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Engelhardt SC, Weladji RB, Holand Ø, Røed KH, Nieminen M. Evidence suggesting that reindeer mothers allonurse according to the direct reciprocity and generalized reciprocity decision rules. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295497. [PMID: 38096314 PMCID: PMC10721201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Allonursing is the nursing of the offspring of other mothers. Cooperation is an emergent property of evolved decision rules. Cooperation can be explained by at least three evolved decision rules: 1) direct reciprocity, i.e. help someone who previously helped you, 2) kin discrimination, i.e. preferentially direct help to kin than to non-kin, and 3) generalized reciprocity, i.e. help anyone if helped by someone. We assessed if semi-domesticated reindeer, Rangifer tarandus, mothers allonursed according to the decision rules of direct reciprocity, generalized reciprocity and kin discrimination over 2 years. To assess if reindeer mothers allonursed according to the direct reciprocity decision rule, we predicted that mothers should give more help to those who previously helped them more often. To assess if reindeer mothers allonursed according to the kin discrimination decision rule, we predicted that help given should increase as pairwise genetic relatedness increased. To assess if reindeer mothers allonursed according to the generalized reciprocity decision rule, we predicted that the overall number of help given by reindeer mothers should increase as the overall number of help received by reindeer mothers increased. The number of help given i) increased as the number of help received from the same partner increased in the 2012 group but not in both 2013 groups, ii) was not influenced by relatedness, and iii) was not influenced by an interaction between the number of help received from the same partner and relatedness. iv) The overall number of help given increased as the overall number of help received increased. The results did not support the prediction that reindeer mothers allonursed according to the kin discrimination decision rule. The results suggest that reindeer mothers may allonurse according to the direct reciprocity and generalized reciprocity decision rules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sacha C. Engelhardt
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology und Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Robert B. Weladji
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Øystein Holand
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Viken, Norway
| | - Knut H. Røed
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mauri Nieminen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland Luke, Reindeer Research Station, Kaamanen, Lapland, Finland
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2
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Wu XM, Zhang J, Chen SW, Sun BH, Xia DP. Behavioral adaptation in an adoptive free-ranging female Tibetan macaque. Primates 2023; 64:469-474. [PMID: 37395860 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01076-7] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Adoption is an important form of allomaternal care in nonhuman primates, with implications for reproductive output and infant survival. Here, we report a kidnapping that became an adoption of a 3-week-old infant by a mother with her own infant in Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana). The adoptive mother nursed her "new" infant (allonursing), the first observation of this behavior in the species. The case provided a natural experiment for comparing how a female copes with a heavier burden of care for both her biological infant and another female's infant, compared to mothers caring for only one infant. Our results showed that the adoptive female spent more time foraging and resting, and less time in group social activity compared to females with a single infant. The adoptive female showed more instances of social bridging. Although the duration of post-bridging grooming received from group members decreased, the frequency of such grooming increased. We discuss this adoption with reference to possible factors involved in the evolution of adoption and allonursing behavior in Tibetan macaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Mei Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Shi-Wang Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Bing-Hua Sun
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, 230601, China
- School of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Dong-Po Xia
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China.
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, 230601, China.
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3
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Rodríguez-González D, Minervino AHH, Orihuela A, Bertoni A, Morales-Canela DA, Álvarez-Macías A, José-Pérez N, Domínguez-Oliva A, Mota-Rojas D. Handling and Physiological Aspects of the Dual-Purpose Water Buffalo Production System in the Mexican Humid Tropics. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12050608. [PMID: 35268176 PMCID: PMC8909038 DOI: 10.3390/ani12050608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Buffalo is a domesticated large ruminant that can be raised for beef, dairy, and work. In some systems, these animals can be raised with a dual purpose (beef and dairy). The present review describes the characteristics of the dual-purpose water buffalo production system in Mexico’s humid wetlands. This article provides extensive information on the water buffalo and includes comparisons with other species to note similarities and differences. The aim is to describe the buffalo handling procedures used in this system, particularly during breeding, milking, confinement, and mobilization, relating them to the neurological processes involved and analyzing the productive results. Understanding these processes will allow us to obtain a more precise vision of the advantages that this species can offer, and the possible implications of the development of this type of livestock under tropical conditions. Abstract The purpose of this paper is to describe the characteristics of the dual-purpose water buffalo production based on the Mexican production system as a model in tropical wetlands. It includes a broad literature review emphasizing the most recent and specialized publications examining key findings to improve our understanding in the performance of the buffalo species (Bubalus bubalis). The complementary topics addressed include reproductive management, parturition, the dam–calf bond, milking routines, and models of confinement and management, in addition to aspects related to milk commercialization. This article summarizes the advances made to date in this production system and its current margins for improvement. The development of dual-purpose water buffalo production systems in Mexico’s tropical wetlands is a relatively recent phenomenon that has progressed and improved due to herd management. Buffaloes are an interesting alternative for dual purpose systems that offer several advantages. The lower milk production of this species compared to cattle is its main limitation. However, the properties of their milk allow one to obtain an added value and make this type of farms competitive. In synthesis, consolidating buffalo production in Mexico’s tropical wetlands will require broadening our knowledge of this species, and perfecting the most appropriate handling procedures. The activities of government agencies and processing enterprises will play vital roles in achieving the integral modernization of this potentially important economic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Rodríguez-González
- Master’s Program in Agricultural and Livestock Sciences [Maestría en Ciencias Agropecuarias], Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico;
| | - Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino
- Laboratory of Animal Health, LARSANA, Federal University of Western Pará, UFOPA, Rua Vera Paz, s/n, Santarém 68040-255, PA, Brazil
- Correspondence: (A.H.H.M.); (D.M.-R.)
