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Wang Z, Martin A, Brunton D, Grueter CC, Qu J, He JS, Ji W, Nan Z. The effects of grassland degradation on the genetic structure of a small mammal. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 38704846 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Grassland degradation is challenging the health of grassland ecosystems globally and causing biodiversity decline. Previous studies have demonstrated the impact of grassland degradation on the abundance and behavior of small mammals. Little is known about how it affects the genetic structure of gregarious mammals in the wild. This study explores the effects of grassland degradation on the genetic structure of a small burrowing mammal, plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae). We used nine microsatellite loci to analyze the genetic diversity and genetic differentiation between colonies and genetic relatedness between individuals within the colony. We found that pikas in severely degraded grasslands had a significantly higher genetic diversity within colonies, a higher level of gene flow between colonies, and a lower genetic differentiation between colonies compared to pikas in less degraded grasslands. Individuals within colonies had a significantly lower genetic relatedness in severely degraded grasslands than in less degraded grasslands. This study has provided potential evidence of a significant impact of grassland degradation on the genetic structure of pikas, which has caused a breakdown of their kin-selected colony structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaiwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Amy Martin
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Dianne Brunton
- School of Natural Sciences (SNS), Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Cyril C Grueter
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- International Centre of Biodiversity and Primate Conservation, Dali University, Dali, China
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jiapeng Qu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai Province Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
| | - Jin-Sheng He
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Weihong Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- School of Natural Sciences (SNS), Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Zhibiao Nan
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Phylogeography of the Plateau Pika (Ochotona curzoniae) in Response to the Uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15020307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
The evolution and current distribution of species on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have been significantly impacted by historical occurrences, including the uplift of the plateau and the Quaternary climate upheaval. As a remnant species, the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is a great model for researching historical events. In this study, 302 samples from 42 sample sites were utilized to analyze the impact of historical events on the evolution and distribution pattern of plateau pikas. The genetic diversity, patterns of differentiation, and historical dynamics of the plateau pika were investigated using molecular markers that included four mitochondrial genes (COI, D-loop, Cytb, and 12S rRNA) and three nuclear genes (GHR, IRBP, and RAG1). The results showed that: (1) The genetic diversity of the plateau pika was high in the Tibetan Plateau (Hd = 0.9997, π = 0.01205), and the plateau pika evolved into five lineages that occupied different geographical areas, with lineage 1 (Group 1) in the south of the Yarlung Zangbo River, lineage 2 (Group 2) in the hinterland of the plateau, lineage 3 (Group 3) in the northeastern part of the plateau, lineage 4 (Group 4) in the Hengduan Mountains, and lineage 5 (Group 5) in the eastern part of the plateau. (2) The gene flow among the five lineages was low, and the differentiation level was high (Nm < 0.25; Fst > 0.25), indicating that the geographical barriers between the five lineages, such as the Yarlung Zangbo River, the Qaidam-Ghuong-Guide Basin, and the Lancang River, effectively promoted the population differentiation of the plateau pika. (3) The plateau pika first spread from the Hengduan Mountains to the entire Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and then conducted small-scale migration and dispersal in several refuges across the plateau in response to climate changes during the glacial and interglacial periods. (4) Except for Group 1 and Group 4, all the other populations exhibited a rapid expansion between 0.06 and 0.01 Mya, but the expansion was considerably delayed or halted by the effects of climate change during the last glacial maximum (0.02 Mya). Overall, the plateau pika on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau exhibits high genetic diversity, and topographic obstacles, including mountains, valleys, and basins, created by the uplift of the plateau and climatic changes since the Quaternary period have played an important role in the differentiation and historical dynamics of the plateau pika population.
