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Amstislavsky S, Brusentsev E, Lebedeva D, Rozhkova I, Rakhmanova T, Okotrub S, Kozeneva V, Igonina T, Babochkina T. Effect of cryopreservation on Odc1 and RhoA genes expression in diapausing mouse blastocysts. Reprod Domest Anim 2024; 59:e14576. [PMID: 38712681 DOI: 10.1111/rda.14576] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The possibility of embryo cryopreservation is important for applying the genome resource banking (GRB) concept to those mammalian species that exhibit embryonal diapause in their early development. Odc1 encodes ODC1, which is a key enzyme in polyamine synthesis. RhoA is an essential part of Rho/ROCK system. Both Odc1 and RhoA play an important role in preimplantation embryo development. Studying these systems in mammalian species with obligate or experimentally designed embryonic diapause may provide insight into the molecular machinery underlying embryo dormancy and re-activation. The effect of cryopreservation procedures on the expression of the Odc1 and RhoA in diapausing embryos has not been properly studied yet. The purpose of this work is to address the possibility of cryopreservation diapausing embryos and to estimate the expression of the Odc1 and RhoA genes in diapausing and non-diapausing embryos before and after freeze-thaw procedures using ovariectomized progesterone treated mice as a model. Both diapausing and non-diapausing in vivo-derived embryos continued their development in vitro after freezing-thawing as evidenced by blastocoel re-expansion. Although cryopreservation dramatically decreased the expression of the Odc1 and RhoA genes in non-diapausing embryos, no such effects have been observed in diapausing embryos where these genes were already at the low level before freeze-thaw procedures. Future studies may attempt to facilitate the re-activation of diapausing embryos, for example frozen-thawed ones, specifically targeting Odc1 or Rho/ROCK system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei Amstislavsky
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Eugeny Brusentsev
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Daria Lebedeva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Irina Rozhkova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Tamara Rakhmanova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Svetlana Okotrub
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Varvara Kozeneva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Tatyana Igonina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Tatyana Babochkina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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2
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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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van Lieshout SHJ, Badás EP, Bright Ross JG, Bretman A, Newman C, Buesching CD, Burke T, Macdonald DW, Dugdale HL. Early-life seasonal, weather and social effects on telomere length in a wild mammal. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5993-6007. [PMID: 34101279 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Early-life environmental conditions can provide a source of individual variation in life-history strategies and senescence patterns. Conditions experienced in early life can be quantified by measuring telomere length, which can act as a biomarker of survival probability in some species. Here, we investigate whether seasonal changes, weather conditions and group size are associated with early-life and/or early-adulthood telomere length in a wild population of European badgers (Meles meles). We found substantial intra-annual changes in telomere length during the first 3 years of life, where within-individual effects showed shorter telomere lengths in the winter following the first spring and a trend for longer telomere lengths in the second spring compared to the first winter. In terms of weather conditions, cubs born in warmer, wetter springs with low rainfall variability had longer early-life (3-12 months old) telomeres. Additionally, cubs born in groups with more cubs had marginally longer early-life telomeres, providing no evidence of resource constraint from cub competition. We also found that the positive association between early-life telomere length and cub survival probability remained when social and weather variables were included. Finally, after sexual maturity, in early adulthood (i.e., 12-36 months) we found no significant association between same-sex adult group size and telomere length (i.e., no effect of intrasexual competition). Overall, we show that controlling for seasonal effects, which are linked to food availability, is important in telomere length analyses, and that variation in telomere length in badgers reflects early-life conditions and also predicts first year cub survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sil H J van Lieshout
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,NERC Environmental Omics Visitor Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Elisa P Badás
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Julius G Bright Ross
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK
| | - Amanda Bretman
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK.,Department of Biology, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC Environmental Omics Visitor Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Abingdon, UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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4
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Newman C, Tsai MS, Buesching CD, Holland PWH, Macdonald DW. The genome sequence of the European badger, Meles meles (Linnaeus, 1758). Wellcome Open Res 2022. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18230.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a haplotype resolved, diploid genome assembly from a male Meles meles (European badger; Chordata; Mammalia; Carnivora; Mustelidae) using the trio binning approach. The genome sequence is 2,739 megabases in span. The majority of the assembly (95.16%) is scaffolded into 23 chromosomal pseudomolecules with the X and Y sex chromosomes assembled. The complete mitochondrial genome was also assembled and is 16.4 kilobases in length.