| | - Agustín Orihuela
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca 62209, Mexico;
| | - Aldo Bertoni
- Neurophysiology, Behavior, and Animal Welfare Assessment, Department of Animal Production and Agriculture (DPAA), Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (A.B.); (D.A.M.-C.); (A.Á.-M.); (N.J.-P.); (A.D.-O.)
| | - Diego Armando Morales-Canela
- Neurophysiology, Behavior, and Animal Welfare Assessment, Department of Animal Production and Agriculture (DPAA), Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (A.B.); (D.A.M.-C.); (A.Á.-M.); (N.J.-P.); (A.D.-O.)
- Holistic Management, Savory Institute, Agriculture Science, Universidad EARTH, San José 4442-1000, Costa Rica
| | - Adolfo Álvarez-Macías
- Neurophysiology, Behavior, and Animal Welfare Assessment, Department of Animal Production and Agriculture (DPAA), Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (A.B.); (D.A.M.-C.); (A.Á.-M.); (N.J.-P.); (A.D.-O.)
| | - Nancy José-Pérez
- Neurophysiology, Behavior, and Animal Welfare Assessment, Department of Animal Production and Agriculture (DPAA), Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (A.B.); (D.A.M.-C.); (A.Á.-M.); (N.J.-P.); (A.D.-O.)
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Neurophysiology, Behavior, and Animal Welfare Assessment, Department of Animal Production and Agriculture (DPAA), Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (A.B.); (D.A.M.-C.); (A.Á.-M.); (N.J.-P.); (A.D.-O.)
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior, and Animal Welfare Assessment, Department of Animal Production and Agriculture (DPAA), Xochimilco Campus, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (A.B.); (D.A.M.-C.); (A.Á.-M.); (N.J.-P.); (A.D.-O.)
- Correspondence: (A.H.H.M.); (D.M.-R.)
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4
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Allonursing in Wild and Farm Animals: Biological and Physiological Foundations and Explanatory Hypotheses. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113092. [PMID: 34827824 PMCID: PMC8614478 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The dams of gregarious animals must develop a close bond with their newborns to provide them with maternal care, including protection against predators, immunological transference, and nutrition. Even though lactation demands high energy expenditures, behaviors known as allonursing (the nursing of non-descendant infants) and allosuckling (suckling from any female other than the mother) have been reported in various species of wild or domestic, and terrestrial or aquatic animals. These behaviors seem to be elements of a multifactorial strategy, since reports suggest that they depend on the following: species, living conditions, social stability, and kinship relations, among other group factors. Despite their potential benefits, allonursing and allosuckling can place the health and welfare of both non-filial dams and alien offspring at risk, as it augments the probability of pathogen transmission. This review aims to analyze the biological and physiological foundations and bioenergetic costs of these behaviors, analyzing the individual and collective advantages and disadvantages for the dams' own offspring(s) and alien neonate(s). We also include information on the animal species in which these behaviors occur and their implications on animal welfare.
