LA, Romero LM. Stress, sleep, and sex: A review of endocrinological research in Octodon degus. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 273:11-19. [PMID: 29545088 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The Common Degu (Octodon degus) is a small rodent endemic to central Chile. It has become an important model for comparative vertebrate endocrinology because of several uncommon life-history features - it is diurnal, shows a high degree of sociality, practices plural breeding with multiple females sharing natal burrows, practices communal parental care, and can easily be studied in the laboratory and the field. Many studies have exploited these features to make contributions to comparative endocrinology. This review summarizes contributions in four major areas. First are studies on degu stress responses, focusing on seasonal changes in glucocorticoid (GC) release, impacts of parental care on offspring GC responses, and fitness consequences of individual variations of GC responses. These studies have helped confirm the ecological relevance of stress responses. Second are studies exploring diurnal circadian rhythms of melatonin and sex steroids. These studies have formed important work translating circadian biology from nocturnal laboratory rodents to diurnal humans. Third are studies that exploit the open nature of degu natural habitat, combined with laboratory studies, to explore the impact of testosterone on agonistic behavior. Studies have focused primarily on male:male, female:female, male:female, and parental behaviors. Fourth, are contributions to the study of female masculinization from male siblings in the uterus. These studies have focused on both the behavioral consequences of masculinization and the impact of those behaviors on fitness. Taken together, the studies reviewed here have formed a strong foundation for further studies in the degu so that future studies can address how endocrinological components underlie new mechanistic connections to the ecological effects on behavior and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn M Bauer
- Biology Department, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, USA.
| | - Loreto A Correa
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile; Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, P. Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis A Ebensperger
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, P. Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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10
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Ebensperger LA, Correa LA, Ly Prieto Á, Pérez de Arce F, Abades S, Hayes LD. Multiple mating is linked to social setting and benefits the males in a communally rearing mammal. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Individuals in social species may mate with multiple opposite-sex individuals, including members of the same or different social groups. This variation may be linked to genetic benefits, where multiple mating decreases risk of inbreeding. Multiple mating may also be constrained by the sociospatial setting through its effect on availability of mates. Because multiple mating with individuals from same or different groups may determine sex-specific fitness effects, we also examined how multiple mating modulates social benefits of females and males. We used 7 years of data on demography, social organization, and genetics of a natural population of the group-living and colonial rodent, Octodon degus, to determine how kin and sex composition within social groups, and spatial relations between these groups (i.e., colonial habits) influence multiple mating and its fitness consequences. Males (81.3%) and females (64.9%) produced offspring with multiple opposite-sex individuals within groups and with individuals of neighboring groups. Thus, polygynandry was the dominant mating system in the degu population examined. Multiple mating in degus was high when compared with estimates reported in other social mammals. Variation in female and male multiple mating was better explained by social setting through its effect on availability of potential mates rather than by benefits derived from decreasing risk of inbreeding. Finally, our study revealed how multiple mating enhances male, but not female reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Ebensperger
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins, CP, Chile
| | - Loreto A Correa
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins, CP, Chile
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
| | - Álvaro Ly Prieto
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins, CP, Chile
| | - Felipe Pérez de Arce
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins, CP, Chile
| | - Sebastian Abades
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology and Environment, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loren D Hayes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA
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11
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Kirk J, Wascher CAF. Temporal modification of social interactions in response to changing group demographics and offspring maturation in African lions (Panthera leo). Behav Processes 2018; 157:519-527. [PMID: 29920302 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In group living animals, affiliative social interactions maintain cohesion between individuals. Involvement in these interactions is likely to differ between individuals, depending on their sex, age and life history stages. Here we investigated different social network measures to describe greeting interactions within two prides of captive-origin African lions (Panthera leo). We aimed to determine if the introduction of cubs to these prides altered the strength of greeting networks among female lions. We also tested if the strength of greeting interactions changed between the age classes as younger lions matured. We found that interactions amongst female lions decreased from the period before cubs were born (least square means [95% CIs] 15.3 [7.67-22.93]) compared to after their integration into a pride (5.63 [-1.99-13.26] χ21 = 210.03, p < 0.001). In contrast, greeting network strength increased as offspring matured, with adults directing more interactions towards younger lions from 30 months of age (12.89 [1.96-23.82]) compared to when offspring were cubs (-0.69 [-11.63--10.24] χ210 = 156.03, p < 0.001). We suggest that social interactions between age classes may mediate recruitment and dispersal in lion prides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqui Kirk
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom.
