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Paijmans AJ, Berthelsen AL, Nagel R, Christaller F, Kröcker N, Forcada J, Hoffman JI. Little evidence of inbreeding depression for birth mass, survival and growth in Antarctic fur seal pups. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12610. [PMID: 38824161 PMCID: PMC11144264 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62290-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding depression, the loss of offspring fitness due to consanguineous mating, is generally detrimental for individual performance and population viability. We investigated inbreeding effects in a declining population of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) at Bird Island, South Georgia. Here, localised warming has reduced the availability of the seal's staple diet, Antarctic krill, leading to a temporal increase in the strength of selection against inbred offspring, which are increasingly failing to recruit into the adult breeding population. However, it remains unclear whether selection operates before or after nutritional independence at weaning. We therefore used microsatellite data from 885 pups and their mothers, and SNP array data from 98 mother-offspring pairs, to quantify the effects of individual and maternal inbreeding on three important neonatal fitness traits: birth mass, survival and growth. We did not find any clear or consistent effects of offspring or maternal inbreeding on any of these traits. This suggests that selection filters inbred individuals out of the population as juveniles during the time window between weaning and recruitment. Our study brings into focus a poorly understood life-history stage and emphasises the importance of understanding the ecology and threats facing juvenile pinnipeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Paijmans
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - A L Berthelsen
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - R Nagel
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
- Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, UK
| | - F Christaller
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - N Kröcker
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - J Forcada
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK
| | - J I Hoffman
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK
- Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), Bielefeld University and University of Münster, Bielefeld, Germany
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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2
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Franks VR, Thorogood R, Brekke P. Parental breeding decisions and genetic quality predict social structure of independent offspring. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4898-4910. [PMID: 37395642 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17066] [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: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, newly independent juveniles form social associations that influence later fitness, mate choice and gene flow, but little is known about the ontogeny of social environments, particularly in wild populations. Here we test whether associations among young animals form randomly or are influenced by environmental or genetic conditions established by parents. Parents' decisions determine natal birth sites, which could affect who independent young initially encounter; secondly, mate choice determines genetic condition (e.g. inbreeding) of young and the parental care they receive, which can affect sociability. However, genetic and environmental factors are confounded unless related offspring experience different natal environments. Therefore, we used a long-term genetic pedigree, breeding records and social network data from three cohorts of a songbird with high extra-pair paternity (hihi, Notiomystis cincta) to disentangle (1) how nest location and relatedness contribute to association structure once juveniles disperse away from birth sites, and (2) if juvenile and/or parental inbreeding predicts individual sociability. We detected positive spatial autocorrelation: hihi that fledged closer by were more likely to associate even after dispersing, irrespective of genetic relatedness. Juvenile inbreeding did not predict sociability, but those raised by more inbred fathers formed more, stronger, associations, which did not depend on whether that male was the genetic parent or not. These results suggest that the natal environment created by parents, rather than focal genetic condition, establishes the foundation for social associations. Overall, we highlight how social inheritance may play an important role in population dynamics and evolutionary potential in wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria R Franks
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester, UK
| | - Rose Thorogood
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
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3
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Marshall AF, Balloux F, Hemmings N, Brekke P. Systematic review of avian hatching failure and implications for conservation. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:807-832. [PMID: 36635252 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Avian hatching failure is a widespread phenomenon, affecting around 10% of all eggs that are laid and not lost to predation, damage, or desertion. Our understanding of hatching failure is limited in terms of both its underpinning mechanisms and its occurrence across different populations. It is widely acknowledged that rates of hatching failure are higher in threatened species and in populations maintained in captivity compared to wild, non-threatened species, but these differences have rarely been quantified and any broader patterns remain unexplored. To examine the associations between threat status, management interventions, and hatching failure across populations we conducted a phylogenetically controlled multilevel meta-analysis across 231 studies and 241 species of birds. Our data set included both threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable) and non-threatened (Near Threatened and Least Concern) species across wild and captive populations, as well as 'wild managed' ('free-living') populations. We found the mean overall rate of hatching failure across all populations to be 16.79%, with the hatching failure rate of wild, non-threatened species being 12.40%. We found that populations of threatened species experienced significantly higher mean hatching failure than populations of non-threatened species. Different levels of management were also associated with different rates of hatching failure, with wild populations experiencing