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5
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Brachet MAA, Vullioud P, Ganswindt A, Manser MB, Keller M, Clutton-Brock TH. Parity predicts allonursing in a cooperative breeder. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab084] [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
In some mammals that breed cooperatively, nonbreeding female helpers nurse offspring born to the breeding female in their group, a process known as allonursing. Previous laboratory studies have suggested that primiparous and multiparous females (those that have successfully given birth once or more, respectively) are more likely to contribute to allonursing than nulliparous females (those that have not given birth). In contrast, few field studies have been able to demonstrate whether breeding experience, or parity, affects the likelihood or duration of allonursing. In this study, we investigated whether the likelihood and duration of allonursing by subordinate female meerkats (Suricata suricatta) were associated with variations in their parity (number of pregnancies reaching a viable gestational age) and their immediate pregnancy status. Comparisons showed that nonpregnant nulliparous females were less likely to allonurse than nonpregnant primiparous and multiparous females, although parity was not related to variation in allonursing duration. Parity may enhance the expression of maternal behavior when exposed to foster pups, especially since mammary gland development has been shown to be directly associated with parity in other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane A A Brachet
- Laboratoire de Physiologie de la Reproduction & des Comportements, UMR 7247 INRAE/CNRS/Université de Tours/IFCE, Nouzilly, France
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | | | - Andre Ganswindt
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Marta B Manser
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Animal Behaviour, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Matthieu Keller
- Laboratoire de Physiologie de la Reproduction & des Comportements, UMR 7247 INRAE/CNRS/Université de Tours/IFCE, Nouzilly, France
| | - Tim H Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
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6
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Orihuela A, Mota-Rojas D, Strappini A, Serrapica F, Braghieri A, Mora-Medina P, Napolitano F. Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Mother-Young Bonding in Buffalo and Other Farm Animals. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11071968. [PMID: 34209286 PMCID: PMC8300112 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The present paper reviews the importance of bonding for the survival and well-being in the cow–calf relationship. The review focuses on buffaloes and information from other species is used for comparison or to find more general patterns in the absence of specific sources. Differences between several farm species are also described, focusing on the role played by the sensory stimuli during the sensitive period after birth. How bonding can be classified according to the predominant senses used by different species, the importance of learning (i.e., imprinting) in the development of mother–young relationship, and the neurobiological mechanisms involved are also delineated. Finally, some examples of the main factors that can affect the mother–young relationship in the field are given. By understanding the imprinting at brain level, as well as the relationship with behavior, we gain a deeper insight into the critical role that experience, and environmental factors play in shaping the development of the mother–offspring bond. Abstract In buffaloes and other mammalian farm species, the mother provides food and protection to the young, but she is also the main source of behavioral and social learning for the offspring. It is important that mother and young establish a bond based on a learning mechanism defined as “imprinting” early after parturition during the sensitive period, on which the welfare and survival of the offspring will depend. This review aims to summarize and discuss current knowledge regarding the imprinting process, the neurobiological pathways that are triggered during this sensitive period, and the development of the cow–calf bond. Touch, hearing, vision, and smell seem to be the predominant senses involved during imprinting in buffaloes and other mammalian farm species. In buffalo, bonding is very particular due to the expression of specific behaviors, such as allo-suckling and communal rearing. In general, imprinting and the subsequent bond may be affected by the lack of experience of the mothers or dystocic parturitions, which occur most frequently with male calves and in primiparous dams. The main problems in the development of this process include lack of seeking a protected and isolated place to give birth; moving from the birth-site after parturition; insufficient postpartum care; aversion or aggressiveness towards the newborn, or abandonment of the newborn. The process can develop differently according to the species. However, the correct development of the cow–calf relationship represents, regardless of the species, a key factor for their fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Orihuela
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca 62209, Morelos, Mexico
- Correspondence:
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico;
| | - Ana Strappini
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Animal Science Institute, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5090000, Chile;
| | - Francesco Serrapica
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Universitàdi Napoli Federico II, Via Università100, 80055 Portici, Italy;
| | - Ada Braghieri
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy; (A.B.); (F.N.)
| | - Patricia Mora-Medina
- Livestock Science Department, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City 54714, Mexico;
| | - Fabio Napolitano
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy; (A.B.); (F.N.)
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7
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8
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Tomasi
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
| | - Briana N Anderson
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
| | - Theodore Garland
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California – Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
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9
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Oliveira ADFM, Quirino CR, Bastos R. Effect of nursing behaviour, sex of the calf, and parity order on milk production of buffaloes. REV COLOMB CIENC PEC 2017. [DOI: 10.17533/udea.rccp.v30n1a04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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10
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11
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Stealing milk by young and reciprocal mothers: high incidence of allonursing in giraffes, Giraffa camelopardalis. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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12
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Engelhardt SC, Weladji RB, Holand Ø, Nieminen M. Allosuckling in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus): A test of the improved nutrition and compensation hypotheses. Mamm Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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13
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Acevedo J, Torres D, Aguayo-Lobo A. Offspring kidnapping with subsequent shared nursing in Antarctic fur seals. Polar Biol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-015-1841-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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14