| | - Claudia A F Wascher
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom
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12
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Taig-Johnston M, Strom MK, Calhoun K, Nowak K, Ebensperger LA, Hayes L. The ecological value of long-term studies of birds and mammals in Central America, South America and Antarctica. REVISTA CHILENA DE HISTORIA NATURAL 2017. [DOI: 10.1186/s40693-017-0070-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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13
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Weiß BM, Kulik L, Ruiz-Lambides AV, Widdig A. Individual dispersal decisions affect fitness via maternal rank effects in male rhesus macaques. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32212. [PMID: 27576465 PMCID: PMC5006056 DOI: 10.1038/srep32212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Natal dispersal may have considerable social, ecological and evolutionary consequences. While species-specific dispersal strategies have received much attention, individual variation in dispersal decisions and its fitness consequences remain poorly understood. We investigated causes and consequences of natal dispersal age in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), a species with male dispersal. Using long-term demographic and genetic data from a semi-free ranging population on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, we analysed how the social environment such as maternal family, group and population characteristics affected the age at which males leave their natal group. While natal dispersal age was unrelated to most measures of group or population structure, our study confirmed earlier findings that sons of high-ranking mothers dispersed later than sons of low-ranking ones. Natal dispersal age did not affect males’ subsequent survival, but males dispersing later were more likely to reproduce. Late dispersers were likely to start reproducing while still residing in their natal group, frequently produced extra-group offspring before natal dispersal and subsequently dispersed to the group in which they had fathered offspring more likely than expected. Hence, the timing of natal dispersal was affected by maternal rank and influenced male reproduction, which, in turn affected which group males dispersed to.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte M Weiß
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany.,Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany
| | - Lars Kulik
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany.,Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany
| | - Angelina V Ruiz-Lambides
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany.,Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany.,Caribbean Primate Research Center Cayo Santiago, University of Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago, USA
| | - Anja Widdig
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany.,Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany
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14
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Ebensperger LA, Correa LA, León C, Ramírez‐Estrada J, Abades S, Villegas Á, Hayes LD. The modulating role of group stability on fitness effects of group size is different in females and males of a communally rearing rodent. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:1502-1515. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luis A. Ebensperger
- Departamento de Ecología Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Loreto A. Correa
- Departamento de Ecología Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Cecilia León
- Departamento de Ecología Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Juan Ramírez‐Estrada
- Departamento de Ecología Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Sebastian Abades
- Departamento de Ecología Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB) Las Palmeras 3425 Santiago Chile
| | - Álvaro Villegas
- Departamento de Ecología Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Loren D. Hayes
- Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga TN 37403 USA
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15
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Davis GT, Vásquez RA, Poulin E, Oda E, Bazán-León EA, Ebensperger LA, Hayes LD. Octodon degus
kin and social structure. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
A growing body of evidence showing that individuals of some social species live in non-kin groups suggests kin selection is not required in all species for sociality to evolve. Here, we investigate 2 populations of Octodon degus , a widespread South American rodent that has been shown to form kin and non-kin groups. We quantified genetic relatedness among individuals in 23 social groups across 2 populations as well as social network parameters (association, strength, and clustering coefficient) in order to determine if these aspects of sociality were driven by kinship. Additionally, we analyzed social network parameters relative to ecological conditions at burrow systems used by groups, to determine if ecological characteristics within each population could explain variation in sociality. We found that genetic relatedness among individuals within social groups was not significantly higher than genetic relatedness among randomly selected individuals in both populations, suggesting that non-kin structure of groups is common in degus. In both populations, we found significant relationships between the habitat characteristics of burrow systems and the social network characteristics of individuals inhabiting those burrow systems. Our results suggest that degu sociality is non-kin based and that degu social networks are influenced by local conditions.