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Gavriilidi I, De Meester G, Van Damme R, Baeckens S. How to behave when marooned: the behavioural component of the island syndrome remains underexplored. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220030. [PMID: 35440235 PMCID: PMC9039784 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals on islands typically depart from their mainland relatives in assorted aspects of their biology. Because they seem to occur in concert, and to some extent evolve convergently in disparate taxa, these changes are referred to as the 'island syndrome'. While morphological, physiological and life-history components of the island syndrome have received considerable attention, much less is known about how insularity affects behaviour. In this paper, we argue why changes in personality traits and cognitive abilities can be expected to form part of the island syndrome. We provide an overview of studies that have compared personality traits and cognitive abilities between island and mainland populations, or among islands. Overall, the pickings are remarkably slim. There is evidence that animals on islands tend to be bolder than on the mainland, but effects on other personality traits go either way. The evidence for effects of insularity on cognitive abilities or style is highly circumstantial and very mixed. Finally, we consider the ecological drivers that may induce such changes, and the mechanisms through which they might occur. We conclude that our knowledge of the behavioural and cognitive responses to island environments remains limited, and we encourage behavioural biologists to make more use of these 'natural laboratories for evolution'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Gavriilidi
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Gilles De Meester
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Raoul Van Damme
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Simon Baeckens
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Lab, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Social complexity in plateau pikas, Ochotona curzoniae. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Nie H, Liu J, Chen B. Life-history traits and fitness of plateau pika ( Ochotona curzoniae) in alpine meadow ecosystem. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8548. [PMID: 35127047 PMCID: PMC8796910 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is an endemic mammal living in the alpine meadow ecosystem in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We studied life history of plateau pika by mark-recapturing method. The research results showed that fitness of plateau pika to its habitat was lower than those of many other mammal species; plateau pika adopted quick growth strategy; the life-history features of plateau pika were accorded with Charnov (Evolutionary Ecology Research, 2002, 4, 749)'s formula about life-history classification, that is, E/α ≈ 1.35, C·E ≈ 1.7, I/m ≈ 0.3, in which E stands for average adult life span; α stands for age at first reproduction; C is reproductive effort; I is the size of an offspring at independence from the parent; m is average adult body mass. There does not exist dimorphism in plateau pikas. The configurations of females and males are similar; the average body mass of males is a little heavier than that of females, but the difference is not significant (F = 1.0854, df = 154, p > .3058). The juveniles exhibit a J-form growth curve before 30-day age and grow slower between 30 and 65-day age and reach body mass equilibrium at about 65 days old. So, 65 days is the maturity age of plateau pika. There are 3 mortality peaks in plateau pika population. The first time is in neonate period, when only one half of juveniles can pass through this period, which implies that juvenile period is influenced strongly by natural selection; the second time is in fecundity peak period, which reflects the cost of reproduction; the third time is in the old age of plateau pika, a significant loss occurs during this period, which is the result of natural selection. The average longevity of females is longer than that of males. A female reaches the maximum life span recorded, that is, 931 days. The average longevity of all individuals is 16.33 months ≈ 490 days. The survival rate of females is higher than that of males, which reflects the cost of reproduction and society role of males. It is the outcome of natural selection. The sex ratio of neonates is 1:1; however, the sex ratio of adults is female: male = 1.31:1, which is caused by higher mortality of males over females in life history. Plateau pikas reproduced two times every year. The average gestation period of females is 18-20 days. The average litter size is 4.57 individual. The average body mass of neonates is 9.28 g. The average litter size of adult female plateau pika does not variate with age. Breeding season is between April and June. The reproductive value and fertility of 15-18 months age females are highest. The reproductive value and fertility increased with age before reproductive value and fertility peak age; however, the reproductive value and fertility decreased with age after peak age. The fitness of plateau pika (r = .1125) was lower than that of American pikas (O. princeps) (r = 2.172). The survival rate was the main factor influencing fitness. The dynamic trend of plateau pika population was coincident with r, that is, the plateau pika population was stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Nie
- College of Life Science and TechnologyCentral South University of Forestry and TechnologyChangshaChina
| | - Jike Liu
- College of Life SciencesZhejiang UniversityHang ZhouChina
| | - Baoyang Chen
- College of Life Science and TechnologyCentral South University of Forestry and TechnologyChangshaChina
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Haave-Audet E, Besson AA, Nakagawa S, Mathot KJ. Differences in resource acquisition, not allocation, mediate the relationship between behaviour and fitness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:708-731. [PMID: 34859575 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Within populations, individuals often show repeatable variation in behaviour, called 'animal personality'. In the last few decades, numerous empirical studies have attempted to elucidate the mechanisms maintaining this variation, such as life-history trade-offs. Theory predicts that among-individual variation in behavioural traits could be maintained if traits that are positively associated with reproduction are simultaneously associated with decreased survival, such that different levels of behavioural expression lead to the same net fitness outcome. However, variation in resource acquisition may also be important in mediating the relationship between individual behaviour and fitness components (survival and reproduction). For example, if certain phenotypes (e.g. dominance or aggressiveness) are associated with higher resource acquisition, those individuals may have both higher reproduction and higher survival, relative to others in the population. When individuals differ in their ability to acquire resources, trade-offs are only expected to be observed at the within-individual level (i.e. for a given amount of resource, if an individual increases its allocation to reproduction, it comes at the cost of allocation to survival, and vice versa), while among individuals traits that are associated with increased survival may also be associated with increased reproduction. