1
|
Baker CJ, Class B, Dwyer RG, Franklin CE, Campbell HA, Irwin TR, Frère CH. Active crocodiles are less sociable. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20220528. [PMID: 39230456 PMCID: PMC11449168 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
How animals move and associate with conspecifics is rarely random, with a population's spatial structure forming the foundation on which the social behaviours of individuals form. Studies examining the spatial-social interface typically measure averaged behavioural differences between individuals; however, this neglects the inherent variation present within individuals and how it may impact the spatial-social interface. Here, we investigated differences in among-individual (co)variance in sociability, activity and site fidelity in a population of wild estuarine crocodiles, Crocodylus porosus, across a 10-year period. By monitoring 118 crocodiles using coded acoustic transmitters and an array of fixed underwater receivers, we discovered that not only did individual crocodiles repeatably differ (among-individual variation) in each behaviour measured but also in how consistently they expressed these behaviours through time (within-individual variation). As expected, crocodile activity and sociability formed a behavioural syndrome, with more active individuals being less sociable. Interestingly, we also found that individuals that were either more sociable or displayed greater site fidelity were also more specialized (lower within-individual variation) in these behaviours. Together, our results provide important empirical evidence for the interplay between spatial, temporal and social individual-level behavioural variation and how these contribute to forming behavioural niches. This article is part of the theme issue 'The spatial-social interface: a theoretical and empirical integration'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cameron J. Baker
- Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory0815, Australia
- The School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland4072, Australia
| | - Barbara Class
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich80539, Germany
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland4556, Australia
| | - Ross G. Dwyer
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland4556, Australia
| | - Craig E. Franklin
- The School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland4072, Australia
| | - Hamish A. Campbell
- Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory0815, Australia
| | - Terri R. Irwin
- Australia Zoo, Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah, Queensland4519, Australia
| | - Céline H. Frère
- The School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland4072, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Baker CJ, Frère CH, Franklin CE, Campbell HA, Irwin TR, Dwyer RG. Long-term tracking reveals a dynamic crocodylian social system. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
|
3
|
Walmsley SF, Boutin S, Dantzer B, Lane JE, Coltman DW, McAdam AG. Benefits of living closer to kin vary by genealogical relationship in a territorial mammal. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221569. [PMID: 36629099 PMCID: PMC9832554 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1569] [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: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
While cooperative interactions among kin are a key building block in the societies of group-living species, their importance for species with more variable social environments is unclear. North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) defend individual territories in dynamic neighbourhoods and are known to benefit from living among familiar conspecifics, but not relatives. However, kin-directed behaviours may be restricted to specific genealogical relationships or strongly mediated by geographical distance, masking their influence at broader scales. Using distance between territories as a proxy for the ability of individuals to interact, we estimated the influence of primary kin (parents, offspring, siblings) on the annual survival and reproductive success of red squirrels. This approach revealed associations between fitness and access to kin, but only for certain genealogical relationships and fitness components. For example, females had enhanced annual survival when living closer to their daughters, though the reverse was not true. Most surprising was the finding that males had higher annual reproductive success when living closer to their father, suggesting possible recognition and cooperation among fathers and sons. Together, these findings point to unexpected nuance in the fitness consequences of kinship dynamics for a species that is territorial and largely solitary.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam F. Walmsley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 1900 Pleasant Street, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 500 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 500 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jeffrey E. Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Canada S7N 5E2
| | - David W. Coltman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
- Biology Department, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Andrew G. McAdam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 1900 Pleasant Street, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Webber QMR, Dantzer B, Lane JE, Boutin S, McAdam AG. Density-dependent plasticity in territoriality revealed using social network analysis. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:207-221. [PMID: 36385608 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Territories are typically defined as spatially exclusive areas that are defended against conspecifics. Given the spatial nature of territoriality, it is inherently density dependent, but the economics of territoriality also depend on the distribution and abundance of defended resources. Our objectives were to assess the effects of changing population density and food availability on individually based territorial phenotypes. We developed a novel analytical framework that bridges spatially explicit territories with social network analysis to model density-dependent territorial phenotypes. Using the outputs from our data pipeline, we modelled plasticity in territory size and territory intrusion rates in a long-term study population of North American red squirrels Tamiasciurus hudsonicus. Red squirrels defend year-round territories around a central hoard (midden) of white spruce Picea glauca cones. Importantly, white spruce is a masting species that produces large cone crops every 4-7 years (i.e. mast years) in our study area interspersed with non-mast years when few cones are produced. In the spring following mast years, populations are approximately double in size, but are lower in the spring of non-mast years. We predicted that territory size and intrusion rates would decrease as resource abundance, and consequently population density, increased. By contrast, as resource abundance decreased via depletion, and therefore density decreased, territories should increase in size and intrusions should also increase. As we expected, individual territory size and territorial intrusions were negatively density dependent, such that increased density after mast years resulted in smaller territories and fewer intrusions. When considering between-individual variation in plasticity across a density gradient, individuals responded differently to changes in population density within their lifetime. Our results show that territory size and intrusion rates display negative density dependence. When food becomes available in the autumn of a mast year and density in spring of the following year increases, territories shrink in size to effectively a small area around the midden. While our findings for red squirrels are unique compared to other systems, they serve as a reminder that the direction and strength of fundamental ecological relationships can depend on the nature of the system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M R Webber
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbour, Michigan, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbour, Michigan, USA
| | - Jeffrey E Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Andrew G McAdam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Dantzer B, Newman AEM. Expanding the frame around social dynamics and glucocorticoids: From hierarchies within the nest to competitive interactions among species. Horm Behav 2022; 144:105204. [PMID: 35689971 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The effect of the social environment on individual state or condition has largely focused on glucocorticoid levels (GCs). As metabolic hormones whose production can be influenced by nutritional, physical, or psychosocial stressors, GCs are a valuable (though singular) measure that may reflect the degree of "stress" experienced by an individual. Most work to date has focused on how social rank influences GCs in group-living species or how predation risk influences GCs in prey. This work has been revealing, but a more comprehensive assessment of the social environment is needed to fully understand how different features of the social environment influence GCs in both group living and non-group living species and across life history stages. Just as there can be intense within-group competition among adult conspecifics, it bears appreciating there can also be competition among siblings from the same brood, among adult conspecifics that do not live in groups, or among heterospecifics. In these situations, dominance hierarchies typically emerge, albeit, do dominants or subordinate individuals or species have higher GCs? We examine the degree of support for hypotheses derived from group-living species about whether differential GCs between dominants and subordinates reflect the "stress of subordination" or "costs of dominance" in these other social contexts. By doing so, we aim to test the generality of these two hypotheses and propose new research directions to broaden the lens that focuses on social hierarchies and GCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 48109 Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 48109, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Amy E M Newman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G2W1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
The socioeconomics of food hoarding in wild squirrels. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
7
|
Martinig A, Karst H, Siracusa E, Studd E, McAdam A, Dantzer B, Delaney D, Lane J, Pokharel P, Boutin S. Animal personality: a comparison of standardized assays and focal observations in North American red squirrels. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
8
|
Tumulty JP, Fouilloux CA, Vallejos JG, Bee MA. Predicting and measuring decision rules for social recognition in a Neotropical frog. Am Nat 2022; 200:E77-E92. [DOI: 10.1086/720279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
9
|
Petrullo L, Ren T, Wu M, Boonstra R, Palme R, Boutin S, McAdam AG, Dantzer B. Glucocorticoids coordinate changes in gut microbiome composition in wild North American red squirrels. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2605. [PMID: 35173201 PMCID: PMC8850573 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06359-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome impacts host health and fitness, in part through the diversification of gut metabolic function and pathogen protection. Elevations in glucocorticoids (GCs) appear to reduce gut microbiome diversity in experimental studies, suggesting that a loss of microbial diversity may be a negative consequence of increased GCs. However, given that ecological factors like food availability and population density may independently influence both GCs and microbial diversity, understanding how these factors structure the GC-microbiome relationship is crucial to interpreting its significance in wild populations. Here, we used an ecological framework to investigate the relationship between GCs and gut microbiome diversity in wild North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). As expected, higher GCs predicted lower gut microbiome diversity and an increase in metabolic taxa. Surprisingly, but in line with prior empirical studies on wild animals, gastrointestinal pathogens decreased as GCs increased. Both dietary heterogeneity and an upcoming food pulse exhibited direct effects on gut microbiome diversity, whereas conspecific density and reproductive activity impacted diversity indirectly via changes in host GCs. Our results provide evidence of a gut-brain axis in wild red squirrels and highlight the importance of situating the GC-gut microbiome relationship within an ecological framework.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Petrullo
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA.