Es creciente la evidencia que apoya la ocurrencia de especies sociales donde los individuos no están emparentados genéticamente, lo que sugiere que la selección de parentesco no es indispensable para la evolución de la sociabilidad. En este estudio se examinaron dos poblaciones de Octodon degus , un roedor sudamericano donde los grupos sociales pueden o no incluir individuos cercanamente emparentados. Se cuantificó el parentesco genético entre individuos en 23 grupos sociales y en redes sociales de dos poblaciones para determinar si estos aspectos de la sociabilidad dependen del grado de parentesco. Además, se examinaron asociaciones entre los parámetros cuantificados de las redes sociales (asociación, fuerza, coeficiente de anidamiento) y las condiciones ecológicas a nivel de los sistemas de madriguera usados por cada grupo. El grado de parentesco genético dentro de los grupos no fue distinto del grado de parentesco entre individuos de la población tomados al azar, lo que apoya que una estructura de grupos no emparentada es la regla en Octodon degus . En ambas poblaciones se registró una asociación entre características ecológicas de los sistemas de madriguera y atributos de las redes sociales de los individuos que usan estas estructuras. Nuestros resultados indican que la sociabilidad en Octodon degus no está basada en relaciones de parentesco y que las redes sociales de estos animales dependen de las condiciones ecológicas.
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The effects of maternal presence on natal dispersal are seasonally flexible in an asocial rodent. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1920-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Beery AK, Kaufer D. Stress, social behavior, and resilience: insights from rodents. Neurobiol Stress 2015; 1:116-127. [PMID: 25562050 PMCID: PMC4281833 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurobiology of stress and the neurobiology of social behavior are deeply intertwined. The social environment interacts with stress on almost every front: social interactions can be potent stressors; they can buffer the response to an external stressor; and social behavior often changes in response to stressful life experience. This review explores mechanistic and behavioral links between stress, anxiety, resilience, and social behavior in rodents, with particular attention to different social contexts. We consider variation between several different rodent species and make connections to research on humans and non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annaliese K. Beery
- Department of Psychology, Department of Biology, Neuroscience Program, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA
| | - Daniela Kaufer
- Department of Integrative Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Ebensperger LA, León C, Ramírez-Estrada J, Abades S, Hayes LD, Nova E, Salazar F, Bhattacharjee J, Becker MI. Immunocompetence of breeding females is sensitive to cortisol levels but not to communal rearing in the degu (Octodon degus). Physiol Behav 2014; 140:61-70. [PMID: 25497887 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
One hypothesis largely examined in social insects is that cooperation in the context of breeding benefits individuals through decreasing the burden of immunocompetence and provide passive immunity through social contact. Similarly, communal rearing in social mammals may benefit adult female members of social groups by reducing the cost of immunocompetence, and through the transfer of immunological compounds during allonursing. Yet, these benefits may come at a cost to breeders in terms of a need to increase investment in individual immunocompetence. We examined how these potential immunocompetence costs and benefits relate to reproductive success and survival in a natural population of the communally rearing rodent, Octodon degus. We related immunocompetence (based on ratios of white blood cell counts, total and specific immunoglobulins of G isotype titers) and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGC) levels of adults immunized with hemocyanin from the mollusk Concholepas concholepas to measures of sociality (group size) and communal rearing (number of breeding females). Offspring immunocompetence was quantified based on circulating levels of the same immune parameters. Neither female nor offspring immunocompetence was influenced by communal rearing or sociality. These findings did not support that communal rearing and sociality enhance the ability of females to respond to immunological challenges during lactation, or contribute to enhance offspring condition (based on immunocompetence) or early survival (i.e., to 3months of age). Instead, levels of humoral and cellular components of immunocompetence were associated with variation in glucorcorticoid levels of females. We hypothesize that this covariation is driven by physiological (life-history) adjustments needed to sustain breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Ebensperger
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Cecilia León
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Ramírez-Estrada
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastian Abades