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Peeva S, Raichev E, Georgiev D, Yankov Y, Tsunoda H, Kaneko Y. European badger's mating activities associated with moon phase. J ETHOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-022-00762-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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6
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Dekker ML, van Son LM, Leon-Kloosterziel KM, Hagmayer A, Furness AI, van Leeuwen JL, Pollux BJA. Multiple paternity in superfetatious live-bearing fishes. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:948-961. [PMID: 35612319 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Superfetation, the ability to carry several overlapping broods at different developmental stages, has evolved independently multiple times within the live-bearing fish family Poeciliidae. Even though superfetation is widespread among poeciliids, its evolutionary advantages remain unclear. Theory predicts that superfetation should increase polyandry by increasing the probability that temporally overlapping broods are fertilized by different fathers. Here, we test this key prediction in two poeciliid species that each carry two temporally overlapping broods: Poeciliopsis retropinna and P. turrubarensis. We collected 25 females per species from freshwater streams in South-Eastern Costa Rica and assessed multiple paternity by genotyping all their embryos (420 embryos for P. retropinna; 788 embryos for P. turrubarensis) using existing and newly developed microsatellite markers. We observed a high frequency of unique sires in the simultaneous, temporally overlapping broods in P. retropinna (in 56% of the pregnant females) and P. turrubarensis (79%). We found that the mean number of sires within females was higher than the number of sires within the separate broods (2.92 sires within mothers vs. 2.36 within separate broods in P. retropinna; and 3.40 vs 2.56 in P. turrubarensis). We further observed that there were significant differences in the proportion of offspring sired by each male in 42% of pregnant female P. retropinna and 65% of female P. turrubarensis; however, this significance applied to only 9% and 46% of the individual broods in P. retropinna and P. turrubarensis, respectively, suggesting that the unequal reproductive success of sires (i.e. reproductive skew) mostly originated from differences in paternal contribution between, rather than within broods. Together, these findings tentatively suggest that superfetation may promote polyandry and reproductive skew in live-bearing fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrthe L Dekker
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa M van Son
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Andres Hagmayer
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew I Furness
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Johan L van Leeuwen
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bart J A Pollux
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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7
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Tsai MS, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. Adverse weather during in utero development is linked to higher rates of later-life herpesvirus reactivation in adult European badgers, Meles meles. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211749. [PMID: 35582658 PMCID: PMC9091846 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune and/or metabolic conditions relating to stress or nutritional status can affect in utero development among offspring with subsequent implications for later-life responses to infections. We used free-ranging European badgers as a host-pathogen model to investigate how prenatal weather conditions affect later-life herpesvirus genital tract reactivation. We applied a sliding window analysis of weather conditions to 164 samples collected in 2018 from 95 individuals born between 2005-2016. We test if the monthly mean and variation in rainfall and temperature experienced by their mother during the 12 months of delayed implantation and gestation prior to parturition subsequently affected individual herpes reactivation rates among these offspring. We identified four influential prenatal seasonal weather windows that corresponded with previously identified critical climatic conditions affecting badger survival, fecundity and body condition. These all occurred during the pre-implantation rather than the post-implantation period. We conclude that environmental cues during the in utero period of delayed implantation may result in changes that affect an individual's developmental programming against infection or viral reactivation later in life. This illustrates how prenatal adversity caused by environmental factors, such as climate change, can impact wildlife health and population dynamics-an interaction largely overlooked in wildlife management and conservation programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-shan Tsai
- Department of Zoology, Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Chris Newman
- Department of Zoology, Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
- Cook's Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Department of Zoology, Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Christina D. Buesching
- Cook's Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Department of Biology, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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Pokorny B, Cerri J, Bužan E. Wildlife roadkill and COVID‐19: a biologically significant, but heterogeneous, reduction. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Boštjan Pokorny
- Environmental Protection College, Trg mladosti 7 Velenje Slovenia
- Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Jacopo Cerri
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8 Koper Slovenia
| | - Elena Bužan
- Environmental Protection College, Trg mladosti 7 Velenje Slovenia
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies University of Primorska, Glagoljaška 8 Koper Slovenia
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Halley AC. The Tempo of Mammalian Embryogenesis: Variation in the Pace of Brain and Body Development. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2022; 97:96-107. [PMID: 35189619 PMCID: PMC9187598 DOI: 10.1159/000523715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Why do some species develop rapidly, while others develop slowly? Mammals are highly variable in the pace of growth and development over every stage of ontogeny, and this basic variable - the pace of ontogeny - is strongly associated with a wide range of phenotypes in adults, including allometric patterns of brain and body size, as well as the pace of neurodevelopment. This analysis describes variation in the pace of embryonic development in eutherian mammals, drawing on a collected dataset of embryogenesis in fifteen species representing rodents, carnivores, ungulates, and primates. Mammals vary in the pace of every stage of embryogenesis, including stages of early zygote differentiation, blastulation and implantation, gastrulation, neurulation, somitogenesis, and later stages of basic limb, facial, and brain development. This comparative review focuses on the general variation of rapid vs. slow mammalian embryogenesis, with a focus on the pace of somite formation, brain vs. somatic development, and how embryonic pacing predicts later features of ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Halley
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
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10
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Silva M, Rosalino LM, Alcobia S, Santos-Reis M. Sett Use, Density and Breeding Phenology of Badgers in Mediterranean Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Systems. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11092663. [PMID: 34573629 PMCID: PMC8471938 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092663] [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: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Understanding carnivores social structure variation is pivotal for properly addressing conservation challenges and solutions. The European badgers is a social carnivore for which most of the available information regarding how this species is socially organized derives from central west populations. This article describes the group composition, den use patterns and breeding phenology of a Mediterranean population of badgers. We showed that badger live in low density, in relatively small groups, composed by 2–4 adult animals and ca. 2 cubs, born in winter. These patterns, representing a variation of what was described for other populations, show that badgers take advantage of the landscape context, where human-related resources and mild environmental conditions allow badger to reach higher densities than in many southern populations, and to reproduce earlier than their northern counterparts. Abstract Carnivores social organization varies widely, from strongly social to solitary predators. European badgers are facultative social carnivores that also shows a geographical variation in social structure. These patterns derive mainly from central/west European regions, with an under-representation of Mediterranean populations that face different conservation challenges, especially regarding group composition, sett use patterns and breeding phenology. We addressed these traits topics for a population inhabiting a Portuguese agro-silvo-pastoral system. Based on monthly monitoring of 34 setts and continuous camera-trapping surveys of 12, we showed that setts surrounded by diversified vegetation and located in sandy sites are more used, a pattern probably linked to food availability and ease of sett excavation and maintenance, respectively. Badgers followed a general pattern regarding group size (2–4 adults), but showed an intermediate population density (0.49–0.73 badgers/km2), with values higher than those estimated for other Mediterranean environments, but lower than for central-western populations. This, together with the breeding (November/January) and cub emergence (1.8 cubs/sett; March/April) periods, indicates an ecological adaptation to the landscape context, where human-related resources and mild environmental conditions allow badger to reach higher densities than in many southern populations, and to reproduce earlier than their northern counterparts.