| | - Tiantian Ren
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Martin Wu
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A6, Canada
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterina ̈rplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Andrew G McAdam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Dantzer B, Boutin S, Lane JE, McAdam AG. Integrative Studies of the Effects of Mothers on Offspring: An Example from Wild North American Red Squirrels. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 27:269-296. [PMID: 36169819 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-97762-7_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Animal species vary in whether they provide parental care or the type of care provided, and this variation in parental care among species has been a common focus of comparative studies. However, the proximate causes and ultimate consequences of within-species variation in parental care have been less studied. Most studies about the impacts of within-species variation in parental care on parental fitness have been in primates, whereas studies in laboratory rodents have been invaluable for understanding what causes inter-individual variation in parental care and its influence on offspring characteristics. We integrated both of these perspectives in our long-term study of North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in the Yukon, Canada, where we have focused on understanding the impacts of mothers on offspring. This includes documenting the impacts that mothers or the maternal environment itself has on their offspring, identifying how changes in maternal physiology impact offspring characteristics, the presence of individual variation in maternal attentiveness toward offspring before weaning and its fitness consequences, and postweaning maternal care and its fitness consequences. We provide an overview of these contributions to understanding the impacts mothers have on their offspring in red squirrels using an integrative framework and contrast them with studies in the laboratory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jeffrey E Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Andrew G McAdam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Baker CJ, Frère CH, Franklin CE, Campbell HA, Irwin TR, Dwyer RG. Crocodile social environments dictated by male philopatry. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Examining the social behaviors of solitary species can be challenging due to the rarity in which interactions occur and the large and often inaccessible areas which these animals inhabit. As shared space-use is a prerequisite for the expression of social behaviors, we can gain insights into the social environments of solitary species by examining the degree of spatial overlap between individuals. Over a 10-year period, we examined how spatial overlap amongst 105 estuarine crocodiles Crocodylus porosus was influenced by season, sex, and movement tactic. We discovered that crocodiles displayed highly consistent spatial overlaps with conspecifics between months and across years. Furthermore, male crocodiles that exhibited a greater degree of site fidelity displayed more stable social environments, while females and males that were less site-attached had more dynamic social environments with spatial overlaps between conspecifics peaking during the mating season. Our results demonstrate how long-term tracking of multiple individuals within the same population can be used to quantify the spatial structure and social environment of cryptic and solitary species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cameron J Baker
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Céline H Frère
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Australia
| | - Craig E Franklin
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Hamish A Campbell
- Research Institute for Environment & Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Terri R Irwin
- Australia Zoo, 1638 Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah, Australia
| | - Ross G Dwyer
- The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
McAdam AG, Webber QMR, Dantzer B, Lane JE, Boutin S. Social Effects on Annual Fitness in Red Squirrels. J Hered 2021; 113:69-78. [PMID: 34679173 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
When resources are limited, mean fitness is constrained and competition can cause genes and phenotypes to enhance an individual's own fitness while reducing the fitness of their competitors. Negative social effects on fitness have the potential to constrain adaptation, but the interplay between ecological opportunity and social constraints on adaptation remains poorly studied in nature. Here, we tested for evidence of phenotypic social effects on annual fitness (survival and reproductive success) in a long-term study of wild North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) under conditions of both resource limitation and super-abundant food resources. When resources were limited, populations remained stable or declined, and there were strong negative social effects on annual survival and reproductive success. That is, mean fitness was constrained and individuals had lower fitness when other nearby individuals had higher fitness. In contrast, when food resources were super-abundant, populations grew and social constraints on reproductive success were greatly reduced or eliminated. Unlike reproductive success, social constraints on survival were not significantly reduced when food resources were super-abundant. These findings suggest resource-dependent social constraints on a component of fitness, which have important potential implications for evolution and adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G McAdam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Quinn M R Webber