the lowest rate of hatching failure, followed by wild managed populations, and populations in captivity experiencing the highest rate. Similarly, populations that were subject to the specific management interventions of artificial incubation, supplementary feeding, and artificial nest provision displayed significantly higher rates of hatching failure than populations without these interventions. The driver of this correlation between hatching failure and management remains unclear, but could be an indirect result of threatened species being more likely to have lower hatching success and also being more likely to be subject to management, indicating that conservation efforts are fittingly being focused towards the species potentially most at risk from extinction. This is the most comprehensive comparative analysis of avian hatching failure that has been conducted to date, and the first to quantify explicitly how threat status and management are associated with the rate of hatching failure in a population. We discuss the implications of our results, focusing on their potential applications to conservation. Although we identified several factors clearly associated with variation in hatching failure, a significant amount of heterogeneity was not explained by our meta-analytical model, indicating that other factors influencing hatching failure were not included here. We discuss what these factors might be and suggest avenues for further research. Finally, we discuss the inconsistency in how hatching failure is defined and reported within the literature, and propose a standardised definition to be used in future studies which will enable better comparison across populations and ensure that the most accurate information is used to support management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh F Marshall
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Outer Circle, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - François Balloux
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nicola Hemmings
- Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Outer Circle, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
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4
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Wells DA, Cant MA, Hoffman JI, Nichols HJ. Inbreeding depresses altruism in a cooperative society. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1460-1467. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David A. Wells
- Department of Animal Behaviour University of Bielefeld Postfach 100131 Bielefeld33501Germany
- School of Natural Science and Psychology Liverpool John Moores University LiverpoolL3 3AFUK
| | - Michael A. Cant
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter PenrynTR10 9FEUK
| | - Joseph I. Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour University of Bielefeld Postfach 100131 Bielefeld33501Germany
- British Antarctic Survey High Cross, Madingley Road CambridgeCB3 OETUnited Kingdom
| | - Hazel J. Nichols
- Department of Animal Behaviour University of Bielefeld Postfach 100131 Bielefeld33501Germany
- Department of Biosciences Swansea University SwanseaSA2 8PPUK
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5
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Santana ML. Quantitative genetic analyses provide parameters for selection and conservation of captive Great-billed Seed-finches (Sporophila maximiliani). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236647. [PMID: 32730350 PMCID: PMC7392336 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Great-billed Seed-finch (Sporophila maximiliani) is an endangered South American bird that has suffered from trafficking and the destruction of its natural habitat. In contrast, there are over 180,000 Great-billed Seed-finches legally raised in captivity in Brazil. The interest as a pet for Great-billed Seed-finches is due to their exceptional ability to sing. In the present research, the unknown genetic structure of the Great-billed Seed-finch captive population was investigated by quantitative analysis of 6,226 pedigree records. Additionally, 7,671 phenotypic records were available to estimate genetic parameters such as heritability and evolvability of a song-related trait of these birds for competitions. The captive Great-billed Seed-Finch population faces many of the problems commonly encountered in domestic animal populations such as a high level of inbreeding (average of 8.26%, 70.47% of birds were inbred), pedigree bottlenecks, unbalanced contribution of breeding animals and structuring (equivalent number of subpopulations of 2.91). Despite this, most genetic diversity remains preserved within aviaries. The high generation interval (5.74 years) found for this population should help to prevent a rapid increase in inbreeding and genetic drift. These results should serve as strong motivation and support for urgent actions to manage the genetic diversity of captive Great-billed Seed-Finches. From the viewpoint of genetic improvement for singing time in tournaments (STT), this trait presents sufficient variability to allow response to artificial selection given the heritability of 18.7% and evolvability of 2,447%. In contrast, inbreeding and high generation interval appear to be the most considerable barriers that may limit the genetic gain for STT. Widespread adoption of techniques such as optimal genetic contribution selection and implementation of routine genetic diversity monitoring via pedigree analysis and molecular tools can be crucial both in terms of breeding and conservation of genetic diversity of captive Great-billed Seed-Finches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mário L. Santana
- Grupo de Melhoramento Animal de Mato Grosso (GMAT), Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Tecnológicas, Universidade Federal de Rondonópolis, Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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6