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King WJ, Forsyth DM, Coulson G, Festa-Bianchet M. Adoption in eastern grey kangaroos: a consequence of misdirected care? PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125182. [PMID: 25970624 PMCID: PMC4430339 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoption is rare in animals and is usually attributed to kin selection. In a 6-year study of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), 11 of 326 juveniles were adopted. We detected eight adoptions by observing behavioural associations and nursing between marked mothers and young and three more by analysing the relatedness of mothers and young using microsatellite DNA. Four adoptions involved reciprocal switches and three were by mothers whose own pouch young were known to subsequently disappear. Adoptive mothers were not closely related to each other or to adoptees but adoptive mothers and young associated as closely as did biological pairs, as measured by half-weight indices. Switch mothers did not associate closely. Maternal age and body condition did not influence the likelihood of adoption but females were more likely to adopt in years with high densities of females with large pouch young. Adoption did not improve juvenile survival. We conclude that adoptions in this wild population were potentially costly and likely caused by misdirected care, suggesting that eastern grey kangaroos may have poorly developed mother-offspring recognition mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy J. King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - David M. Forsyth
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Graeme Coulson
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
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15
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MacLeod KJ, McGhee KE, Clutton-Brock TH. No apparent benefits of allonursing for recipient offspring and mothers in the cooperatively breeding meerkat. J Anim Ecol 2015; 84:1050-8. [PMID: 25640744 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cooperative behaviours by definition are those that provide some benefit to another individual. Allonursing, the nursing of non-descendent young, is often considered a cooperative behaviour and is assumed to provide benefits to recipient offspring in terms of growth and survival, and to their mothers, by enabling them to share the lactation load. However, these proposed benefits are not well understood, in part because maternal and litter traits and other ecological and social variables are not independent of one another, making patterns hard to discern using standard univariate analyses. Here, we investigate the potential benefits of allonursing in the cooperatively breeding Kalahari meerkat, where socially subordinate females allonurse the young of a dominant pair without having young of their own. We use structural equation modelling to allow us to account for the interdependence of maternal traits, litter traits and environmental factors. We find no evidence that allonursing provides benefits to pups or mothers. Pups that received allonursing were not heavier at emergence and did not have a higher survival rate than pups that did not receive allonursing. Mothers whose litters were allonursed were not in better physical condition, did not reconceive faster and did not reduce their own nursing investment compared to mothers who nursed their litters alone. These patterns were not significantly influenced by whether mothers were in relatively good, or poor, condition. We suggest that allonursing may persist in this species because the costs to allonurses may be low. Alternatively, allonursing may confer other, more cryptic, benefits to pups or allonurses, such as immunological or social benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty J MacLeod
- Large Animal Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, CB2 3EJ, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Katie E McGhee
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.,School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Tim H Clutton-Brock
- Large Animal Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, CB2 3EJ, Cambridge, UK.,Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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16
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Ebensperger LA, León C, Ramírez-Estrada J, Abades S, Hayes LD, Nova E, Salazar F, Bhattacharjee J, Becker MI. Immunocompetence of breeding females is sensitive to cortisol levels but not to communal rearing in the degu (Octodon degus). Physiol Behav 2014; 140:61-70. [PMID: 25497887 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
One hypothesis largely examined in social insects is that cooperation in the context of breeding benefits individuals through decreasing the burden of immunocompetence and provide passive immunity through social contact. Similarly, communal rearing in social mammals may benefit adult female members of social groups by reducing the cost of immunocompetence, and through the transfer of immunological compounds during allonursing. Yet, these benefits may come at a cost to breeders in terms of a need to increase investment in individual immunocompetence. We examined how these potential immunocompetence costs and benefits relate to reproductive success and survival in a natural population of the communally rearing rodent, Octodon degus. We related immunocompetence (based on ratios of white blood cell counts, total and specific immunoglobulins of G isotype titers) and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGC) levels of adults immunized with hemocyanin from the mollusk Concholepas concholepas to measures of sociality (group size) and communal rearing (number of breeding females). Offspring immunocompetence was quantified based on circulating levels of the same immune parameters. Neither female nor offspring immunocompetence was influenced by communal rearing or sociality. These findings did not support that communal rearing and sociality enhance the ability of females to respond to immunological challenges during lactation, or contribute to enhance offspring condition (based on immunocompetence) or early survival (i.e., to 3months of age). Instead, levels of humoral and cellular components of immunocompetence were associated with variation in glucorcorticoid levels of females. We hypothesize that this covariation is driven by physiological (life-history) adjustments needed to sustain breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Ebensperger
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Cecilia León
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Ramírez-Estrada
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastian Abades
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile; Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loren D Hayes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA
| | - Esteban Nova
- Fundación Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo (FUCITED), Santiago, Chile
| | - Fabián Salazar
- Fundación Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo (FUCITED), Santiago, Chile
| | | | - María Inés Becker
- Fundación Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo (FUCITED), Santiago, Chile; Biosonda Corporation, Santiago, Chile
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Engelhardt SC, Weladji RB, Holand Ø, Røed KH, Nieminen M. Evidence of Reciprocal Allonursing in Reindeer,Rangifer tarandus. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Øystein Holand
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Ås Norway
| | - Knut H. Røed
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Oslo Norway
| | - Mauri Nieminen
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Oslo Norway
- Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute; Reindeer Research Station; Kaamanen Finland