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Sugianto NA, Heistermann M, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. Alternative reproductive strategies provide a flexible mechanism for assuring mating success in the European badgers (Meles meles): An investigation from hormonal measures. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 310:113823. [PMID: 34044013 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Selection-pressures differ with population density, but few studies investigate how this can affect reproductive physiology. European badger (Meles meles) density varies from solitary to group-living across their range, with reported mating periods throughout the entire year to specific seasonal periods. Badger reproduction is evolutionarily distinct, interrupting the direct progression from conception to gestation with delayed implantation (DI), allowing for superfecundation (SF). To establish the tactical mating flexibility afforded by DI*SF, we used cross-sectional population-level seasonal variation of circulating sex-steroids for 97 females from a high-density population. Oestradiol was highest in spring among non-parous females, then lower in summer, and remained low during following seasons, suggesting that the mating period was restricted to just spring. Oestrone was consistently higher than oestradiol; it was elevated in spring, lowest during summer, peaked in autumn, and remained elevated for pregnant females in winter. This suggests that oestrone sustains pre-implanted blastocysts throughout DI. Progesterone was low throughout, except during winter pregnancy, associated with implantation and luteal development. In contrast to multiple mating periods reported by lower-density studies, our oestradiol data suggest that, at high-density, females exhibit only one mating period (congruent with testosterone patterns in males studied previously in this same population). While additional mating periods during DI enhance fertility assurance at low-density, at high-density, we propose that when coitus is frequent, fertilisation is assured, precluding the need for further cycles and associated mating risks. This endocrinologically flexible DI*SF mating strategy likely represents a form of balancing selection, allowing badgers to succeed at a range of regional densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Adrianna Sugianto
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Cook's Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Cook's Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Biology, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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Sugianto NA, Dehnhard M, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. A non-invasive method to assess the reproductive status of the European badger (Meles meles) from urinary sex-steroid metabolites. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 301:113655. [PMID: 33152349 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Due to their unique reproductive physiology and behaviour, European badgers (Meles meles) are often used as a model to study mammalian reproduction. For reproductive endocrinology, circulating hormone levels are conventionally measured directly from blood samples. However, routine blood sampling is often not practical for wild animals and may induce stress affecting measurement accuracy. Non-invasive alternatives are thus of interest. Circulating hormones are metabolized through different routes, either by the kidneys, to be excreted through urine, or by the liver, to be excreted through faeces. These metabolites can thus be used as a proxy of hormone measurements, provided the species-specific metabolic characteristics are known. Here we tested the suitability of measuring urinary metabolites of circulating plasma sex-steroid hormones (testosterone in males and oestrogen in females) with enzyme immunoassays to assess the reproductive status of the European badger (Meles meles). Biological validation evidenced that urinary testosterone metabolite (UTM) and urinary total oestrogen metabolite (UEM) excretion patterns both corresponded with seasonal badger reproductive patterns on a population level, signaling correlation over a broad time frame. On an individual level, concurrent sampling of urine and plasma showed that male plasma testosterone and UTM levels correlated significantly across seasons, but no short term correlation was evident for total oestrogen and UEM in females. Thus, in badgers, urinary sex-steroid metabolites can be used reliably in the short term to assess male reproductive status at the individual level, but only at the broader population level for females.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Dehnhard
- Endocrinology Laboratory of Leibniz-Institut für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Cook's Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Cook's Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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Paulson EE, Comizzoli P. Endometrial receptivity and embryo implantation in carnivores-commonalities and differences with other mammalian species. Biol Reprod 2021; 104:771-783. [PMID: 33412583 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometrial receptivity and embryo implantation processes are a major point of pregnancy failure in many mammalian species, including humans. Although reproductive biology in many carnivore species remains enigmatic, the few that have been studied so far are invaluable comparative models. The goals of this review are to (1) summarize current data on the mechanisms involved in uterine receptivity and embryo implantation in carnivores, including commonalities and differences with other mammalian species and (2) identify research priorities to better understand a key phenomenon in a critical group of mammals. Besides unique reproductive traits in some carnivores (induced vs. spontaneous ovulation in cats, ovulation at the germinal vesicle stage in dogs), preimplantation embryo development is comparable with other orders. However, the timing of implantation varies, especially in species having an embryonic diapause. Mechanisms involved in endometrial receptivity and decidualization still remain to be fully understood, but specific markers have already been identified. Importantly, the use of endogenous hormones to control the ovarian activity may impact endometrial receptivity and subsequent embryo implantation. Next, research efforts should take advantage of advanced technologies to further study embryo implantation in carnivores and to provide more relevant models to reproductive medicine or for the conservation of rare and endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Elinor Paulson
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Pierre Comizzoli
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC, USA