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Gow EA, Arcese P, Dagenais D, Sardell RJ, Wilson S, Reid JM. Testing predictions of inclusive fitness theory in inbreeding relatives with biparental care. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191933. [PMID: 31795864 PMCID: PMC6939262 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Inclusive fitness theory predicts that parental care will vary with relatedness between potentially caring parents and offspring, potentially shaping mating system evolution. Systems with extra-pair paternity (EPP), and hence variable parent–brood relatedness, provide valuable opportunities to test this prediction. However, existing theoretical and empirical studies assume that a focal male is either an offspring's father with no inbreeding, or is completely unrelated. We highlight that this simple dichotomy does not hold given reproductive interactions among relatives, complicating the effect of EPP on parent–brood relatedness yet providing new opportunities to test inclusive fitness theory. Accordingly, we tested hierarchical hypotheses relating parental feeding rate to parent–brood relatedness, parent kinship and inbreeding, using song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) experiencing natural variation in relatedness. As predicted, male and female feeding rates increased with relatedness to a dependent brood, even controlling for brood size. Male feeding rate tended to decrease as paternity loss increased, and increased with increasing kinship and hence inbreeding between socially paired mates. We thereby demonstrate that variation in a key component of parental care concurs with subtle predictions from inclusive fitness theory. We additionally highlight that such effects can depend on the underlying social mating system, potentially generating status-specific costs of extra-pair reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Gow
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Peter Arcese
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Danielle Dagenais
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rebecca J Sardell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
| | - Scott Wilson
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jane M Reid
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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7
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Lichtenauer W, van de Pol M, Cockburn A, Brouwer L. Indirect fitness benefits through extra-pair mating are large for an inbred minority, but cannot explain widespread infidelity among red-winged fairy-wrens. Evolution 2019; 73:467-480. [PMID: 30666623 PMCID: PMC7172280 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Extra‐pair paternity (EPP) has been suggested to improve the genetic quality of offspring, but evidence has been equivocal. Benefits of EPP may be only available to specific individuals or under certain conditions. Red‐winged fairy‐wrens have extremely high levels of EPP, suggesting fitness benefits might be large and available to most individuals. Furthermore, extreme philopatry commonly leads to incestuous social pairings, so inbreeding avoidance may be an important selection pressure. Here, we quantified the fitness benefits of EPP under varying conditions and across life‐stages. Extra‐pair offspring (EPO) did not appear to have higher fitness than within‐pair offspring (WPO), neither in poor years nor in the absence of helpers‐at‐the‐nest. However, EPP was beneficial for closely related social pairs, because inbred WPO suffered an overall 75% reduction in fitness. Inbreeding depression was nonlinear and reduced nestling body condition, first year survival and reproductive success. Our comprehensive study indicates that EPP should be favored for the 17% of females paired incestuously, but cannot explain the widespread infidelity in this species. Furthermore, our finding that fitness benefits of EPP only become apparent for a small part of the population could potentially explain the apparent absence of fitness differences in population wide comparisons of EPO and WPO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Lichtenauer
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn van de Pol
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew Cockburn
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Lyanne Brouwer
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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8
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Ratz T, Castel E, Smiseth PT. Male Assistance in Parental Care Does Not Buffer Against Detrimental Effects of Maternal Inbreeding on Offspring. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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9
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Vega‐Trejo R, Kruuk LEB, Jennions MD, Head ML. What happens to offspring when parents are inbred, old or had a poor start in life? Evidence for sex‐specific parental effects. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1138-1151. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Regina Vega‐Trejo
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology The Australian National University, Acton Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Loeske E. B. Kruuk
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology The Australian National University, Acton Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology The Australian National University, Acton Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Megan L. Head
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology The Australian National University, Acton Canberra ACT Australia
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10
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Mahmoudi P, Rashidi A, Razmkabir M. Inbreeding effects on some reproductive traits in Markhoz goats. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/an17043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to estimate the inbreeding coefficient and its effects on reproductive traits in Markhoz goats. The pedigree file included 5351 kids produced by 234 bucks and 1470 does. Average inbreeding coefficient for the whole population was 2.68%, and the minimum and maximum inbreeding coefficients were 0.05% and 31.25%, respectively. Average coefficient of inbreeding for inbred population was 5.17% and the number of inbred animals in the population was 2777. For investigating effects of inbreeding coefficient on reproductive traits, 3443 records were available for litter size at birth (LSB), litter size at weaning (LSW), total litter weight at birth (TLWB) and mean of litter weight at birth (MLWB). Furthermore, available records for total litter weight at weaning (TLWW) and mean of litter weight at weaning (MLWW) were 2918. Inbreeding depression was estimated as the linear regression of performance on the individual inbreeding coefficient of kids and dams using the most appropriate animal model based on Akaike’s information criterion. Furthermore, inbreeding depressions for LSB and LSW were estimated using threshold and Poisson models. Regression coefficients of LSB, LSW, TLWB, TLWW, MLWB and MLWW on inbreeding coefficient of kids were –0.035, –0.019, –0.077 kg, –0.782 kg, –0.009 kg and –0.332 kg, respectively. Furthermore, regression coefficients of LSB, LSW, TLWB, TLWW, MLWB and MLWW on inbreeding coefficient of dams were 0.064, –0.013, 0.241 kg, 0.638 kg, 0.028 kg and –1.783 kg, respectively. The obtained results from this study showed that inbreeding depression is controlled by an appropriate mating system policy.
