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Guido JM, Cecchetto NR, Plaza PI, Donázar JA, Lambertucci SA. The Influence of Age, Sex and Season on Andean Condor Ranging Behavior during the Immature Stage. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1234. [PMID: 37048490 PMCID: PMC10092982 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Immature individuals move from their natal area to the area where they settle and reproduce, and this may take several years. This process is essential for long-lived species such as vultures and condors, which spend long periods as immature and move extensively. We studied the movement behavior of 26 GPS-tagged immature Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) from northwestern Patagonia throughout the immature stage, analyzing whether these patterns differed according to age, sex and season. We found that season and age influenced home range size and flight distances, the warm season being when immature condors move most; movement patterns were greater in sub-adults than in juveniles. The age effect was associated with the sex of individuals, with males increasing their home range more than females. Our results provide the first description of how immature Andean condor movement patterns are affected by internal and external factors. This information could be key to understanding condor responses to environmental change and threats at different stages during their immature phase. Until now, condor conservation efforts have not considered the areas used by dispersing individuals. Our results increase our understanding of ranging behavior during the immature stage of this threatened bird, enabling us to improve the conservation policies and management strategies designed to protect them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorgelina María Guido
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación (GRINBIC), Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue–CONICET), Pasaje Gutiérrez 1125, San Carlos de Bariloche R8400FRF, Río Negro, Argentina
- The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, ID 83709, USA
| | - Nicolás Rodolfo Cecchetto
- Grupo de Ecología de la Polinización (EcoPol), Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue–CONICET), Pasaje Gutiérrez 1125, San Carlos de Bariloche R8400FRF, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Pablo Ignacio Plaza
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación (GRINBIC), Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue–CONICET), Pasaje Gutiérrez 1125, San Carlos de Bariloche R8400FRF, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - José Antonio Donázar
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Sergio Agustín Lambertucci
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación (GRINBIC), Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue–CONICET), Pasaje Gutiérrez 1125, San Carlos de Bariloche R8400FRF, Río Negro, Argentina
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De Panis D, Lambertucci SA, Wiemeyer G, Dopazo H, Almeida FC, Mazzoni CJ, Gut M, Gut I, Padró J. Mitogenomic analysis of extant condor species provides insight into the molecular evolution of vultures. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17109. [PMID: 34429448 PMCID: PMC8384887 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96080-6] [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: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of large vultures linked to mountainous habitats was accompanied by extreme physiological and behavioral specializations for energetically efficient flights. However, little is known on the genetic traits associated with the evolution of these obligate soaring scavengers. Mitochondrial DNA plays a vital role in regulating oxidative stress and energy production, and hence may be an important target of selection for flight performance. Herein, we characterized the first mitogenomes of the Andean and California condors, the world's heaviest flying birds and the only living representatives of the Vultur and Gymnogyps genus. We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships and evaluated possible footprints of convergent evolution associated to the life-history traits and distributional range of vultures. Our phylogenomic analyses supported the independent evolution of vultures, with the origin of Cathartidae in the early Paleogene (~ 61 Mya), and estimated the radiation of extant condors during the late Miocene (~ 11 Mya). Selection analyses indicated that vultures exhibit signals of relaxation of purifying selection relative to other accipitrimorph raptors, possibly indicating the degeneration of flapping flight ability. Overall, our results suggest that the extreme specialization of vultures for efficient soaring flight has compensated the evolution of large body sizes mitigating the selection pressure on mtDNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. De Panis
- grid.412234.20000 0001 2112 473XGrupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue-CONICET, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina ,grid.7345.50000 0001 0056 1981Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, 1428 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - S. A. Lambertucci
- grid.412234.20000 0001 2112 473XGrupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue-CONICET, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina
| | - G. Wiemeyer
- grid.412234.20000 0001 2112 473XGrupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue-CONICET, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina ,Ecoparque Buenos Aires-Argentina, República de la India 3000, 1425 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina ,Fundación Cabure-Í, Mcal Antonio Sucre 2842, 1428 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina ,grid.7345.50000 0001 0056 1981Present Address: Hospital Escuela, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. Chorroarín 280, 1427 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - H. Dopazo
- grid.7345.50000 0001 0056 1981Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, 1428 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - F. C. Almeida
- grid.7345.50000 0001 0056 1981Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, 1428 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - C. J. Mazzoni
- grid.511553.6Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research (BeGenDiv), Königin-Luise-Straße 6-8, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - M. Gut
- grid.11478.3bCNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri i Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - I. Gut
- grid.11478.3bCNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri i Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J. Padró
- grid.412234.20000 0001 2112 473XGrupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue-CONICET, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina
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Perrig PL, Lambertucci SA, Alarcón PAE, Middleton AD, Padró J, Plaza PI, Blanco G, Zapata JAS, Donázar JA, Pauli JN. Limited sexual segregation in a dimorphic avian scavenger, the Andean condor. Oecologia 2021; 196:77-88. [PMID: 33837824 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04909-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Sexual segregation is widely reported among sexually dimorphic species and generally attributed to intraspecific competition. Prey diversity and human activities can reinforce niche segregation by increasing resource heterogeneity. Here, we explored trophic and spatial sexual segregation in the only avian scavenger that exhibits pronounced sexual size dimorphism (up to 50% difference in body mass) and a highly despotic social system, the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus). We predicted that larger and dominant males would exclude smaller and subordinate females from high-quality resources, leading to sexual segregation particularly in human-dominated landscapes showing increased prey diversity. We compared resource use between females and males across six sites in Argentina featuring a range of prey diversity via stable isotopes analysis of molted feathers (n = 141 individuals). We then focused on two sites featuring contrasting levels of prey diversity and quantified assimilated diet via stable isotopes and space use via GPS monitoring (n = 23 and 12 tagged individuals). We found no clear differences in isotopic niche space, individual variation in isotopic signature, or assimilated diet between females and males. However, there were differences in foraging locations between sexes, with females apparently using areas of fewer food resources more frequently than males. Local conditions defined the dynamics of fine-scale sexual differences in foraging sites; yet, unpredictable and ephemeral carrion resources likely prevent segregation by sexes at the landscape scale. Our study highlights complex dynamics of sexual segregation in vultures and the relevancy of analyses under multiple spatial-temporal scales to explore segregation in social species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula L Perrig
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, USA. .,Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de La Conservación, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET), Quintral, 1250 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina.