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Auclair Y, König B, Lindholm AK. Socially mediated polyandry: a new benefit of communal nesting in mammals. Behav Ecol 2014; 25:1467-1473. [PMID: 25419087 PMCID: PMC4235584 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In many species, females have evolved behavioral strategies to reduce the risk of infanticide. For instance, polyandry can create paternity confusion that inhibits males from killing offspring they could have sired. Here, the authors propose that females could socially obtain the same benefits by nesting communally. Singly sired litters could be perceived as a large multiply sired litter once pooled together in a single nest. Long-term data from a wild house mouse population showed that monandrous litters (singly sired) were more common in communal than in solitary nests and 85% of them were raised with litters sired by different males hence becoming effectively polyandrous (multiply sired). These socially polyandrous litters had significantly higher offspring survival than genetically or socially monandrous litters and reached a similar survival to that of multiply sired litters raised in solitary or communal nests. Furthermore, the number of sires within nests significantly improved offspring survival whereas the number of mothers did not. These results suggest that the survival benefits associated with communal nesting are driven by polyandry and not communal defense. This socially mediated polyandry was as efficient as multiple paternity in preventing infanticide, and may also occur in other infanticidal and polytocous species where the caring parent exhibits social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Auclair
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Barbara König
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Anna K Lindholm
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland
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Purcell J, Chapuisat M. Foster carers influence brood pathogen resistance in ants. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20141338. [PMID: 25143036 PMCID: PMC4150324 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Social organisms face a high risk of epidemics, and respond to this threat by combining efficient individual and collective defences against pathogens. An intriguing and little studied feature of social animals is that individual pathogen resistance may depend not only on genetic or maternal factors, but also on the social environment during development. Here, we used a cross-fostering experiment to investigate whether the pathogen resistance of individual ant workers was shaped by their own colony of origin or by the colony of origin of their carers. The origin of care-giving workers significantly influenced the ability of newly eclosed cross-fostered Formica selysi workers to resist the fungal entomopathogen Beauveria bassiana. In particular, carers that were more resistant to the fungal entomopathogen reared more resistant workers. This effect occurred in the absence of post-infection social interactions, such as trophallaxis and allogrooming. The colony of origin of eggs significantly influenced the survival of the resulting individuals in both control and pathogen treatments. There was no significant effect of the social organization (i.e. whether colonies contain a single or multiple queens) of the colony of origin of either carers or eggs. Our experiment reveals that social interactions during development play a central role in moulding the resistance of emerging workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Purcell
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michel Chapuisat
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Engelhardt SC, Weladji RB, Holand Ø, de Rioja CM, Ehmann RK, Nieminen M. Allosuckling in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus): milk-theft, mismothering or kin selection? Behav Processes 2014; 107:133-41. [PMID: 25183610 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Revised: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Allosuckling, the suckling of offspring from females other than their own mother, has been reported in a number of mammalian species, including reindeer. The causes and function of this behaviour are still being investigated. We monitored 25 doe-calf pairs of semi-domestic reindeer Rangifer tarandus over 10 weeks to test three allosuckling/allonursing hypotheses: (1) milk theft, calves opportunistically allosuckle; (2) mismothering, misdirected maternal care; and (3) kin-selected allonursing. A calf soliciting an allosuckling bout was categorized as non-filial (NF), and a calf soliciting a suckling bout from its mother was categorized as filial (F). We recorded 9757 solicitations, of which 5176 were successful F bouts and 1389 were successful NF bouts. The rejection rates were greater for NF than F calves. The proportions of antiparallel positions adopted were greater for F than NF calves. The odds of an allobout were lower for calves arriving 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th than for those arriving 2nd, but the odds did not vary with position adopted and relatedness. Our results provided support to the milk-theft hypothesis, whereas limited support for the mismothering hypothesis was found. Our results did not support the hypothesized kin selection function of allosuckling in reindeer. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: insert SI title.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sacha C Engelhardt
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
| | - Robert B Weladji
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6.
| | - Øystein Holand
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Covadonga M de Rioja
- Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Reindeer Research Station, 99910 Kaamanen, Finland
| | - Rosina K Ehmann
- Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Reindeer Research Station, 99910 Kaamanen, Finland
| | - Mauri Nieminen
- Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Reindeer Research Station, 99910 Kaamanen, Finland
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MacLeod KJ, Lukas D. Revisiting non-offspring nursing: allonursing evolves when the costs are low. Biol Lett 2014; 10:20140378. [PMCID: PMC4090557 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Allonursing, the nursing of another female's offspring, is commonly assumed to have evolved through the benefits of kin selection or reciprocity. The evolution of allonursing may also be influenced by variation in the possible costs to allonurses. The relative influence of costs and benefits on the incidence of allonursing in mammals remains unexplored. We show, using comparative analyses, that where females group with kin, the presence or the absence of allonursing is not associated with further variation in relatedness. Allonursing is most common where females produce litters; here the relative investment per offspring is low, and the costs of nursing additional young are likely to be reduced. Our results suggest that variation in the potential benefits is not associated with the distribution of allonursing, but that allonursing can quickly evolve when the costs to allonurses of nursing additional offspring are low.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. J. MacLeod
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
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22