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van Lieshout SHJ, Sparks AM, Bretman A, Newman C, Buesching CD, Burke T, Macdonald DW, Dugdale HL. Estimation of environmental, genetic and parental age at conception effects on telomere length in a wild mammal. J Evol Biol 2020; 34:296-308. [PMID: 33113164 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Understanding individual variation in fitness-related traits requires separating the environmental and genetic determinants. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that are thought to be a biomarker of senescence as their length predicts mortality risk and reflect the physiological consequences of environmental conditions. The relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to individual variation in telomere length is, however, unclear, yet important for understanding its evolutionary dynamics. In particular, the evidence for transgenerational effects, in terms of parental age at conception, on telomere length is mixed. Here, we investigate the heritability of telomere length, using the 'animal model', and parental age at conception effects on offspring telomere length in a wild population of European badgers (Meles meles). Although we found no heritability of telomere length and low evolvability (<0.001), our power to detect heritability was low and a repeatability of 2% across individual lifetimes provides a low upper limit to ordinary narrow-sense heritability. However, year (32%) and cohort (3%) explained greater proportions of the phenotypic variance in telomere length, excluding qPCR plate and row variances. There was no support for cross-sectional or within-individual parental age at conception effects on offspring telomere length. Our results indicate a lack of transgenerational effects through parental age at conception and a low potential for evolutionary change in telomere length in this population. Instead, we provide evidence that individual variation in telomere length is largely driven by environmental variation in this wild mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sil H J van Lieshout
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Alexandra M Sparks
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Amanda Bretman
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon, UK
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon, UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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15
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Tsai MS, Fogarty U, Byrne AW, O’Keeffe J, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. Effects of Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1 (MusGHV-1) Reactivation in European Badger ( Meles meles) Genital Tracts on Reproductive Fitness. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9090769. [PMID: 32962280 PMCID: PMC7559395 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9090769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactivation of latent Gammaherpesvirus in the genital tract can lead to reproductive failure in domestic animals. Nevertheless, this pathophysiology has not received formal study in wild mammals. High prevalence of Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1 (MusGHV-1) DNA detected in the genital tracts of European badgers (Meles meles) implies that this common pathogen may be a sexual transmitted infection. Here we used PCR to test MusGHV-1 DNA prevalence in genital swabs collected from 144 wild badgers in Ireland (71 males, 73 females) to investigate impacts on male fertility indicators (sperm abundance and testes weight) and female fecundity (current reproductive output). MusGHV-1 reactivation had a negative effect on female reproduction, but not on male fertility; however males had a higher risk of MusGHV-1 reactivation than females, especially during the late-winter mating season, and genital MusGHV-1 reactivation differed between age classes, where 3–5 year old adults had significantly lower reactivation rates than younger or older ones. Negative results in foetal tissues from MusGHV-1 positive mothers indicated that cross-placental transmission was unlikely. This study has broader implications for how wide-spread gammaherpesvirus infections could affect reproductive performance in wild Carnivora species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-shan Tsai
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Ursula Fogarty
- Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co. Kildare W91 RH93, Ireland;
| | - Andrew W. Byrne
- One-Health Scientific Support Unit, Department of Agriculture, Agriculture House, Dublin 2 DO2 WK12, Ireland;
| | - James O’Keeffe
- Department of Agriculture, Agriculture House, Dublin 2 DO2 WK1, Ireland;
- Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 D04 W6F6, Ireland
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
- Cook’s Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, NS B0J 2H0, Canada
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
| | - Christina D. Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
- Cook’s Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, NS B0J 2H0, Canada
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16
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Reproduction success in European badgers, red foxes and raccoon dogs in relation to sett cohabitation. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237642. [PMID: 32797065 PMCID: PMC7433744 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The setts of the European badger Meles meles can be cohabited
during reproductive season by the red fox Vulpes vulpes and
raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides. There is no information
on the possible impact of both species on the size of badgers’ litter. The aim
of the study was to show the influence of cohabitation of the same setts by
badger, raccoon dog and fox on the litter size. The research was conducted in
2012–2014 and 2018 in the lowland forests of western Poland. We conducted the
survey of setts by direct observations and analysis of photographic material
from trap cameras during mid-April–July each year. We recorded 85 badger
litters, 18 fox litters, and 15 raccoon dog litters. Average litter size was
1.71 (±0.90), 2.44 (±1.34) and 4.93 (±2.76) litter mates in badgers, foxes and
raccoon dogs, respectively for all observed pairs. Badger litter size did not
differ between setts used only by badgers including pairs with no cubs (1.66 ±
0.98) and cohabited with foxes (1.90 ± 0.32) or raccoon dogs (1.88 ± 0.81).
However, foxes reared even more cubs in setts cohabited with badgers than when
badger was absent (2.90 ± 1.37 vs. 1.88 ± 1.13 respectively). In the case of
raccoon dogs, there were no differences in the mean number of their cubs in
setts with badgers (5.25 ± 2.92) and without badgers (4.57 ± 2.76). The results
indicate that the cohabitation of setts by badgers, foxes and raccoon dogs does
not affect litter size negatively.
