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Fokidis HB, Brock T, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. Assessing chronic stress in wild mammals using claw-derived cortisol: a validation using European badgers ( Meles meles). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad024. [PMID: 37179707 PMCID: PMC10171820 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Measuring stress experienced by wild mammals is increasingly important in the context of human-induced rapid environmental change and initiatives to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. Glucocorticoids (GC), such as cortisol, mediate responses by promoting physiological adjustments during environmental perturbations. Measuring cortisol is a popular technique; however, this often reveals only recent short-term stress such as that incurred by restraining the animal to sample blood, corrupting the veracity of this approach. Here we present a protocol using claw cortisol, compared with hair cortisol, as a long-term stress bio-indicator, which circumvents this constraint, where claw tissue archives the individual's GC concentration over preceding weeks. We then correlate our findings against detailed knowledge of European badger life history stressors. Based on a solid-phase extraction method, we assessed how claw cortisol concentrations related to season and badger sex, age and body-condition using a combination of generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) (n = 668 samples from 273 unique individuals) followed by finer scale mixed models for repeated measures (MMRM) (n = 152 re-captured individuals). Claw and hair cortisol assays achieved high accuracy, precision and repeatability, with similar sensitivity. The top GLMM model for claw cortisol included age, sex, season and the sex*season interaction. Overall, claw cortisol levels were significantly higher among males than females, but strongly influenced by season, where females had higher levels than males in autumn. The top fine scale MMRM model included sex, age and body condition, with claw cortisol significantly higher in males, older and thinner individuals. Hair cortisol was more variable than claw; nevertheless, there was a positive correlation after removing 34 outliers. We discuss strong support for these stress-related claw cortisol patterns from previous studies of badger biology. Given the potential of this technique, we conclude that it has broad application in conservation biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Bobby Fokidis
- Corresponding author: Department of Biology, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida, USA.
| | - Taylor Brock
- Department of Biology, Rollins College, 1000 Holt Avenue, Winter Park, Florida, 32789-4499, USA
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abindgon Rd, Tubney, OX13 5QL, UK
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abindgon Rd, Tubney, OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus, 3187 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V1V7, Canada
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Zoologist, traveller and explorer: celebrating the 60th anniversary of Alexei Vladimirovich Abramov. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF THERIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.21.2.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Savvidou A, Youlatos D, Spassov N, Tamvakis A, Kostopoulos DS. Ecomorphology of the Early Pleistocene Badger Meles dimitrius from Greece. J MAMM EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09609-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Kinoshita E, Kosintsev PA, Abramov AV, Solovyev VA, Saveljev AP, Nishita Y, Masuda R. Holocene changes in the distributions of Asian and European badgers (Carnivora: Mustelidae: Meles) inferred from ancient DNA analysis. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAlthough the present-day distributional boundary between the European badger (Meles meles) and the Asian badger (Meles leucurus) is around the Volga River, studies of ancient bone remains have indicated changes in the distribution of M. meles and M. leucurus in the Urals–Volga region during the Holocene. To examine past changes in distribution using genetic data, changes in genetic diversity, and the relationships of Holocene to modern populations, we sequenced ~150 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region from the 44 ancient badger remains excavated from European Russian, Ural and Western Siberian sites, and we detected 12 haplotypes. Our study revealed Holocene changes in the distributional boundary between these badger species. Meles meles inhabited the Ural Mountains east of the Volga River in the Early Holocene, whereas M. leucurus expanded its distribution westwards, starting ~2500 years ago. Thereafter, M. leucurus rapidly replaced M. meles in the region between the Urals and the Volga, resulting in the present-day boundary in the Volga–Kama region. Among the 12 haplotypes detected, three for M. leucurus and four for M. meles were identical to partial sequences of haplotypes detected in modern populations, indicating considerable genetic continuity between Holocene and modern populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emi Kinoshita
- Department of Natural History Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Pavel A Kosintsev
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia
- Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Alexei V Abramov
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | | | | | - Yoshinori Nishita
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Masuda
- Department of Natural History Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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Ishikawa K, Abramov AV, Amaike Y, Nishita Y, Masuda R. Phylogeography of the Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica), based on a mitochondrial DNA analysis. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWe investigated the genetic diversity and distribution pattern of mitochondrial DNA control-region haplotypes across the distributional range of the Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica) in Eastern Eurasia. We identified 23 haplotypes from 65 individuals sampled from 21 localities. Our analyses showed two major phylogeographical groups: group I comprised continental Russia, Tsushima and Korea, and group II comprised China, Taiwan and Korea. Two novel haplotypes found in the Amur area and one from Gansu Province were closely related to the Tsushima and Taiwan clades, respectively. Phylogeographical and demographic analyses indicated a recent population expansion for group I, whereas no clear evidence for expansion was obtained for group II. The recent expansion of group I is also supported by historical records. Closely related haplotypes were found between the continental populations and the insular populations on Tsushima and Taiwan, suggesting that the ancestors of the insular populations immigrated from the continent via land bridges. The two groups could have evolved allopatrically in parts of eastern Asia differing in climate and vegetation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Ishikawa
- Department of Natural History Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Alexei V Abramov
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yosuke Amaike
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Nishita
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Masuda
- Department of Natural History Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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Brusentsova N. The badger (Meles sp.) in museum collections of Ukraine: analysis of label data using GIS. THERIOLOGIA UKRAINICA 2019. [DOI: 10.15407/pts2019.17.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Stojak J, Tarnowska E. Polish suture zone as the goblet of truth in post-glacial history of mammals in Europe. MAMMAL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-019-00433-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Kinoshita E, Abramov AV, Soloviev VA, Saveljev AP, Nishita Y, Kaneko Y, Masuda R. Hybridization between the European and Asian badgers (Meles, Carnivora) in the Volga-Kama region, revealed by analyses of maternally, paternally and biparentally inherited genes. Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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İbiş O, Koepfli KP, Özcan S, Tez C. Genetic analysis of Turkish martens: Do two species of the genusMartesoccur in Anatolia? ZOOL SCR 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Osman İbiş
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology; Faculty of Agriculture; Erciyes University; Kayseri Turkey
- Genome and Stem Cell Center (GENKOK); Erciyes University; Kayseri Turkey
| | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- National Zoological Park; Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; Washington District of Columbia
- Theodosius Dobzhansky Center for Genome Bioinformatics; Saint Petersburg State University; Saint Petersburg Russia
| | - Servet Özcan
- Genome and Stem Cell Center (GENKOK); Erciyes University; Kayseri Turkey
- Department of Biology; Faculty of Sciences; Erciyes University; Kayseri Turkey
| | - Coşkun Tez
- Department of Biology; Faculty of Sciences; Erciyes University; Kayseri Turkey
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Abduriyim S, Nishita Y, Kosintsev PA, Raichev E, Väinölä R, Kryukov AP, Abramov AV, Kaneko Y, Masuda R. Diversity and evolution of MHC class II DRB gene in the Eurasian badger genus Meles (Mammalia: Mustelidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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