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Nest attendance of lactating females in a wild house mouse population: benefits associated with communal nesting. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Baker KS, Suu-Ire R, Barr J, Hayman DTS, Broder CC, Horton DL, Durrant C, Murcia PR, Cunningham AA, Wood JLN. Viral antibody dynamics in a chiropteran host. J Anim Ecol 2014; 83:415-28. [PMID: 24111634 PMCID: PMC4413793 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2013] [Accepted: 09/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Bats host many viruses that are significant for human and domestic animal health, but the dynamics of these infections in their natural reservoir hosts remain poorly elucidated. In these, and other, systems, there is evidence that seasonal life-cycle events drive infection dynamics, directly impacting the risk of exposure to spillover hosts. Understanding these dynamics improves our ability to predict zoonotic spillover from the reservoir hosts. To this end, we followed henipavirus antibody levels of >100 individual E. helvum in a closed, captive, breeding population over a 30-month period, using a powerful novel antibody quantitation method. We demonstrate the presence of maternal antibodies in this system and accurately determine their longevity. We also present evidence of population-level persistence of viral infection and demonstrate periods of increased horizontal virus transmission associated with the pregnancy/lactation period. The novel findings of infection persistence and the effect of pregnancy on viral transmission, as well as an accurate quantitation of chiropteran maternal antiviral antibody half-life, provide fundamental baseline data for the continued study of viral infections in these important reservoir hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate S Baker
- Disease Dynamics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, CB3 0ES
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK, NW1 4RY
| | - Richard Suu-Ire
- Wildlife Division, Forestries Commission, Accra, Ghana, PO Box 239
| | - Jennifer Barr
- Australian Animal Health Laboratories, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geelong, Vic, Australia, 3219
| | - David T S Hayman
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523
| | - Christopher C Broder
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA, 20814-4799
| | - Daniel L Horton
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector-Borne Diseases Research Group, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Surrey, UK, KT15 3NB
| | | | - Pablo R Murcia
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK, G12 8QQ
| | | | - James L N Wood
- Disease Dynamics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, CB3 0ES
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MacLeod K, Nielsen J, Clutton-Brock T. Factors predicting the frequency, likelihood and duration of allonursing in the cooperatively breeding meerkat. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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26
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Nuñez CMV, Adelman JS, Rubenstein DI. A Free-Ranging, Feral MareEquus caballusAffords Similar Maternal Care to Her Genetic and Adopted Offspring. Am Nat 2013; 182:674-81. [DOI: 10.1086/673214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Garnier R, Gandon S, Chaval Y, Charbonnel N, Boulinier T. Evidence of cross-transfer of maternal antibodies through allosuckling in a mammal: Potential importance for behavioral ecology. Mamm Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2012.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Wey TW, Burger JR, Ebensperger LA, Hayes LD. Reproductive correlates of social network variation in plurally breeding degus ( Octodon degus). Anim Behav 2013; 85:1407-1414. [PMID: 24511149 PMCID: PMC3914217 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Studying the causes and reproductive consequences of social variation can provide insight into the evolutionary basis of sociality. Individuals are expected to behave adaptively to maximize reproductive success, but reproductive outcomes can also depend on group structure. Degus (Octodon degus) are plurally breeding rodents, in which females allonurse indiscriminately. However, communal rearing does not appear to enhance female reproductive success, and larger group sizes are correlated with decreasing per capita pup production. To further investigate mechanisms underlying these patterns, we asked how differences in sex, season and average group reproductive success are related to degu association networks. We hypothesized that if reproductive differences mirror social relationships, then females (core group members) should show stronger and more stable associations than males, and female association strength should be strongest during lactation. We also hypothesized that, at the group level, social cohesion would increase reproductive output, while social conflict would decrease it. Females did have higher association strength and more preferred partners than males, but only during lactation, when overall female associations increased. Females also had more stable preferred social partnerships between seasons. A measure of social cohesion (average association strength) was not related to per capita pup production of female group members, but potential social conflict (heterogeneity of association strengths) was negatively related to per capita pup production of female group members. Our results highlight temporal and multilevel patterns of social structure that may reflect reproductive costs and benefits to females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina W. Wey
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Joseph R. Burger
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, U.S.A
| | - Luis A. Ebensperger
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loren D. Hayes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN, U.S.A
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Ebensperger LA, Rivera DS, Hayes LD. Direct fitness of group living mammals varies with breeding strategy, climate and fitness estimates. J Anim Ecol 2012; 81:1013-23. [PMID: 22384924 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.01973.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
1. Understanding how variation in fitness relates to variation in group living remains critical to determine whether this major aspect of social behaviour is currently adaptive. 2. Available evidence in social mammals aimed to examine this issue remains controversial. Studies show positive (i.e. potentially adaptive), neutral or even negative fitness effects of group living. 3. Attempts to explain this variation rely on intrinsic and extrinsic factors to social groups. Thus, relatively more positive fitness effects are predicted in singularly breeding as opposed to plural breeding species. Fitness effects of sociality in turn may depend on ecological conditions (i.e. extrinsic factors) that influence associated benefits and costs. 4. We used meta-analytic tools to review how breeding strategy or ecological conditions influence the effect size associated with direct fitness-sociality relationships reported in the mammalian literature. Additionally, we determined how taxonomic affiliation of species studied, different fitness and sociality measures used, and major climatic conditions of study sites explained any variation in direct fitness effect size. 5. We found group living had modest, yet positive effects on direct fitness. This generally adaptive scenario was contingent not only upon breeding strategy and climate of study sites, but also on fitness measures examined. Thus, positive and significant effects characterized singular as opposed to plural breeding strategies. 6. We found more positive fitness effects on studies conducted in tropical as opposed to temperate or arid climates. More positive and significant effects were noted on studies that relied on group fecundity, male fecundity and offspring survival as measures of fitness. 7. To conclude, direct fitness consequences of mammalian group living are driven by interspecific differences in breeding strategy and climate conditions. Other factors not examined in this study, namely individual variation in direct and indirect fitness benefits and potential interactions between social and ecological conditions, may be important and require further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Ebensperger
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología and Biodiversidad (CASEB), and Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile.