| | - Sergio A Lambertucci
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de La Conservación, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET), Quintral, 1250 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Pablo A E Alarcón
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de La Conservación, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET), Quintral, 1250 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Arthur D Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Julián Padró
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de La Conservación, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET), Quintral, 1250 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Pablo I Plaza
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de La Conservación, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET), Quintral, 1250 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Guillermo Blanco
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC. José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - José A Sánchez Zapata
- Departamento de Biología Aplicada, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche, 03202, Alicante, Spain
| | - José A Donázar
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jonathan N Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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Padró J, Lambertucci SA, Perrig PL, Pauli JN. Andean and California condors possess dissimilar genetic composition but exhibit similar demographic histories. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13011-13021. [PMID: 33304512 PMCID: PMC7713948 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
While genetic diversity of threatened species is a major concern of conservation biologists, historic patterns of genetic variation are often unknown. A powerful approach to assess patterns and processes of genetic erosion is via ancient DNA techniques. Herein, we analyzed mtDNA from historical samples (1800s to present) of Andean Condors (Vultur gryphus) to investigate whether contemporary low genetic variability is the result of recent human expansion and persecution, and compared this genetic history to that of California condors (Gymnogyps californianus).We then explored historic demographies for both species via coalescent simulations. We found that Andean condors have lost at least 17% of their genetic variation in the early 20th century. Unlike California condors, however, low mtDNA diversity in the Andean condor was mostly ancient, before European arrival. However, we found that both condor species shared similar demographies in that population bottlenecks were recent and co-occurred with the introduction of livestock to the Americas and the global collapse of marine mammals. Given the combined information on genetic and demographic processes, we suggest that the protection of key habitats should be targeted for conserving extant genetic diversity and facilitate the natural recolonization of lost territories, while nuclear genomic data should be used to inform translocation plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Padró
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la ConservaciónINIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue ‐ CONICETBarilocheArgentina
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
| | - Sergio A. Lambertucci
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la ConservaciónINIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue ‐ CONICETBarilocheArgentina
| | - Paula L. Perrig
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la ConservaciónINIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue ‐ CONICETBarilocheArgentina
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
| | - Jonathan N. Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
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Duclos M, Sabat P, Newsome SD, Pavez EF, Galbán-Malagón C, Jaksic FM, Quirici V. Latitudinal patterns in the diet of Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) in Chile: Contrasting environments influencing feeding behavior. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 741:140220. [PMID: 32887000 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Human-dominated environments alter the availability and quality of resources for many species, especially for scavengers that have large home ranges and plastic foraging behaviors that enable them to exploit novel resources. Along the western slope of the Andes, the modification of natural landscapes have resulted in significant declines in native prey, the introduction of non-native species, and an increase in the availability of anthropogenic resources. These factors have likely influenced the resources available to Andean condors (Vultur gryphus), however, data are lacking as to how condor's diet vary along their large latitudinal range. We evaluated differences in Andean condor diet along a ~2500 km latitudinal gradient in Chile from the heavily modified Central zone (32-34°S) to the more pristine Austral zone (44-56°S). We assessed diet composition through the identification of prey remains in condor pellets, and carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of condor feathers and their primary prey identified from pellet analysis. Our results identified medium- and large-bodied domesticated mammals (ungulates) and introduced exotic species (lagomorphs) as common prey across the study area. Condors from the Central zone had the largest isotopic niche width, probably related to consumption of anthropogenic resources with distinctly high carbon isotope values indicative of C4-based foods likely acquired from landfills or corn-fed livestock. Isotopic niches for condors from the Southern and Austral zones almost completely overlapped. Andean condor diet is strongly influenced by local conditions determining differential access to prey sources. The high dependence of Andean condors on livestock across a large geographical area, and landfills in more (sub)urban areas, may help stabilize their populations via anthropogenic resources subsidies. Long-term dependence on such resources, however, may have health costs including contaminant exposure and greater mortality risk. These data will help identify potential threats related to resource availability and use, and better inform management and conservation decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Duclos
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Santiago, Chile; Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad (CIS), Universidad Andres Bello, República 440, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Pablo Sabat
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Santiago, Chile; Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile
| | - Seth D Newsome
- Department of Biology, University of New México, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Eduardo F Pavez
- Bioamérica Consultores, Avenida Nueva Providencia 1881, Of. 2208, Providencia, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Fabian M Jaksic
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Santiago, Chile
| | - Verónica Quirici
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad (CIS), Universidad Andres Bello, República 440, Santiago, Chile.
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