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17
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Dean R, Yamaguchi N. Does the combination of embryonic diapause and superfoetation occur in the stoat
Mustela erminea
? A reinterpretation of existing data. Mamm Rev 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12217] [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]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nobuyuki Yamaguchi
- Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development University Malaysia Terengganu Kuala Nerus21030Malaysia
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18
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Charlton BD, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. Male European badger churrs: insights into call function and motivational basis. Mamm Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-020-00033-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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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19
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Bright Ross JG, Newman C, Buesching CD, Macdonald DW. What lies beneath? Population dynamics conceal pace-of-life and sex ratio variation, with implications for resilience to environmental change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:3307-3324. [PMID: 32243650 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Life-history and pace-of-life syndrome theory predict that populations are comprised of individuals exhibiting different reproductive schedules and associated behavioural and physiological traits, optimized to prevailing social and environmental factors. Changing weather and social conditions provide in situ cues altering this life-history optimality; nevertheless, few studies have considered how tactical, sex-specific plasticity over an individual's lifespan varies in wild populations and influences population resilience. We examined the drivers of individual life-history schedules using 31 years of trapping data and 28 years of pedigree for the European badger (Meles meles L.), a long-lived, iteroparous, polygynandrous mammal that exhibits heterochrony in the timing of endocrinological puberty in male cubs. Our top model for the effects of environmental (social and weather) conditions during a badger's first year on pace-of-life explained <10% of variance in the ratio of fertility to age at first reproduction (F/α) and lifetime reproductive success. Conversely, sex ratio (SR) and sex-specific density explained 52.8% (males) and 91.0% (females) of variance in adult F/α ratios relative to the long-term population median F/α. Weather primarily affected the sexes at different life-history stages, with energy constraints limiting the onset of male reproduction but playing a large role in female strategic energy allocation, particularly in relation to ongoing mean temperature increases. Furthermore, the effects of social factors on age of first reproduction and year-to-year reproductive success covaried differently with sex, likely due to sex-specific responses to potential mate availability. For females, low same-sex densities favoured early primiparity; for males, instead, up to 10% of yearlings successfully mated at high same-sex densities. We observed substantial SR dynamism relating to differential mortality of life-history strategists within the population, and propose that shifting ratios of 'fast' and 'slow' life-history strategists contribute substantially to population dynamics and resilience to changing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius G Bright Ross
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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20
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Sugianto NA, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. Reproductive and Somatic Senescence in the European Badger (Meles meles): Evidence from Lifetime Sex-Steroid Profiles. ZOOLOGY 2020; 141:125803. [PMID: 32574816 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Among the Carnivora, there is sparse evidence for any substantive fitness benefits of post reproductive lifespan (PRLS, survival after reproductive cessation, RC). Using the European badger (Meles meles) as a model species, we analyzed sex-specific cross-sectional endocrinological and morphological data to investigate: 1) age-dependent reproductive decline in sex-steroid levels versus prime reproductive age; 2) age-dependent declines in somatic condition and reproductive advertisement (from subcaudal scent gland secretion); 3) changes in reproductive success with age due to somatic and endocrinological decline; 4) occurrence of RC, PRLS, and post reproductive representation (PrR) in the population with reference to pre-pubescent hormone levels and evidenced by fewer cub assignments from pedigree. We provide strong evidence for a gradual, not abrupt, decline in sex-steroid levels with age, with both sexes following a concave (down) quadratic trend. For both sexes, the onset of decline in somatic condition commenced at the age of 3 years. In contrast, decline in reproductive hormones started at age ca. 5.5 years in females and 6 years in males, with similar rates of decline thereafter. Subcaudal gland secretion volume also decreased in both sexes, especially after age 5, suggesting less investment in reproductive advertisement. After age 3, fewer (surviving) females were assigned cubs. This coincided with the onset of somatic decline but came earlier than hormonal decline (5.5 years onwards). The decrease in offspring assignments commenced later in males at age 5-6 years; concomitant with onset of testosterone decline at 6 years. This suggests that, contrary to females, in males declining body condition does not preclude reproductive success (no 'restraint') in advance of hormonal senescence ('constraint'). There was evidence of female PRLS, with very old adults living up to 2.59 ± 1.29 years after RC; although in males this evidence was weaker. We discuss the implications of these findings for RC and PRLS in the context of adaptive and non-adaptive hypotheses. There was evidence of over 2 years of Post Reproductive Life Span in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Adrianna Sugianto
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK.
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21
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22
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Rosen LE, Fogarty U, O’Keeffe JJ, Olea-Popelka FJ. Monitoring European badger (Meles meles) reproduction under evolving bovine tuberculosis management in Ireland. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1340-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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23
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Lieshout SHJ, Bretman A, Newman C, Buesching CD, Macdonald DW, Dugdale HL. Individual variation in early‐life telomere length and survival in a wild mammal. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:4152-4165. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sil H. J. Lieshout
- School of Biology Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Amanda Bretman
- School of Biology Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of Oxford Abingdon UK
| | - Christina D. Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of Oxford Abingdon UK
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of Oxford Abingdon UK
| | - Hannah L. Dugdale
- School of Biology Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds UK
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24
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Lodé T. A brief natural history of the orgasm. ALL LIFE 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/21553769.2019.1664642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Lodé
- Laboratoire d’Éthologie Animale et Humaine EthoS–UMR-CNRS 6552, Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France
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25
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Sugianto N, Newman C, Macdonald D, Buesching C. Extrinsic factors affecting cub development contribute to sexual size dimorphism in the European badger (Meles meles). ZOOLOGY 2019; 135:125688. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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26
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Evaluation of a single-shot gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunocontraceptive vaccine in captive badgers. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1296-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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27