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jeffrey E Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Chaine AS. Social Evolution: Big Benefits of BFFs. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R72-R74. [PMID: 33497633 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Having long-term familiar neighbors - rather than kin neighbors - can increase survival and double reproductive success in North American red squirrels. These benefits are so high they can slow senescence and may explain numerous social behaviors in this otherwise individualistic species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis S Chaine
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS, UMR 5321, 2 route du CNRS, 09200 Moulis, France; Institute for Advanced Studies in Toulouse, 21 allée de Brienne, 31015 Toulouse, France.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Nadler LE, McCormick MI, Johansen JL, Domenici P. Social familiarity improves fast-start escape performance in schooling fish. Commun Biol 2021; 4:897. [PMID: 34285330 PMCID: PMC8292327 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02407-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Using social groups (i.e. schools) of the tropical damselfish Chromis viridis, we test how familiarity through repeated social interactions influences fast-start responses, the primary defensive behaviour in a range of taxa, including fish, sharks, and larval amphibians. We focus on reactivity through response latency and kinematic performance (i.e. agility and propulsion) following a simulated predator attack, while distinguishing between first and subsequent responders (direct response to stimulation versus response triggered by integrated direct and social stimulation, respectively). In familiar schools, first and subsequent responders exhibit shorter latency than unfamiliar individuals, demonstrating that familiarity increases reactivity to direct and, potentially, social stimulation. Further, familiarity modulates kinematic performance in subsequent responders, demonstrated by increased agility and propulsion. These findings demonstrate that the benefits of social recognition and memory may enhance individual fitness through greater survival of predator attacks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Nadler
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia. .,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia. .,Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, USA.
| | - Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Jacob L Johansen
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Kaneohe, HI, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Hare AJ, Newman AE, Dantzer B, Lane JE, Boutin S, Coltman DW, McAdam AG. An independent experiment does not support stress-mediated kin discrimination through red squirrel vocalizations. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
16
|
Gerber N, Auclair Y, König B, Lindholm AK. Population Density and Temperature Influence the Return on Maternal Investment in Wild House Mice. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.602359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, reproduction is influenced by sexual competition, temperature and food availability and these factors might be crucial already during early life. Favorable early life environment and high maternal investment are expected to improve survival and reproduction. For example, in mammals, maternal investment via lactation predicts offspring growth. As body mass is often associated with fitness consequences, females have the potential to influence offspring fitness through their level of investment, which might interact with effects of population density and temperature. Here, we investigate the relationship between house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) pup body mass at day 13 (used as approximation for weaning mass) and individual reproductive parameters, as well as longevity, under natural variation in population density and temperature (as approximation for season). Further, we assessed the extent to which mothers influence the body mass of their offspring until weaning. To do so, we analyzed life data of 384 house mice from a free-living wild commensal population that was not food limited. The mother’s contribution accounted for 49% of the variance in pup body mass. Further, we found a complex effect of population density, temperature and maternal investment on life-history traits related to fitness: shorter longevity with increasing pup body mass at day 13, delayed first reproduction of heavier pups when raised at warmer temperatures, and increased lifetime reproductive success for heavier pups at high densities. Our study shows that the effects of maternal investment are not independent of the effects of the environment. It thus highlights the importance of considering ecological conditions in combination with maternal effects to unravel the complexity of pup body mass on fitness measures.
