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Górecka-Bruzda A, Jaworska J, Stanley CR. The Social and Reproductive Challenges Faced by Free-Roaming Horse (Equus caballus) Stallions. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071151. [PMID: 37048406 PMCID: PMC10093049 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In captivity, intact male horses, due to their sexual drive, are usually socially isolated from other horses. This lifestyle strongly contrasts with that experienced by horses living in free-roaming, feral, or semi-feral conditions, where adult stallions have several roles in their social group, with successful reproduction being their primary drive. Reproductive skew in wild populations is high; many stallions will fail to reproduce at all, while others achieve high levels of reproductive success, siring a large number of foals. Successful stallions are those with particular characteristics and abilities that facilitate harem formation and tenure, allowing them to successfully take over a harem or establish a new one, protect mares from rival stallions, employ appropriate social behaviour to maintain group cohesion, and avoid kin-mating, for example through kin recognition mechanisms. Whilst the life of free-living stallions is far from stress-free, they retain ancestral adaptations to selection pressures (such as predation and competition) exhibited by their natural environment over thousands of years. Here, we discuss the challenges faced by free-living horse stallions, the roles they play in social groups, and their resulting social needs. By understanding these pressures and how stallions react to them, we highlighted the importance of the social environment for the stallion. It is hoped that a better understanding of wild stallions’ lives will lead to their needs being more clearly met in captivity, reducing stereotypical behaviour and improving welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Górecka-Bruzda
- Department of Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-22-736-71-24
| | - Joanna Jaworska
- Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology, 10-243 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Christina R. Stanley
- Animal Behaviour & Welfare Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4B, UK
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Human-controlled reproductive experience may contribute to incestuous behavior observed in reintroduced semi-feral stallions (Equus caballus). Theriogenology 2022; 180:82-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Carrillo E, Fuller TK. Heterospecific infanticide among sympatric peccaries in Costa Rica. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Carrillo
- Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre Universidad Nacional Heredia Costa Rica
| | - Todd K. Fuller
- Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts Amherst Massachusetts USA
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Pluháček J, Blahutová B, Bartoš L. A case of male infanticide in captive sika deer (Cervus nippon). BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Male infanticide has been reported in wide range of mammalian taxa however it remains very rare in even-toed ungulates where it was documented in two species only. Among six hypotheses explaining this phenomenon, the sexual selection hypothesis is supported by the largest evidence in mammals. Here, we report the first case of male infanticide in sika deer (Cervus nippon) which occurred at Ostrava Zoo. At the end of rutting season, new male had been joined with two pregnant females that successfully gave birth and reared offspring in his presence then. However, in the next season, the same male attacked and killed his own newborn female offspring. Since this male was separated from the herd for most of the time in the rut, we argue that he could be confused about paternity. Therefore, this case of infanticide might be driven by the same mechanism as that which is in line with the sexual selection hypothesis. In addition, based on our evidence we cannot reject the social pathology hypothesis as an alternative explanation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Pluháček
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, 104 00 Praha — Uhříněves, Czech Republic
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Ostrava Zoo, Michálkovická 2081/197, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Blanka Blahutová
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Ostrava Zoo, Michálkovická 2081/197, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Luděk Bartoš
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, 104 00 Praha — Uhříněves, Czech Republic
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Britnell J, Vorster L, Shultz S. Evidence of infanticide in the Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra). BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Infanticide has been described across mammal species. Infanticide is thought to be a tactic which increases reproductive opportunities or reduces competition over local resources. Species of the genus Equus exhibit life history traits such as expensive young, long gestation, lactation and dependency, extended inter-birth interval when there is a foal at foot and strong male reproductive skew. These traits suggest infanticide may be present throughout the genus. However, most documented cases of infanticide attempts come from captive populations and rely heavily on indirect accounts in free-roaming populations. Here, we report an infanticide attempt in Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra). The aggression was perpetrated by multiple bachelor males on two foals belonging to the same family group. The foals were separated from the parent group, chased and harried for a total of 45 minutes before the mothers and herd stallion were able to regain their offspring. We also report three cases of infanticide from necropsy. The injuries sustained by the foals are consistent with infanticide-based injuries documented in other equids species. The timing of these deaths occurs after a stallion turnover. These two cases provide the most conclusive evidence to date that infanticide takes place within mountain zebra.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.A. Britnell
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9NT, UK