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Drews B, Rudolf Vegas A, van der Weijden VA, Milojevic V, Hankele AK, Schuler G, Ulbrich SE. Do ovarian steroid hormones control the resumption of embryonic growth following the period of diapause in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)? Reprod Biol 2019; 19:149-157. [PMID: 31147267 DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Embryonic diapause in the European roe deer includes a period of five months from August to December in which embryonic development is extremely decelerated. Following exit from diapause, the embryo rapidly elongates and subsequently implants. In diapausing carnivores and marsupials, resumption of embryonic growth is regulated by ovarian steroid hormones. In the roe deer, the role of steroid hormones is not known to date. In the present study, progesterone (P4), estradiol-17β (E2) and total estrogens (Etot) were determined in blood plasma and endometrium of roe deer shot in the course of regular huntings between September and December. Steroid hormone concentrations were correlated to the corresponding size of the embryo derived from ex vivo uterine flushing and to the date of sampling. The mean plasma concentrations of P4 (5.4 ± 0.2 ng/ml, mean ± SE, N = 87), E2 (24.3 ± 2.6 pg/ml, N = 86) and Etot (21.7 ± 2.6 pg/ml, N = 78) remained constant over the sampling period and were not correlated to embryonic size. Likewise, endometrial concentrations of P4 (66.1 ± 6.5 ng/g), E2 (284.0 ± 24.43 pg/g) and, Etot (440.9 ± 24.43 pg/g) showed no changes over time [corrected]. Therefore, it was concluded that ovarian steroid hormones do not play a determining role in resumption of embryonic growth following the period of diapause in the roe deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Drews
- ETH Zurich, Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Switzerland
| | - Alba Rudolf Vegas
- ETH Zurich, Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Switzerland
| | | | - Vladimir Milojevic
- ETH Zurich, Animal Physiology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Switzerland
| | | | - Gerhard Schuler
- Clinic for Veterinary Obstetrics, Gynecology and Andrology of Large and Small Animals, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
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28
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Guzmán‐Bárcenas MG, Uribe MC. Superfetation in the viviparous fish
Heterandria formosa
(Poeciliidae). J Morphol 2019; 280:756-770. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Guadalupe Guzmán‐Bárcenas
- Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción AnimalUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad de México México
| | - Mari Carmen Uribe
- Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción AnimalUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad de México México
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29
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Sugianto NA, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. Heterochrony of puberty in the European badger (Meles meles) can be explained by growth rate and group-size: Evidence for two endocrinological phenotypes. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0203910. [PMID: 30840618 PMCID: PMC6402631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Puberty is a key stage in mammalian ontogeny, involving endocrinological, physiological and behavioural changes, moderated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Thus, not all individuals within one population achieve sexual maturity simultaneously. Here, using the European badger (Meles meles) as a model, we describe male testosterone and female oestrone profiles (using Enzyme-immunoassays) from first capture (3 months, post-weaning) until 28 months (attaining sexual maturity and final body size), along with metrics of somatic growth, scent gland development and maturation of external reproductive organs as well as intra-specific competition. In both sexes, endocrinological puberty commenced at ca. 11 months. Thereafter, cub hormone levels followed adult seasonal hormone patterns but at lower levels, with the majority of cubs reaching sexual maturity during their second mating season (22-28 months). Interestingly, there was evidence for two endocrinological phenotypes among male cubs (less evident in females), with early developers reaching sexual maturity at 11 months (first mating season) and late developers reaching sexual maturity at 22-26 months (second mating season). Early developers also attained a greater proportion of their ultimate adult size by 11 months, exhibiting faster growth rates than late developers (despite having similar adult size). Male cubs born into larger social groups tended to follow the late developer phenotype. Our results support the hypothesis that a minimum body size is required to reach sexual maturity, which may be achieved at different ages, even within a single population, where early maturity can confer individual fitness advantages and enhance population growth rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Adrianna Sugianto
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David Whyte Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Christina Dagmar Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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30
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Marjamäki PH, Dugdale HL, Dawson DA, McDonald RA, Delahay R, Burke T, Wilson AJ. Individual variation and the source-sink group dynamics of extra-group paternity in a social mammal. Behav Ecol 2019; 30:301-312. [PMID: 30971858 PMCID: PMC6450204 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Movement of individuals, or their genes, can influence eco-evolutionary processes in structured populations. We have limited understanding of the extent to which spatial behavior varies among groups and individuals within populations. Here, we use genetic pedigree reconstruction in a long-term study of European badgers (Meles meles) to characterize the extent of extra-group paternity, occurring as a consequence of breeding excursions, and to test hypothesized drivers of variation at multiple levels. We jointly estimate parentage and paternity distance (PD; distance between a cub's natal and its father's social group), and test whether population density and sex ratio influence mean annual PD. We also model cub-level PD and extra-group paternity (EGP) to test for variation among social groups and parental individuals. Mean PD varied among years but was not explained by population density or sex ratio. However, cub-level analysis shows strong effects of social group, and parental identities, with some parental individuals being consistently more likely to produce cubs with extra-group partners. Group effects were partially explained by local sex ratio. There was also a strong negative correlation between maternal and paternal social group effects on cub paternity distance, indicating source-sink dynamics. Our analyses of paternity distance and EGP indicate variation in extra-group mating at multiple levels-among years, social groups and individuals. The latter in particular is a phenomenon seldom documented and suggests that gene flow among groups may be disproportionately mediated by a nonrandom subset of adults, emphasizing the importance of the individual in driving eco-evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula H Marjamäki
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Deborah A Dawson
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Robbie A McDonald
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Richard Delahay
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Gloucestershire, UK
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Alastair J Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
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31
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Linking plasma sex steroid hormone levels to the condition of external genitalia in European badgers (Meles meles): A critical evaluation of traditional field methodology. Mamm Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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32