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11
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Bonduriansky R, Crean AJ. What are parental condition‐transfer effects and how can they be detected? Methods Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Russell Bonduriansky
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Australia Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Angela J. Crean
- Animal Reproduction Group School of Life and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Veterinary Science University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
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12
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Morvai B, Nanuru S, Mul D, Kusche N, Milne G, Székely T, Komdeur J, Miklósi Á, Pogány Á. Diurnal and Reproductive Stage-Dependent Variation of Parental Behaviour in Captive Zebra Finches. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167368. [PMID: 27973549 PMCID: PMC5156348 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care plays a key role in ontogeny, life-history trade-offs, sexual selection and intra-familial conflict. Studies focusing on understanding causes and consequences of variation in parental effort need to quantify parental behaviour accurately. The applied methods are, however, diverse even for a given species and type of parental effort, and rarely validated for accuracy. Here we focus on variability of parental behaviour from a methodological perspective to investigate the effect of different samplings on various estimates of parental effort. We used nest box cameras in a captive breeding population of zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, a widely used model system of sexual selection, intra-familial dynamics and parental care. We investigated diurnal and reproductive stage-dependent variation in parental effort (including incubation, brooding, nest attendance and number of feedings) based on 12h and 3h continuous video-recordings taken at various reproductive stages. We then investigated whether shorter (1h) sampling periods provided comparable estimates of overall parental effort and division of labour to those of longer (3h) sampling periods. Our study confirmed female-biased division of labour during incubation, and showed that the difference between female and male effort diminishes with advancing reproductive stage. We found individually consistent parental behaviours within given days of incubation and nestling provisioning. Furthermore, parental behaviour was consistent over the different stages of incubation, however, only female brooding was consistent over nestling provisioning. Parental effort during incubation did not predict parental effort during nestling provisioning. Our analyses revealed that 1h sampling may be influenced heavily by stochastic and diurnal variation. We suggest using a single longer sampling period (3h) may provide a consistent and accurate estimate for overall parental effort during incubation in zebra finches. Due to the large within-individual variation, we suggest repeated longer sampling over the reproductive stage may be necessary for accurate estimates of parental effort post-hatching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boglárka Morvai
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sabine Nanuru
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Douwe Mul
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Nina Kusche
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gregory Milne
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Tamás Székely
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ákos Pogány
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- * E-mail:
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13
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Reid JM, Bocedi G, Nietlisbach P, Duthie AB, Wolak ME, Gow EA, Arcese P. Variation in parent-offspring kinship in socially monogamous systems with extra-pair reproduction and inbreeding. Evolution 2016; 70:1512-29. [PMID: 27174154 PMCID: PMC4949684 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Female extra‐pair reproduction in socially monogamous systems is predicted to cause cuckolded socially‐paired males to conditionally reduce paternal care, causing selection against extra‐pair reproduction and underlying polyandry. However, existing models and empirical studies have not explicitly considered that cuckolded males might be related to their socially‐paired female and/or to her extra‐pair mate, and therefore be related to extra‐pair offspring that they did not sire but could rear. Selection against paternal care, and hence against extra‐pair reproduction, might then be weakened. We derive metrics that quantify allele‐sharing between within‐pair and extra‐pair offspring and their mother and her socially‐paired male in terms of coefficients of kinship and inbreeding. We use song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) paternity and pedigree data to quantify these metrics, and thereby quantify the joint effects of extra‐pair reproduction and inbreeding on a brood's total allelic value to its socially‐paired parents. Cuckolded male song sparrows were almost always detectably related to extra‐pair offspring they reared. Consequently, although brood allelic value decreased substantially following female extra‐pair reproduction, this decrease was reduced by within‐pair and extra‐pair reproduction among relatives. Such complex variation in kinship within nuclear families should be incorporated into models considering coevolutionary dynamics of extra‐pair reproduction, parental care, and inbreeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane M Reid
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, Scotland.