Collapse
|
17
|
Correia HE, Abebe A, Dobson FS. Multiple paternity and the number of offspring: A model reveals two major groups of species. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2000247. [PMID: 33491804 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Parentage analyses via microsatellite markers have revealed multiple paternity within the broods of polytocous species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and invertebrates. The widespread phenomenon of multiple paternity may have attending relationships with such evolutionary processes as sexual selection and kin selection. However, just how much multiple paternity should a species exhibit? We developed Bayesian null models of how multiple paternity relates to brood sizes. For each of 114 species with published data on brood sizes and numbers of sires, we compared our null model estimates to published frequencies of multiple paternity. The majority of species fell close to our null model, especially among fish and invertebrate species. Some species, however, had low probabilities of multiple paternity, far from the predictions of the null model, likely due to sexual selection and environmental constraints. We suggest a major division among species' mating systems between those with close to random mating and high levels of multiple paternity, and those with constraints that produce low levels of multiple paternity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Correia
- Harvard Data Science Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ash Abebe
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - F Stephen Dobson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Siracusa ER, Boutin S, Dantzer B, Lane JE, Coltman DW, McAdam AG. Familiar Neighbors, but Not Relatives, Enhance Fitness in a Territorial Mammal. Curr Biol 2021; 31:438-445.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
|
19
|
Burnett AD, Koprowski JL. Ultimate causes of antipredator vocalizations in a nonhibernating squirrel. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
20
|
Anderson HM, Little AG, Fisher DN, McEwen BL, Culbert BM, Balshine S, Pruitt JN. Behavioral and physiological evidence that increasing group size ameliorates the impacts of social disturbance. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb217075. [PMID: 32532861 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.217075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Intra-group social stability is important for the long-term productivity and health of social organisms. We evaluated the effect of group size on group stability in the face of repeated social perturbations using a cooperatively breeding fish, Neolamprologus pulcher In a laboratory study, we compared both the social and physiological responses of individuals from small versus large groups to the repeated removal and replacement of the most dominant group member (the breeder male), either with a new male (treatment condition) or with the same male (control condition). Individuals living in large groups were overall more resistant to instability but were seemingly slower to recover from perturbation. Members of small groups were more vulnerable to instability but recovered faster. Breeder females in smaller groups also showed greater physiological preparedness for instability following social perturbations. In sum, we discover both behavioral and physiological evidence that living in larger groups helps to dampen the impacts of social instability in this system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Anderson
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Alexander G Little
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - David N Fisher
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Brendan L McEwen
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Brett M Culbert
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Jonathan N Pruitt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Mirville MO, Ridley AR, Samedi JPM, Vecellio V, Ndagijimana F, Stoinski TS, Grueter CC. Intragroup Behavioral Changes Following Intergroup Conflict in Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei). INT J PRIMATOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00130-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
22
|
Siracusa ER, Wilson DR, Studd EK, Boutin S, Humphries MM, Dantzer B, Lane JE, McAdam AG. North American red squirrels mitigate costs of territory defence through social plasticity. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
|
23
|
Fisher DN, Haines JA, Boutin S, Dantzer B, Lane JE, Coltman DW, McAdam AG. Indirect effects on fitness between individuals that have never met via an extended phenotype. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:697-706. [PMID: 30740839 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between organisms are ubiquitous and have important consequences for phenotypes and fitness. Individuals can even influence those they never meet, if they have extended phenotypes that alter the environments others experience. North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) guard food hoards, an extended phenotype that typically outlives the individual and is usually subsequently acquired by non-relatives. Hoarding by previous owners can, therefore, influence subsequent owners. We found that red squirrels breed earlier and had higher lifetime fitness if the previous hoard owner was a male. This was driven by hoarding behaviour, as males and mid-aged squirrels had the largest hoards, and these effects persisted across owners, such that if the previous owner was male or died in mid-age, subsequent occupants had larger hoards. Individuals can, therefore, influence each other's resource-dependent traits and fitness without ever meeting, such that the past can influence contemporary population dynamics through extended phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David N Fisher