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, asking: (i) do among-individual differences in behaviour reflect among-individual differences in resource acquisition and/or allocation, and (ii) is the relationship between behaviour and fitness affected by the type of behaviour and the testing environment? Our meta-analysis consisted of 759 estimates from 193 studies. Our meta-analysis revealed a positive correlation between pairs of estimates using both survival and reproduction as fitness proxies. That is, for a given study, behaviours that were associated with increased reproduction were also associated with increased survival, suggesting that variation in behaviour at the among-individual level largely reflects differences among individuals in resource acquisition. Furthermore, we found the same positive correlation between pairs of estimates using both survival and reproduction as fitness proxies at the phenotypic level. This is significant because we also demonstrated that these phenotypic correlations primarily reflect within-individual correlations. Thus, even when accounting for among-individual differences in resource acquisition, we did not find evidence of trade-offs at the within-individual level. Overall, the relationship between behaviour and fitness proxies was not statistically different from zero at the among-individual, phenotypic, and within-individual levels; this relationship was not affected by behavioural category nor by the testing condition. Our meta-analysis highlights that variation in resource acquisition may be more important in driving the relationship between behaviour and fitness than previously thought, including at the within-individual level. We suggest that this may come about via heterogeneity in resource availability or age-related effects, with higher resource availability and/or age leading to state-dependent shifts in behaviour that simultaneously increase both survival and reproduction. We emphasize that future studies examining the mechanisms maintaining behavioural variation in populations should test the link between behavioural expression and resource acquisition - both within and among individuals. Such work will allow the field of animal personality to develop specific predictions regarding the mediating effect of resource acquisition on the fitness consequences of individual behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elène Haave-Audet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Anne A Besson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Kimberley J Mathot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Canada Research Chair, Integrative Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
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Qian D, Li Q, Fan B, Lan Y, Cao G. Characterization of the spatial distribution of plateau pika burrows along an alpine grassland degradation gradient on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14905-14915. [PMID: 34765149 PMCID: PMC8571594 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Plateau pika burrows are common feature of degraded grassland in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and serve as an important indicator of pika activity and grassland degradation. However, the current understanding of the spatial pattern changes of pika burrows and their critical thresholds across a degradation gradient in alpine grassland is deficient. In this study, we investigated and quantified changes in the spatial pattern of plateau pika burrows under typical degraded alpine shrub meadows in the northeastern QTP using an unmanned aerial vehicle and landscape pattern metrics. The degradation of the alpine shrub meadow leads to a change in landscape pattern from a two-layered structure of alpine shrub and alpine meadow to a mosaic of alpine meadow and bare soil, with plateau pika burrows scattered throughout. Moderate degradation is the tipping point for changes in surface landscape patterns, followed by the disappearance of alpine shrub, the retreat of alpine meadows and the encroachment of bare soil, and the increasing density and size of pika burrows. The area characteristics of alpine meadows have influenced changes in the spatial pattern of pika burrow, and maintaining its proportional area is a vital measure to control the threat of pika burrows to pastures. The results of this paper provide a methodological reference and guidance for the sustainable utilization of grassland on the QTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawen Qian
- Key Laboratory of Cold Regions Restoration EcologyQinghai ProvinceNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningChina
| | - Qian Li
- Key Laboratory of Cold Regions Restoration EcologyQinghai ProvinceNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningChina
| | - Bo Fan
- Key Laboratory of Cold Regions Restoration EcologyQinghai ProvinceNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningChina
| | - Yuting Lan
- Key Laboratory of Cold Regions Restoration EcologyQinghai ProvinceNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningChina
| | - Guangmin Cao
- Key Laboratory of Cold Regions Restoration EcologyQinghai ProvinceNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningChina
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Qu J, Réale D, Fletcher QE, Zhang Y. Among-population divergence in personality is linked to altitude in plateau pikas ( Ochotona curzoniae ). Front Zool 2019; 16:26. [PMID: 31320918 PMCID: PMC6615196 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0329-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animals inhabiting high altitudes consistently show slow life-histories. The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis posits behavioural, physiological and/or morphological traits that mediate the trade-off between current and future reproduction or survival, which have coevolved along a slow-fast life history continuum. Previous studies have shown that the life histories of plateau pikas varied across altitude, high-altitude individuals showed slow pace of life which were characterized by few litters per year with small litter sizes. Thus, we hypothesized that pikas populations at higher altitudes would also express personalities characteristic associated with slow life history, such as high sociability, low activity or aggressiveness. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the activity and docility of three plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) populations distributed along an altitudinal gradient of the Tibetan Plateau. We predicted that high-altitude pika would be more docile and less active. RESULTS The behaviour of 556 pikas, from which 120 individuals were measured at least twice, was quantified. We observed that plateau pikas at high altitudes were less active and more docile than pika at lower altitudes. Activity and docility were significantly and negatively correlated in populations from high altitudes but not in populations from low altitudes. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the POLS hypothesis, highlight the existence of personality variation among populations distributed along an altitudinal gradient and emphasise the importance of environmental selection on personality divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiapeng Qu
- Key laboratory of adaptation and evolution of plateau biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008 China
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems SKLGAE, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Qinghai, 810008 China
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3P 3P8 Canada
| | - Quinn E. Fletcher
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9 Canada
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key laboratory of adaptation and evolution of plateau biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, 810008 China
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