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Mikula O, Macholán M, Ďureje Ľ, Hiadlovská Z, Daniszová K, Janotová K, Vošlajerová Bímová B. House mouse subspecies do differ in their social structure. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9683. [PMID: 36590341 PMCID: PMC9797468 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely acknowledged that population structure can have a substantial impact on evolutionary trajectories. In social animals, this structure is strongly influenced by relationships among the population members, so studies of differences in social structure between diverging populations or nascent species are of prime interest. Ideal models for such a study are two house mouse subspecies, Mus musculus musculus and M. m. domesticus, meeting in Europe along a secondary contact zone. Though the latter subspecies has usually been supposed to form tighter and more isolated social units than the former, the evidence is still inconclusive. Here, we carried out a series of radiofrequency identification experiments in semi-natural enclosures to gather large longitudinal data sets on individual mouse movements. The data were summarized in the form of uni- and multi-layer social networks. Within them, we could delimit and describe the social units ("modules"). While the number of estimated units was similar in both subspecies, domesticus revealed a more "modular" structure. This subspecies also showed more intramodular social interactions, higher spatial module separation, higher intramodular persistence of parent-offspring contacts, and lower multiple paternity, suggesting more effective control of dominant males over reproduction. We also demonstrate that long-lasting modules can be identified with basic reproductive units or demes. We thus provide the first robust evidence that the two subspecies differ in their social structure and dynamics of the structure formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondřej Mikula
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and GeneticsCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic,Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesResearch Facility StudenecBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Miloš Macholán
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and GeneticsCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic,Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of ScienceMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Ľudovít Ďureje
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesResearch Facility StudenecBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Zuzana Hiadlovská
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and GeneticsCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Kristina Daniszová
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and GeneticsCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Kateřina Janotová
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyCzech Academy of SciencesResearch Facility StudenecBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Barbora Vošlajerová Bímová
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and GeneticsCzech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
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Chancellor S, Abbo L, Grasse B, Sakmar T, Brown JS, Scheel D, Santymire RM. Determining the effectiveness of using dermal swabs to evaluate the stress physiology of laboratory cephalopods: A preliminary investigation. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 314:113903. [PMID: 34529999 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
To better comprehend the physiology of cephalopods, we used a minimal invasive technique of skin mucus swabs to measure immunoreactive corticosteroids in three cephalopod species commonly kept in captivity and promoted as new model organisms: Euprymna berryi, Sepia bandensis, and Octopus chierchiae. We compared results between sexes and age classes and then evaluated their stress responses during acclimation to a new habitat. To better understand glucocorticoid production, we conducted an adrenocorticotropic hormone, using Cosyntropin (an adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) analogue) challenge with a saline control and swabbed their mantles at 15-minute intervals for 2 h. Results showed cortisol was higher for younger individuals. Additionally, cortisol and corticosterone concentrations decreased by 2-fold after 2 to 4 days of acclimation to a new habitat. We were able to successfully measure 2-fold increase in immunoreactive corticosteroids which reacted with cortisol and corticosterone assays for all the species following ACTH injection, although not all individuals responded similarly. With further investigation, this technique can increase our understanding and management of cephalopods in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Chancellor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA.
| | - Lisa Abbo
- Marine Biological Laboratory, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Joel S Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA; Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Florida, USA
| | - David Scheel
- Institute of Culture and the Environment, Alaska Pacific University, Alaska, USA
| | - Rachel M Santymire
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA; Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Illinois, USA
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Hiadlovská Z, Hamplová P, Berchová Bímová K, Macholán M, Vošlajerová Bímová B. Ontogeny of social hierarchy in two European house mouse subspecies and difference in the social rank of dispersing males. Behav Processes 2021; 183:104316. [PMID: 33421530 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In social species such as house mouse, being dominant is vital. Determination of dominance may start early in life and vary during ontogeny. We asked whether pre-pubertal and adolescent behaviour predicts the rank a male mouse finally obtains. Moreover, we asked how dominant vs. subordinate adults differ in exploration and propensity to emigrate. We studied fraternal pairs as the simple social units, from weaning to full-grown adulthood. By utilizing two mouse subspecies known to differ in many behavioural traits, we take into account any potential subspecific idiosyncrasies. We did not find any significant effect of future social status on any behavioural type displayed before adulthood, but the subspecies themselves differ in behaviours prevailing in particular ontogeny phases. While musculus males start as more pro-social, they later became significantly more passive. Conversely, domesticus are slightly less passive at the beginning but significantly more proactive close to adulthood and rapidly establishing hierarchy through overt conflicts. We found no difference in exploration between ranks, however, domesticus males were significantly more active in an unknown area than musculus. Most importantly, while dominant domesticus males seem to be more prone to emigration, in musculus it was the subordinate males who left base significantly more often. This is consistent with extended contests of musculus males over dominance found in this study as well as with differences in endocrinological changes we have reported previously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Hiadlovská
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Petra Hamplová
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Kateřina Berchová Bímová
- Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Praha, Czech Republic.