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Zúñiga-Vega JJ, Olivera-Tlahuel C, Molina-Moctezuma A. Superfetation increases total fecundity in a viviparous fish regardless of the ecological context. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Sin YW, Newman C, Dugdale HL, Buesching C, Mannarelli ME, Annavi G, Burke T, Macdonald DW. No Compensatory Relationship between the Innate and Adaptive Immune System in Wild-Living European Badgers. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163773. [PMID: 27695089 PMCID: PMC5047587 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The innate immune system provides the primary vertebrate defence system against pathogen invasion, but it is energetically costly and can have immune pathological effects. A previous study in sticklebacks found that intermediate major histocompatibility complex (MHC) diversity correlated with a lower leukocyte coping capacity (LCC), compared to individuals with fewer, or many, MHC alleles. The organization of the MHC genes in mammals, however, differs to the highly duplicated MHC genes in sticklebacks by having far fewer loci. Using European badgers (Meles meles), we therefore investigated whether innate immune activity, estimated functionally as the ability of an individual’s leukocytes to produce a respiratory burst, was influenced by MHC diversity. We also investigated whether LCC was influenced by factors such as age-class, sex, body condition, season, year, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, and intensity of infection with five different pathogens. We found that LCC was not associated with specific MHC haplotypes, MHC alleles, or MHC diversity, indicating that the innate immune system did not compensate for the adaptive immune system even when there were susceptible MHC alleles/haplotypes, or when the MHC diversity was low. We also identified a seasonal and annual variation of LCC. This temporal variation of innate immunity was potentially due to physiological trade-offs or temporal variation in pathogen infections. The innate immunity, estimated as LCC, does not compensate for MHC diversity suggests that the immune system may function differently between vertebrates with different MHC organizations, with implications for the evolution of immune systems in different taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung Wa Sin
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah L. Dugdale
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, Netherlands
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Christina Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
| | - Maria-Elena Mannarelli
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Geetha Annavi
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Putra Malaysia, UPM 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
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Abdou M, Frankena K, O’Keeffe J, Byrne AW. Effect of culling and vaccination on bovine tuberculosis infection in a European badger (Meles meles) population by spatial simulation modelling. Prev Vet Med 2016; 125:19-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2015.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Corner LAL, Stuart LJ, Kelly DJ, Marples NM. Reproductive Biology Including Evidence for Superfetation in the European Badger Meles meles (Carnivora: Mustelidae). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138093. [PMID: 26465324 PMCID: PMC4605486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive biology of the European badger (Meles meles) is of wide interest because it is one of the few mammal species that show delayed implantation and one of only five which are suggested to show superfetation as a reproductive strategy. This study aimed to describe the reproductive biology of female Irish badgers with a view to increasing our understanding of the process of delayed implantation and superfetation. We carried out a detailed histological examination of the reproductive tract of 264 female badgers taken from sites across 20 of the 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland. The key results show evidence of multiple blastocysts at different stages of development present simultaneously in the same female, supporting the view that superfetation is relatively common in this population of badgers. In addition we present strong evidence that the breeding rate in Irish badgers is limited by failure to conceive, rather than failure at any other stages of the breeding cycle. We show few effects of age on breeding success, suggesting no breeding suppression by adult females in this population. The study sheds new light on this unusual breeding strategy of delayed implantation and superfetation, and highlights a number of significant differences between the reproductive biology of female Irish badgers and those of Great Britain and Swedish populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh A. L. Corner
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Lynsey J. Stuart
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - David J. Kelly
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity Centre for Biodiversity Research, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nicola M. Marples
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity Centre for Biodiversity Research, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- * E-mail:
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Sin YW, Annavi G, Newman C, Buesching C, Burke T, Macdonald DW, Dugdale HL. MHC class II-assortative mate choice in European badgers (Meles meles). Mol Ecol 2015; 24:3138-50. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yung Wa Sin
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU); Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House Abingdon Road Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Western Bank; Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN UK
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Museum of Comparative Zoology; Harvard University; 26 Oxford Street Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - Geetha Annavi
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU); Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House Abingdon Road Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Western Bank; Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN UK
- Biology Department; Faculty of Science; Universiti Putra Malaysia; 43400 UPM Serdang Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU); Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House Abingdon Road Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
| | - Christina Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU); Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House Abingdon Road Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Western Bank; Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN UK
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU); Department of Zoology; Recanati-Kaplan Centre; University of Oxford; Tubney House Abingdon Road Abingdon Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
| | - Hannah L. Dugdale
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Western Bank; Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN UK
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences; University of Groningen; PO Box 11103 9700CC Groningen the Netherlands
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Palombit RA. Infanticide as sexual conflict: coevolution of male strategies and female counterstrategies. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015; 7:a017640. [PMID: 25986557 PMCID: PMC4448612 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a017640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
One of the earliest recognized forms of sexual conflict was infanticide by males, which imposes serious costs on female reproductive success. Here I review two bodies of evidence addressing coevolved strategies of males and females. The original sexual selection hypothesis arguing that infanticide improves male mating success by accelerating the return of females to fertilizable condition has been generally supported in some taxa--notably, some primates, carnivores, rodents, and cetaceans--but not in other taxa. One result of recent research has been to implicate other selective benefits of infanticide by males in various taxa from insects to birds to mammals, such as acquisition of breeding status or improvement of the female breeding condition. In some cases, however, the adaptive significance of male infanticide remains obscure. The second body of data I review is arguably the most important result of recent research: clarifying the possible female counterstrategies to infanticide. These potential counterstrategies span diverse biological systems, ranging from sexual behavior (e.g., polyandrous mating), to physiology (e.g., the Bruce effect), to individual behavior (e.g., maternal aggression), to social strategies (e.g., association with coalitionary defenders of either sex). Although much remains to be studied, these current data provide compelling evidence of sexually antagonistic coevolution surrounding the phenomenon of infanticide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryne A Palombit
- Department of Anthropology, Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