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Burger JR, Chesh AS, Muñoz P, Fredes F, Ebensperger LA, Hayes LD. Sociality, exotic ectoparasites, and fitness in the plural breeding rodent Octodon degus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012; 66:57-66. [PMID: 22328801 PMCID: PMC3277428 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1252-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Social animals are susceptible to high infection levels by contact-transmitted parasites due to increased conspecific interaction. Exotic parasites are known to have adverse consequences on native hosts. We examined the relationship between social group size and exotic ectoparasite loads, and adult infection levels with per capita fitness and offspring survival in the plural breeding rodent Octodon degus in central Chile. Degus at our site were almost entirely infected by two exotic ectoparasites: the fleas Leptopsylla segnis and Xenopsylla cheopis. Neither group size nor number of females per group predicted the abundance of either exotic flea species. The per capita number of pups (per capita fitness) that emerged from burrow systems used by known social groups was negatively correlated with abundance of L. segnis but not X. cheopis. On adults, X. cheopis abundance was three times greater than L. segnis but was not significantly correlated with per capita fitness. In females, L. segnis abundance was negatively correlated with peak body mass during pregnancy. Adult ectoparasite load was not correlated with offspring survival. Based on these results, we hypothesize that high infection levels of L. segnis result in decreased reproductive fitness of adult female degus but are not a cost of sociality because parasite loads are not predicted by social group size. Further work is needed to experimentally test this hypothesis and to determine if L. segnis serves as a vector for a deleterious pathogen. Lastly, the lack of native ectoparasites may explain why a previous study at our site determined that behavioral adaptations needed to cope with high ectoparasite burdens (e.g., grooming) are not extensive in degus; they simply have not had the coevolutionary time needed for selection of these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R. Burger
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209, USA
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Adrian S. Chesh
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209, USA
| | - Pamela Muñoz
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Fernando Fredes
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis A. Ebensperger
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología y Biodiversidad, Departmento de Ecología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loren D. Hayes
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209, USA
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31
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Roldan M, Soler M. Parental-care parasitism: how do unrelated offspring attain acceptance by foster parents? Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Hayes LD, Burger JR, Soto-Gamboa M, Sobrero R, Ebensperger LA. Towards an integrative model of sociality in caviomorph rodents. J Mammal 2011; 92:65-77. [PMID: 22328791 PMCID: PMC3277430 DOI: 10.1644/10-mamm-s-039.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the late 1990s and early 2000s it was recognized that behavioral ecologists needed to study the sociality of caviomorph rodents (New World hystricognaths) before generalizations about rodent sociality could be made. Researchers identified specific problems facing individuals interested in caviomorph sociality, including a lack of information on the proximate mechanisms of sociality, role of social environment in development, and geographical or intraspecific variation in social systems. Since then researchers have described the social systems of many previously understudied species, including some with broad geographical ranges. Researchers have done a good job of determining the role of social environments in development and identifying the costs and benefits of social living. However, relatively little is known about the proximate mechanisms of social behavior and fitness consequences, limiting progress toward the development of integrative (evolutionary-mechanistic) models for sociality. To develop integrative models behavioral ecologists studying caviomorph rodents must generate information on the fitness consequences of different types of social organization, brain mechanisms, and endocrine substrates of sociality. We review our current understanding and future directions for research in these conceptual areas. A greater understanding of disease ecology, particularly in species carrying Old World parasites, is needed before we can identify potential links between social phenotypes, mechanism, and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren D. Hayes
- Department of Biology, 700 University Avenue, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 72109, USA
| | - Joseph Robert Burger
- Department of Biology, 700 University Avenue, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 72109, USA
- Department of Biology, MSC03 2020/1, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Mauricio Soto-Gamboa
- Instituto de Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Isla teja S/N, Casilla 567, Chile
| | - Raúl Sobrero
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología y Biodiversidad and Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 340, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis A Ebensperger
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología y Biodiversidad and Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 340, Santiago, Chile
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Allosuckling allows growing offspring to compensate for insufficient maternal milk in farmed guanacos (Lama guanicoe). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2009.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Hoogland JL. Nursing of own and foster offspring by Utah prairie dogs (Cynomys parvidens). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0763-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Zapata B, González BA, Ebensperger LA. Allonursing in Captive Guanacos,Lama guanicoe: Milk Theft or Misdirected Parental Care? Ethology 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01660.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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37
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Hayes LD, Chesh AS, Castro RA, Tolhuysen LO, Burger JR, Bhattacharjee J, Ebensperger LA. Fitness consequences of group living in the degu Octodon degus, a plural breeder rodent with communal care. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Hasselquist D, Nilsson JA. Maternal transfer of antibodies in vertebrates: trans-generational effects on offspring immunity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2009; 364:51-60. [PMID: 18926976 PMCID: PMC2666691 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal effects by which females provide their offspring with non-genetic factors such as hormones, nutrients and antibodies can have an important impact on offspring fitness. In vertebrates, maternal antibodies (matAb) are transferred from the mother, via the placenta, egg yolk or milk during lactation to offspring until they are 2 weeks (birds), 4-10 weeks (rodents) and 9 months (humans) old, respectively. matAb transfer can have direct effects on offspring growth rate in birds and rodents, probably by passively protecting the newborn from common pathogens before their endogenous immune system has matured. Indirect long-term effects of matAb transfer on the offspring's own immunity can be synergistic, if matAb act as antigen templates of the accumulated immunological experience of the mother and educate the newborn's immune system. However, it may also be suppressive if matAb reduce antigen presentation to the newborn resulting in antigen-specific blocking of offspring endogenous immunity. Our aim is to review the mechanisms and direct effects of matAb transfer in vertebrates with an emphasis on birds, outline a framework for research on the long-term effects of matAb on the endogenous immune system of the mature offspring and encourage ecological and evolutionary studies of matAb transfer in non-domesticated animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Hasselquist
- Department of Animal Ecology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden.