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile; Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loren D Hayes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA
| | - Esteban Nova
- Fundación Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo (FUCITED), Santiago, Chile
| | - Fabián Salazar
- Fundación Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo (FUCITED), Santiago, Chile
| | | | - María Inés Becker
- Fundación Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo (FUCITED), Santiago, Chile; Biosonda Corporation, Santiago, Chile
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Ebensperger LA, Villegas Á, Abades S, Hayes LD. Mean ecological conditions modulate the effects of group living and communal rearing on offspring production and survival. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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20
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Communal nesting is explained by subsequent mating rather than kinship or thermoregulation in the Siberian flying squirrel. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1709-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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21
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Social dominance and behavioral consequences of intrauterine position in female groups of the social rodent Octodon degus. Physiol Behav 2013; 119:161-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Revised: 05/12/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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22
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Bauer CM, Skaff NK, Bernard AB, Trevino JM, Ho JM, Romero LM, Ebensperger LA, Hayes LD. Habitat type influences endocrine stress response in the degu (Octodon degus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 186:136-44. [PMID: 23518483 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2012] [Revised: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
While many studies have examined whether the stress response differs between habitats, few studies have examined this within a single population. This study tested whether habitat differences, both within-populations and between-populations, relate to differences in the endocrine stress response in wild, free-living degus (Octodon degus). Baseline cortisol (CORT), stress-induced CORT, and negative feedback efficacy were measured in male and female degus from two sites and three habitats within one site during the mating/early gestation period. Higher quality cover and lower ectoparasite loads were associated with lower baseline CORT concentrations. In contrast, higher stress-induced CORT but stronger negative feedback efficacy were associated with areas containing higher quality forage. Stress-induced CORT and body mass were positively correlated in female but not male degus across all habitats. Female degus had significantly higher stress-induced CORT levels compared to males. Baseline CORT was not correlated with temperature at time of capture and only weakly correlated with rainfall. Results suggest that degus in habitats with good cover quality, low ectoparasite loads, and increased food availability have decreased endocrine stress responses.
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23
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Ebensperger LA, Tapia D, Ramírez-Estrada J, León C, Soto-Gamboa M, Hayes LD. Fecal cortisol levels predict breeding but not survival of females in the short-lived rodent, Octodon degus. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 186:164-71. [PMID: 23524002 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Revised: 02/20/2013] [Accepted: 02/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The cort-adaptation hypothesis indicates that an association between glucocorticoid (cort) levels and fitness may vary with the extent to which reproduction or breeding effort is a major determinant of cort levels. Support for a context dependent association between cort and fitness comes mostly from relatively long-lived, bird species. We tested the hypothesis that there are gender and context (life-history) specific cort-fitness relationships in degus, a short-lived and generally semelparous social rodent. In particular, we used demographical records on a natural population to estimate adult survival through seasons and years and linked that to records of baseline cort (based on fecal cortisol metabolites). We found no evidence for a direct relationship between baseline cort and adult survival across seasons, and this lack of association was recorded irrespective of sex and life history stage. Yet, cort levels during early lactation predicted the probability that females produce a second litter during the same breeding season, supporting a connection between baseline cort levels and breeding effort. Overall, the differential effects of cort on survival and breeding supported that the extent of cort-fitness relationships depends on the fitness component examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Ebensperger
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología and Biodiversidad (CASEB), and Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile.