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Upton-by-Chester CH2 1LH, UK
| | - L. Vorster
- Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, Barrydale 6720, South Africa
| | - S. Shultz
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9NT, UK
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Vitet C, Duncan P, Ganswindt A, Mabika C, Chamaillé-Jammes S. Do infanticides occur in harem-forming equids? A test with long-term sociodemographic data in wild plains zebras. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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7
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Šandlová K, Komárková M, Ceacero F. Daddy, daddy cool: stallion-foal relationships in a socially-natural herd of Exmoor ponies. Anim Cogn 2020; 23:781-793. [PMID: 32335767 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01388-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Different forms of direct paternal investment have been described in mammals. One such species where paternal care was noticed, but remains poorly understood, is the horse (Equus caballus), where the male keeps a long-term relationship with several females and offspring. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the interactions between the harem stallion and his foals. Two herds of Exmoor ponies living under semi-feral conditions in two separate reserves within Czech Republic were studied, each during one of the two consecutive breeding seasons (in 2016 and 2017). Both herds consisted of a stallion, 14 mares and their offspring (12 and 10 foals). The behaviour of all group members was recorded focusing on the stallion-foal interactions. The results show that the stallion receives more friendly interactions, snapping and playful behaviour from foals compared with adult mares. Furthermore, the stallion is more tolerant than mares, and actively plays with his offspring. There is no statistical difference in the sex of the foals in the stallion-foal interactions; however, male foals are more active than female foals in interacting with their father. The probability of a certain behaviour occurring between adult and foals changed over time. The stallion's presence might, therefore, be crucial for the physical and psychological development of the foals, especially the colts. These results may bring new insight into the common management of domestic horses, where stallions are usually kept separately and are not allowed to form natural groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateřina Šandlová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Martina Komárková
- Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Francisco Ceacero
- Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Praha, Czech Republic
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Jaworska J, Jaworski Z, McDonnell SM, Górecka-Bruzda A. Harem stallion changes are not associated with diminished reproductive performance of females in semi-feral Konik polski horses (Equus caballus). Theriogenology 2020; 151:1-6. [PMID: 32251935 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Infanticide, related to a stallion's aggression toward a foal sired by another stallion, and feticide related to a new stallion's aggression and/or pheromonal influence (the Bruce effect) inducing loss of a fetus sired by another stallion, a female's counteraction to infanticide, have been proposed for domestic horses (Equus caballus) in human-managed conditions. The aim of the present study was, in conditions close to natural, to investigate the influence of the natural succession of a harem stallion on the mares' subsequent reproductive performance. In a population of semi-feral Konik polski horses observed for 31 years (reproductive seasons) in 8 bands, harem stallion changed 10 times. These changes involved 26 out of 48 mares and 60 out of 609 observed mare-seasons (MS, a year in which a mare experienced a reproductive event). Binary distribution and log link function were assumed. The marginal model included the classification variable (SCH) and the continuous variables (age of the mare and calendar year of reproductive event (birth of a live foal, abortion, foals lost or barrenness) in a given MS was analyzed with generalized linear mixed model. The reproductive fitness of mares and their reproductive success (foal surviving ≥ 1 year), did not differ between MS with and without SCH. Older females were more likely to stay barren, with chances increasing by 21% with each successive year; and less likely to give birth to a foal (13% decrease of chance), and rear a foal to one year of age (12% decrease of chance). The age did not affect the probability of abortions. Of the 26 MS when mares were pregnant when the stallion had changed, there were 25 healthy foals born. For the entire 31 years of monitoring, no aggression toward any foal was observed and all foals that were born in the harem of a new, succeeding stallion successfully reached adulthood. Due to the lack of incidents of infanticide and the lack of evidence suggesting that the presence of a new harem stallion leads to the termination of pregnancies sired by another stallion, the Bruce effect was not confirmed as a biological strategy to reduce investment in pregnancy and potential infanticide in studied population of semi-feral horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Jaworska
- Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Zbigniew Jaworski
- University of Warmia and Mazury, Department of Horse Breeding, Faculty of Animal Bioengineering, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Sue M McDonnell
- Havemeyer Equine Behavior Laboratory, Section of Reproduction and Behavior, Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA, 19348, USA
| | - Aleksandra Górecka-Bruzda
- Department of Animal Behavior, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, Magdalenka, Poland