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Boulinier T, Staszewski V. Maternal transfer of antibodies: raising immuno-ecology issues. Trends Ecol Evol 2008; 23:282-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2007.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2007] [Revised: 12/20/2007] [Accepted: 12/21/2007] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Baldovino MC, Di Bitetti MS. Allonursing in Tufted Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus nigritus): Milk or Pacifier? Folia Primatol (Basel) 2008; 79:79-92. [PMID: 17893441 DOI: 10.1159/000108780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2006] [Accepted: 04/22/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Allonursing, the behaviour of females nursing offspring that are not their own, is relatively frequent in capuchin monkeys. Using focal-animal sampling and ad libitum observations we describe the pattern of allonursing in a wild group of tufted capuchins, Cebus nigritus (4 cohorts, 22 infants), at Iguazú National Park, north-eastern Argentina, and test several hypotheses on the adaptive value of allonursing. During 2,351 contact hours with the group (including 4,207 focal-animal samples totalizing 329 h focused on infants) we observed 39 allonursing bouts. Infants were not allonursed more frequently by close kin than by more distant allomothers. Offspring of dominant females were allonursed more frequently than those of low-ranking females. Nursing bouts were longer than allonursing bouts. Our results suggest that allonursing in tufted capuchins has a social function and is not mainly aimed at providing milk to infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Celia Baldovino
- Asociación Civil Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico, Puerto Iguazú, Argentina.
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Illmann G, Pokorná Z, Špinka M. Allosuckling in domestic pigs: Teat acquisition strategy and consequences. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2006.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Access to mutualistic endosymbiotic microbes: an underappreciated benefit of group living. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0428-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Hayes LD, Solomon NG. A Comparison of the Maternal Care of Females within Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster) Communal Groups. Ethology 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01344.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Becker MI, De Ioannes AE, León C, Ebensperger LA. Females of the communally breeding rodent, Octodon degus, transfer antibodies to their offspring during pregnancy and lactation. J Reprod Immunol 2007; 74:68-77. [PMID: 17276515 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2007.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2006] [Revised: 10/30/2006] [Accepted: 01/03/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Females in numerous rodent species engage in communal nesting and breeding, meaning that they share a nest to rear their young together. One potential benefit to communally nesting mothers is that infants improve their immunocompetence. Thus, suckling from two or more females might provide newborns with a more diverse array of antibodies and defensive cells. As a first step toward testing the immunocompetence hypothesis, we assessed whether female degus (Octodon degus), a communally nesting and breeding caviomorph rodent, transfer immunoglobulins to their young through the yolk sac or placenta while in the uterus and, during lactation, through milk. With this aim, adult degu females were immunized with four antigens, including two mollusk hemocyanins from Concholepas and Megathura (CCH and KLH, respectively), porcine thyroglobulin and tetanus toxoid. Specific antibodies against the experimental antigens were used to track the origin of antibodies in the young. To establish the presence of specific antibodies of IgG and IgA isotypes in sera and milk of animals, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed. Degu females produced specific antibodies against antigens not found in their natural environment, and mothers were able to transfer the induced antibodies to their litters during pregnancy (IgG) and during lactation (IgA). However, we recorded only limited evidence of degu offspring acquiring antibodies from lactating mothers other than their own, giving little support to the increased immunocompetence hypothesis.
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Nutt KJ. Genetic reconstruction of breeding patterns in gundis (Rodentia: Ctenodactylidae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0396-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Edelman AJ, Koprowski JL. Communal Nesting in Asocial Abert's Squirrels: the Role of Social Thermoregulation and Breeding Strategy. Ethology 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01310.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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An experimental examination of the consequences of communal versus solitary breeding on maternal condition and the early postnatal growth and survival of degu, Octodon degus, pups. Anim Behav 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Ebensperger LA, Hurtado MJ, Valdivia I. Lactating Females Do Not Discriminate Between Their Own Young and Unrelated Pups in the Communally Breeding Rodent, Octodon degus. Ethology 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01251.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Alloparenting in Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus): correlations with misdirected care and other observations. J ETHOL 2006. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-006-0001-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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