| | - Greta Bocedi
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, Scotland
| | - Pirmin Nietlisbach
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - A Bradley Duthie
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, Scotland
| | - Matthew E Wolak
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, Scotland
| | - Elizabeth A Gow
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, 2424 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Peter Arcese
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, 2424 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
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14
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Pilakouta N, Richardson J, Smiseth PT. State-dependent cooperation in burying beetles: parents adjust their contribution towards care based on both their own and their partner's size. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1965-74. [PMID: 26245748 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Handicapping experiments on species with biparental care show that a focal parent increases its contribution when its partner is handicapped. Such results are interpreted as evidence for negotiation, whereby each parent adjusts its amount of care to that of its partner. However, it is currently unclear whether the focal parent responds to a change in its handicapped partner's behaviour or state. To address this gap, we conducted an experiment on the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides where we first generated different-sized males and females by varying the duration of larval development. We then used a 2 × 2 factorial design in which a small or large male was paired with a small or large female. Small females provided less direct care (food provisioning and interactions with larvae) than large females, and both males and females provided less direct care when paired with a small partner. Thus, the focal parent adjusted its contribution towards care based on both its own state and that of its partner. There was also evidence for negotiation between the two parents as the focal parent adjusted its contribution based on the amount of care by its partner. However, there was no evidence that negotiation accounted for how the focal parent responded to its partner's size. Our results have important implications for our understanding of biparental cooperation as they show that each parent adjusts its contribution not only based on the amount of care provided by its partner but also based on its own state and its partner's state.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Pilakouta
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - J Richardson
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - P T Smiseth
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Abstract
When relatives mate, their inbred offspring often suffer a reduction in fitness-related traits known as "inbreeding depression." There is mounting evidence that inbreeding depression can be exacerbated by environmental stresses such as starvation, predation, parasitism, and competition. Parental care may play an important role as a buffer against inbreeding depression in the offspring by alleviating these environmental stresses. Here, we examine the effect of parental care on the fitness costs of inbreeding in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, an insect with facultative parental care. We used a 2 × 2 factorial design with the following factors: (i) the presence or absence of a caring female parent during larval development and (ii) inbred or outbred offspring. We examined the joint influence of maternal care and inbreeding status on fitness-related offspring traits to test the hypothesis that maternal care improves the performance of inbred offspring more than that of outbred offspring. Indeed, the female's presence led to a higher increase in larval survival in inbred than in outbred broods. Receiving care at the larval stage also increased the lifespan of inbred but not outbred adults, suggesting that the beneficial buffering effects of maternal care can persist long after the offspring have become independent. Our results show that parental care has the potential to moderate the severity of inbreeding depression, which in turn may favor inbreeding tolerance and influence the evolution of mating systems and other inbreeding-avoidance mechanisms.
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16
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García-Navas V, Cáliz-Campal C, Ferrer ES, Sanz JJ, Ortego J. Heterozygosity at a single locus explains a large proportion of variation in two fitness-related traits in great tits: a general or a local effect? J Evol Biol 2014; 27:2807-19. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. García-Navas
- Grupo de Investigación de la Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ciudad Real Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales; Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales y Bioquímica; Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha; Toledo Spain
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - C. Cáliz-Campal
- Grupo de Investigación de la Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ciudad Real Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales; Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales y Bioquímica; Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha; Toledo Spain
| | - E. S. Ferrer
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales; Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales y Bioquímica; Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha; Toledo Spain
| | - J. J. Sanz
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales; Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales y Bioquímica; Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha; Toledo Spain
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC); Madrid Spain
| | - J. Ortego
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group; Department of Integrative Ecology; Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC); Seville Spain
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