- Department for Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Jessica A Haines
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB, T5J 4S2, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1043, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1043, USA
| | - Jeffrey E Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - David W Coltman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Andrew G McAdam
- Department for Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Crocker KC, Hunter MD. Social density, but not sex ratio, drives ecdysteroid hormone provisioning to eggs by female house crickets ( Acheta domesticus). Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10257-10265. [PMID: 30397463 PMCID: PMC6206184 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Social environment profoundly influences the fitness of animals, affecting their probability of survival to adulthood, longevity, and reproductive output. The social conditions experienced by parents at the time of reproduction can predict the social environments that offspring will face. Despite clear challenges in predicting future environmental conditions, adaptive maternal effects provide a mechanism of passing environmental information from parent to offspring and are now considered pervasive in natural systems. Maternal effects have been widely studied in vertebrates, especially in the context of social environment, and are often mediated by steroid hormone (SH) deposition to eggs. In insects, although many species dramatically alter phenotype and life-history traits in response to social density, the mechanisms of these alterations, and the role of hormone deposition by insect mothers into their eggs, remains unknown. In the experiments described here, we assess the effects of social environment on maternal hormone deposition to eggs in house crickets (Acheta domesticus). Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that variable deposition of ecdysteroid hormones (ESH) to eggs is affected by both maternal (a) social density and (b) social composition. We found that while maternal hormone deposition to eggs does not respond to social composition (sex ratio), it does reflect social density; females provision their eggs with higher ESH doses under low-density conditions. This finding is consistent with the interpretation that variable ESH provisioning is an adaptive maternal response to social environment and congruent with similar patterns of variable maternal provisioning across the tree of life. Moreover, our results confirm that maternal hormone provisioning may mediate delayed density dependence by introducing a time lag in the response of offspring phenotype to population size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine C Crocker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University New York New York
| | - Mark D Hunter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Mirville MO, Ridley AR, Samedi J, Vecellio V, Ndagijimana F, Stoinski TS, Grueter CC. Factors influencing individual participation during intergroup interactions in mountain gorillas. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
|
26
|
Robertson JG, Boutin S, Humphries MM, Dantzer B, Lane JE, McAdam AG. Individual variation in the dear enemy phenomenon via territorial vocalizations in red squirrels. BEHAVIOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Territoriality arises when the benefits of resources exceed the costs of defending them. The dear enemy phenomenon, where familiar territorial neighbours refrain from intruding on one another and mutually reduce their defensive efforts, allows for reduction of these costs but requires discrimination between conspecifics. We hypothesized that territorial vocalizations in red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) are used for this discrimination. We performed a speaker replacement experiment where red squirrels () were temporarily removed from their territories and replaced with a speaker broadcasting their own call, an unfamiliar call, or silence. Contrary to our prediction, there were no differences in overall intrusion risk among our three playbacks, but the identity of intruders did vary. Existing variation in familiarity within territorial neighbourhoods should be considered, rather than the binary classification of familiar or stranger, when studying dear enemy effects. We also discuss the variable importance of silence in acoustic territorial populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jack G. Robertson
- aDepartment of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- bDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Murray M. Humphries
- cDepartment of Natural Resource Sciences, Macdonald Campus, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Ben Dantzer
- dDepartment of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- eDepartment of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jeffrey E. Lane
- fDepartment of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Andrew G. McAdam
- aDepartment of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|