| | - Miloš Macholán
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Barbora Vošlajerová Bímová
- Laboratory of Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Navarro-Castilla Á, Garrido M, Hawlena H, Barja I. Non-Invasive Monitoring of Adrenocortical Activity in Three Sympatric Desert Gerbil Species. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11010075. [PMID: 33406630 PMCID: PMC7824156 DOI: 10.3390/ani11010075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In this era, characterized by remarkable anthropogenic impacts on wildlife, it is crucial to monitor the health of wild animal populations while minimizing the interference to them. To this end, for a better understanding of the eco-physiology of wild animals, the adrenocortical activity can be non-invasively evaluated by measuring glucocorticoid metabolites excreted in feces. However, to ensure that the endocrine information is reliable, the experimental assays should be first validated and the causes for the major variability among individuals should be considered. Here we validated an enzyme immunoassay for measuring fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) in three wild gerbil species and emphasized the differences among them. These are endangered species, which play a key role in psammophilic communities, and provide a model system for various aspects in ecology. Thus, this work constitutes the first step toward using the FCMs of these species as indicators for individual and community stress. Abstract The study of the endocrine status can be useful to understand wildlife responses to the changing environment. Here, we validated an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to non-invasively monitor adrenocortical activity by measuring fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) in three sympatric gerbil species (Gerbillus andersoni, G. gerbillus and G. pyramidum) from the Northwestern Negev Desert’s sands (Israel). Animals included into treatment groups were injected with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to stimulate adrenocortical activity, while control groups received a saline solution. Feces were collected at different intervals and FCM were quantified by an EIA. Basal FCM levels were similar in the three species. The ACTH effect was evidenced, but the time of FCM peak concentrations appearance differed between the species (6–24 h post-injection). Furthermore, FCM peak values were observed sooner in G. andersoni females than in males (6 h and 18 h post-injection, respectively). G. andersoni and G. gerbillus males in control groups also increased FCM levels (18 h and 48 h post-injection, respectively). Despite the small sample sizes, our results confirmed the EIA suitability for analyzing FCM in these species as a reliable indicator of the adrenocortical activity. This study also revealed that close species, and individuals within a species, can respond differently to the same stressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Navarro-Castilla
- Etho-Physiology Group, Unit of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain;
- Correspondence:
| | - Mario Garrido
- Jacob Blaustein Center for Scientific Cooperation, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 849900, Israel;
| | - Hadas Hawlena
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 849900, Israel;
| | - Isabel Barja
- Etho-Physiology Group, Unit of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Autonomous University of Madrid, C/Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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Medger K, Bennett NC, Prins A, Lutermann H, Ganswindt A. Sex and dose-dependent responses of urinary and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations following an ACTH challenge in eastern rock sengis (Elephantulus myurus). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 245:110696. [PMID: 32268194 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Non-invasive methods for measuring glucocorticoids and their metabolites are frequently used in ecological, behavioural and physiological studies of mammals. Using faeces, urine and other matrices for such a measurement has considerable advantages in comparison to more traditional methods, but also requires thorough validation of the methods used. Eastern rock sengis (Elephantulus myurus) are fascinating African mammals and the non-invasive monitoring of the adrenocortical activity opens up new opportunities to study their biology. We were able to validate two assays for measuring urinary (uGCM) and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations in this species using a dose-dependent challenge with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). A higher concentration of ACTH elicited higher uGCM and fGCM concentrations in both males and females. Interestingly, uGCM and fGCM concentrations and the responses to ACTH were higher in females than in males and small changes in faecal glucocorticoid metabolites could not be reliably detected in males. In contrast to ACTH, a saline injection did not result in an increase in uGCM or fGCM concentrations. The study also provided insight into when responses to a stressor are likely to be detected in the urine and faeces of sengis and opens up new opportunities to study the stress physiology of this and other sengi species. It further emphasises the importance of thoroughly validating non-invasive methods for measuring hormones in both sexes of a species and for incorporating dose-dependent approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Medger
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa.
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa; Department of Zoology and Entomology, SARChI Chair of Mammal Behavioural Ecology and Physiology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - André Prins
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Heike Lutermann
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Andre Ganswindt
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa; Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
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Stewart ND, Mastromonaco GF, Burness G. No island-effect on glucocorticoid levels for a rodent from a near-shore archipelago. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8590. [PMID: 32110493 PMCID: PMC7034373 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Island rodents are often larger and live at higher population densities than their mainland counterparts, characteristics that have been referred to as "island syndrome". Island syndrome has been well studied, but few studies have tested for island-mainland differences in stress physiology. We evaluated island syndrome within the context of stress physiology of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) captured from 11 islands and five mainland sites in Thousand Islands National Park, Ontario, Canada. Stress physiology was evaluated by quantifying corticosterone (a stress biomarker), the primary glucocorticoid in mice, from hair and its related metabolites from fecal samples. White-footed mice captured in this near-shore archipelago did not display characteristics of island syndrome, nor differences in levels of hair corticosterone or fecal corticosterone metabolites compared with mainland mice. We suggest that island white-footed mice experience similar degrees of stress in the Thousand Islands compared with the mainland. Although we did not find evidence of island syndrome or differences in glucocorticoid levels, we identified relationships between internal (sex, body mass) and external (season) factors and our hormonal indices of stress in white-footed mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan D Stewart
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Gary Burness
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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