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Král P, Bukovský J, Pluháček J, Voldřichová M, Robovský J. A case of female-perpetrated infanticide in captive white-lipped deer (Cervus albirostris). J ETHOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-019-00603-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Burger D, Meuwly C, Thomas S, Sieme H, Oberthür M, Wedekind C, Meinecke-Tillmann S. Cycle-specific female preferences for visual and non-visual cues in the horse (Equus caballus). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191845. [PMID: 29466358 PMCID: PMC5842875 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although female preferences are well studied in many mammals, the possible effects of the oestrous cycle are not yet sufficiently understood. Here we investigate female preferences for visual and non-visual male traits relative to the periodically cycling of sexual proceptivity (oestrus) and inactivity (dioestrus), respectively, in the polygynous horse (Equus caballus). We individually exposed mares to stallions in four experimental situations: (i) mares in oestrus and visual contact to stallions allowed, (ii) mares in oestrus, with blinds (wooden partitions preventing visual contact but allowing for acoustic and olfactory communication), (iii) mares in dioestrus, no blinds, and (iv) mares in dioestrus, with blinds. Contact times of the mares with each stallion, defined as the cumulative amount of time a mare was in the vicinity of an individual stallion and actively searching contact, were used to rank stallions according to each mare’s preferences. We found that preferences based on visual traits differed significantly from preferences based on non-visual traits in dioestrous mares. The mares then showed a preference for older and larger males, but only if visual cues were available. In contrast, oestrous mares showed consistent preferences with or without blinds, i.e. their preferences were mainly based on non-visual traits and could not be predicted by male age or size. Stallions who were generally preferred displayed a high libido that may have positively influenced female interest or may have been a consequence of it. We conclude that the oestrous cycle has a significant influence on female preferences for visual and non-visual male traits in the horse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Burger
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine ISME, University of Berne, and Agroscope, Avenches, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Charles Meuwly
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine ISME, University of Berne, and Agroscope, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Selina Thomas
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine ISME, University of Berne, and Agroscope, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Harald Sieme
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine–Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Michael Oberthür
- Institute for Reproductive Biology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Claus Wedekind
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Meinecke-Tillmann
- Institute for Reproductive Biology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
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D'Souza-Anjo M, Christensen BW, Brabender K, Zimmermann W, Kass PH, Schwarzenberger F. A comparison of fecal steroid metabolite concentrations between harem and bachelor stallions in a free-Ranging population of przewalski's horses (Equus ferus przewalskii). Zoo Biol 2017; 36:127-131. [PMID: 28114737 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine whether concentrations of reproductive steroid hormone metabolites significantly differed between harem stallions and bachelor stallions in the free ranging group of Przewalski's horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) at the Hortobágy National Park in Hungary. Throughout the study, fecal samples were collected from 21 harem stallions and 15 bachelor stallions and analyzed for immunoreactive estrogen and androgen metabolites. Harem stallions demonstrated significantly higher concentrations of estrogen (P < 0.001) and epi-androsterone (P < 0.001), but not testosterone (P = 0.426). These findings confirm that sociosexual status has a significant effect on androgen concentrations in individual Przewalski stallions. Zoo Biol. 36:127-131, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Sicotte P, Teichroeb JA, Vayro JV, Fox SA, Bădescu I, Wikberg EC. The influence of male takeovers on female dispersal in Colobus vellerosus. Am J Primatol 2015; 79. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Sicotte
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology; University of Calgary; Calgary AB Canada
| | - Julie A. Teichroeb
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology; Duke University; Durham North Carolina
- Department of Anthropology; University of Toronto Scarborough; Toronto ON Canada
| | - Josie V. Vayro
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology; University of Calgary; Calgary AB Canada
| | - Stephanie A. Fox
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology; University of Calgary; Calgary AB Canada
| | - Iulia Bădescu
- Department of Anthropology; University of Toronto; Toronto ON Canada
| | - Eva C. Wikberg
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology; University of Calgary; Calgary AB Canada
- Department of Integrated Biosciences; University of Tokyo; Kashiwa Chiba Japan
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Roberts SJ, Cords M. Life as a bachelor: quantifying the success of an alternative reproductive tactic in male blue monkeys. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1043. [PMID: 26131380 PMCID: PMC4485239 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 05/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In species that live in one-male groups, resident males monopolize access to a group of females and are assumed to have higher reproductive success than bachelors. We tested this assumption using genetic, demographic, and behavioral data from 8 groups of wild blue monkeys observed over 10 years to quantify reproduction by residents and bachelors and compare the success of the two tactics. We used maximum-likelihood methods to assign sires to 104 offspring born in the study groups, 36 of which were sired by extra-group males, i.e., residents of neighboring groups and bachelors. Among these extra-group males, high-ranking males (many of whom were neighboring residents) were more likely to sire offspring than low-ranking males, but the time these visiting males spent in the mother’s group when she conceived (male presence) did not predict their relative success. When bachelors competed for reproduction with other bachelors, neither