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Quirici V, Palma M, Sobrero R, Faugeron S, Ebensperger LA. Relatedness does not predict vigilance in a population of the social rodent Octodon degus. Acta Ethol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-012-0131-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Botto-Mahan C, Bacigalupo A, Correa JP, Oda E, Solari A. Field assessment of Trypanosoma cruzi infection and host survival in the native rodent Octodon degus. Acta Trop 2012; 122:164-7. [PMID: 22192594 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2011.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2011] [Revised: 12/04/2011] [Accepted: 12/05/2011] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is a zoonosis caused by the flagellated parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted by triatomine insects to several mammalian species acting as reservoir hosts. In the present study, we assess T. cruzi-prevalence, survivorship and T. cruzi-infection rate of the endemic rodent Octodon degus from a hyper-endemic area of Chagas disease in Chile. Parasite detection is performed by PCR assays on blood samples of individuals captured in austral summer of 2010, and on non-infected individuals recaptured in 2011 as well as on new captures. Results show a high infection level in this species (up to 70%). Infected O. degus have the same chance of surviving to the next reproductive season as uninfected individuals, irrespective of sex. We suggest that O. degus, an abundant long-lived rodent with high dispersal capability, could be considered an important native reservoir of T. cruzi in the wild transmission cycle of Chagas disease in Chile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carezza Botto-Mahan
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Ecological drivers of group living in two populations of the communally rearing rodent, Octodon degus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011; 66:261-274. [PMID: 22344477 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1274-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in sociality is thought to reflect a trade-off between current fitness benefits and costs that emerge from individuals' decision to join or leave groups. Since those benefits and costs may be influenced by ecological conditions, ecological variation remains a major, ultimate cause of intraspecific variation in sociality. Intraspecific comparisons of mammalian sociality across populations facing different environmental conditions have not provided a consistent relationship between ecological variation and group-living. Thus, we studied two populations of the communally rearing rodent Octodon degus to determine how co-variation between sociality and ecology supports alternative ecological causes of group living. In particular, we examined how variables linked to predation risk, thermal conditions, burrowing costs, and food availability predicted temporal and population variation in sociality. Our study revealed population and temporal variation in total group size and group composition that covaried with population and yearly differences in ecology. In particular, predation risk and burrowing costs are supported as drivers of this social variation in degus. Thermal differences, food quantity and quality were not significant predictors of social group size. In contrast to between populations, social variation within populations was largely uncoupled from ecological differences.
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Ebensperger LA, Ramírez-Estrada J, León C, Castro RA, Tolhuysen LO, Sobrero R, Quirici V, Burger JR, Soto-Gamboa M, Hayes LD. Sociality, glucocorticoids and direct fitness in the communally rearing rodent, Octodon degus. Horm Behav 2011; 60:346-52. [PMID: 21777588 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2011] [Revised: 06/21/2011] [Accepted: 07/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
While ecological causes of sociality (or group living) have been identified, proximate mechanisms remain less clear. Recently, close connections between sociality, glucocorticoid hormones (cort) and fitness have been hypothesized. In particular, cort levels would reflect a balance between fitness benefits and costs of group living, and therefore baseline cort levels would vary with sociality in a way opposite to the covariation between sociality and fitness. However, since reproductive effort may become a major determinant of stress responses (i.e., the cort-adaptation hypothesis), cort levels might also be expected to vary with sociality in a way similar to the covariation between sociality and fitness. We tested these expectations during three years in a natural population of the communally rearing degu, Octodon degus. During each year we quantified group membership, measured fecal cortisol metabolites (a proxy of baseline cort levels under natural conditions), and estimated direct fitness. We recorded that direct fitness decreases with group size in these animals. Secondly, neither group size nor the number of females (two proxies of sociality) influenced mean (or coefficient of variation, CV) baseline cortisol levels of adult females. In contrast, cortisol increased with per capita number of offspring produced and offspring surviving to breeding age during two out of three years examined. Together, our results imply that variation in glucocorticoid hormones is more linked to reproductive challenge than to the costs of group living. Most generally, our study provided independent support to the cort-adaptation hypothesis, according to which reproductive effort is a major determinant, yet temporally variable, influence on cort-fitness covariation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Ebensperger
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología and Biodiversidad (CASEB), and Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile.
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