rank nor male presence during the mother’s conceptive period affected the probability of siring an offspring, suggesting that highly opportunistic mating with conceptive females is important in bachelor reproduction. In a second analysis, we used long-term data to estimate resident and bachelor reproductive success over the long term, and particularly to determine if there are any circumstances in which a typical bachelor may sire as many offspring as a typical resident during one or two periods of residency. Our findings generally support the assumption of a resident reproductive advantage because in most circumstances, a lifelong bachelor would be unable to sire as many offspring as a resident. However, a bachelor who performs at the average rate in the average number of groups for several years may have similar lifetime reproductive success as a male whose reproduction is limited to one short period of residency, especially in a small group. Our findings suggest that one should not assume a resident reproductive advantage for males in one-male groups in all circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Jen Roberts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University , New York, NY , USA ; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology , New York, NY , USA ; New Knowledge Organization Ltd. , New York, NY , USA
| | - Marina Cords
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University , New York, NY , USA ; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology , New York, NY , USA
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Palombit RA. Infanticide as sexual conflict: coevolution of male strategies and female counterstrategies. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015; 7:a017640. [PMID: 25986557 PMCID: PMC4448612 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a017640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
One of the earliest recognized forms of sexual conflict was infanticide by males, which imposes serious costs on female reproductive success. Here I review two bodies of evidence addressing coevolved strategies of males and females. The original sexual selection hypothesis arguing that infanticide improves male mating success by accelerating the return of females to fertilizable condition has been generally supported in some taxa--notably, some primates, carnivores, rodents, and cetaceans--but not in other taxa. One result of recent research has been to implicate other selective benefits of infanticide by males in various taxa from insects to birds to mammals, such as acquisition of breeding status or improvement of the female breeding condition. In some cases, however, the adaptive significance of male infanticide remains obscure. The second body of data I review is arguably the most important result of recent research: clarifying the possible female counterstrategies to infanticide. These potential counterstrategies span diverse biological systems, ranging from sexual behavior (e.g., polyandrous mating), to physiology (e.g., the Bruce effect), to individual behavior (e.g., maternal aggression), to social strategies (e.g., association with coalitionary defenders of either sex). Although much remains to be studied, these current data provide compelling evidence of sexually antagonistic coevolution surrounding the phenomenon of infanticide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryne A Palombit
- Department of Anthropology, Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
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15
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Alberghina D, Caudullo E, Bandi N, Panzera M. A comparative analysis of the acoustic structure of separation calls of Mongolian wild horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) and domestic horses (Equus caballus). J Vet Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2014.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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16
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Roberts SJ, Nikitopoulos E, Cords M. Factors affecting low resident male siring success in one-male groups of blue monkeys. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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18
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Infanticide in Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni in the Kakamega Forest, Kenya: Variation in the Occurrence of an Adaptive Behavior. INT J PRIMATOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-010-9400-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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19
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Fischhoff IR, Sundaresan SR, Larkin HM, Sellier MJ, Cordingley JE, Rubenstein DI. A rare fight in female plains zebra. J ETHOL 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-009-0183-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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20
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Boyko RH, Marshall AJ. The willing cuckold: optimal paternity allocation, infanticide and male reproductive strategies in mammals. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Abstract
Infanticide by adult males occurs in a variety of species. While infanticidal attacks have been documented in several equid species in captivity, it has never been witnessed in free-roaming feral horses. I report an infanticide attempt by a free-living feral stallion on a recently born female foal. The stallion picked up the foal by the shoulders, tossed it around twice and bit in on the neck several times. The dam of the foal charged the stallion and successfully protected her foal from additional attacks. The foal survived the attack and later weaned successfully. The stallion recently took over the band and was excluded as the sire through genetic analysis. While this type of attack is rare, this case lends support to the sexual selection hypothesis and further demonstrates that equids have evolved with the risk of infanticide. Furthermore, it shows that maternal protectiveness can be successful against attacks by infanticidal males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meeghan E Gray
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
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