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Himelright BM, Moore JM, Gonzales RL, Mendoza AV, Dye PS, Schuett RJ, Durrant BS, Read BA, Spady TJ. Sequential ovulation and fertility of polyoestrus in American black bears (Ursus americanus). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 2:cou051. [PMID: 27293672 PMCID: PMC4732479 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cou051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 10/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
American black bears (Ursus americanus) are seasonally polyoestrous and exhibit delayed implantation, which may allow equal and independent fertility of recurrent oestruses of a mating season. We postulated that the luteal inactivity during delayed implantation allows bears to have sequential ovulation during a polyoestrous mating season such that each oestrus of a polyoestrous female will have equivalent fertility, and pregnancy would not preclude subsequent ovulation and superfetation. Controlled mating experiments were conducted on semi-free-ranging female American black bears during three mating seasons, wherein females were bred by different male cohorts in each oestrus. Behavioural observation, vulva score ranking, genetic paternity analysis, gross morphology of ovaries and microscopic morphology of diapaused embryos were used to evaluate the fertility of each subsequent oestrus in polyoestrous females. Oestrus duration, number of successful mounts and median vulva scores were similar between first and subsequent oestruses of the season. Polyoestrus occurred in 81.3% of oestrous females, with a 9.7 ± 5.5 day (mean ± SD) inter-oestrous interval. Sequential ovulation was documented in three polyoestrous females, including one that possessed both a corpus haemorrhagicum and a developed corpus luteum. Among polyoestrous dams, four of nine embryos were conceived in the first oestrus and five of nine in the second oestrus. These results indicate that each oestrus of polyoestrous females is capable of fertility, even if the female is already pregnant from a prior oestrus. Although superfetation was not directly observed in the present study, our results strongly suggest the potential of superfetation in the American black bear and provide novel insight into the complex behavioural and physiological breeding mechanisms of bears. Given that most endangered bear species share similar reproductive traits with American black bears, captive breeding programmes could take advantage of superfetation by mating females with different males at each subsequent oestrus of the season in order to increase the genetic diversity of captive endangered bears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan M. Himelright
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, California State University San Marcos, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, CA 92096-0001, USA
| | - Jenna M. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, California State University San Marcos, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, CA 92096-0001, USA
| | - Ramona L. Gonzales
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, California State University San Marcos, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, CA 92096-0001, USA
| | - Alejandra V. Mendoza
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, California State University San Marcos, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, CA 92096-0001, USA
| | - Penny S. Dye
- Dakota Hills Veterinary Clinic, Rapid City, SD 57703, USA
| | | | - Barbara S. Durrant
- San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Betsy A. Read
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, California State University San Marcos, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, CA 92096-0001, USA
| | - Thomas J. Spady
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, California State University San Marcos, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, CA 92096-0001, USA
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Annavi G, Newman C, Dugdale HL, Buesching CD, Sin YW, Burke T, Macdonald DW. Neighbouring-group composition and within-group relatedness drive extra-group paternity rate in the European badger (Meles meles). J Evol Biol 2014; 27:2191-203. [PMID: 25234113 PMCID: PMC4283041 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/27/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Extra-group paternity (EGP) occurs commonly among group-living mammals and plays an important role in mating systems and the dynamics of sexual selection; however, socio-ecological and genetic correlates of EGP have been underexplored. We use 23 years of demographic and genetic data from a high-density European badger (Meles meles) population, to investigate the relationship between the rate of EGP in litters and mate availability, mate incompatibility and mate quality (heterozygosity). Relatedness between within-group assigned mothers and candidate fathers had a negative quadratic effect on EGP, whereas the number of neighbouring-group candidate fathers had a linear positive effect. We detected no effect of mean or maximum heterozygosity of within-group candidate fathers on EGP. Consequently, EGP was associated primarily with mate availability, subject to within-group genetic effects, potentially to mitigate mate incompatibility and inbreeding. In badgers, cryptic female choice, facilitated by superfecundation, superfoetation and delayed implantation, prevents males from monopolizing within-group females. This resonates with a meta-analysis in group-living mammals, which proposed that higher rates of EGP occur when within-group males cannot monopolize within-group females. In contrast to the positive meta-analytic association, however, we found that EGP associated negatively with the number of within-group assigned mothers and the number of within-group candidate fathers; potentially a strategy to counter within-group males committing infanticide. The relationship between the rate of EGP and socio-ecological or genetic factors can therefore be intricate, and the potential for cryptic female choice must be accounted for in comparative studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Annavi
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of OxfordTubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldSheffield, UK
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Putra MalaysiaSelangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - C Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of OxfordTubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - H L Dugdale
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldSheffield, UK
- Theoretical Biology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of GroningenGroningen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology and Self-Organization, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of GroningenGroningen, The Netherlands
| | - C D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of OxfordTubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Y W Sin
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of OxfordTubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldSheffield, UK
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA, USA
| | - T Burke
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldSheffield, UK
| | - D W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of OxfordTubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
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The evolution of the placenta drives a shift in sexual selection in livebearing fish. Nature 2014; 513:233-6. [PMID: 25043015 DOI: 10.1038/nature13451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of the placenta from a non-placental ancestor causes a shift of maternal investment from pre- to post-fertilization, creating a venue for parent-offspring conflicts during pregnancy. Theory predicts that the rise of these conflicts should drive a shift from a reliance on pre-copulatory female mate choice to polyandry in conjunction with post-zygotic mechanisms of sexual selection. This hypothesis has not yet been empirically tested. Here we apply comparative methods to test a key prediction of this hypothesis, which is that the evolution of placentation is associated with reduced pre-copulatory female mate choice. We exploit a unique quality of the livebearing fish family Poeciliidae: placentas have repeatedly evolved or been lost, creating diversity among closely related lineages in the presence or absence of placentation. We show that post-zygotic maternal provisioning by means of a placenta is associated with the absence of bright coloration, courtship behaviour and exaggerated ornamental display traits in males. Furthermore, we found that males of placental species have smaller bodies and longer genitalia, which facilitate sneak or coercive mating and, hence, circumvents female choice. Moreover, we demonstrate that post-zygotic maternal provisioning correlates with superfetation, a female reproductive adaptation that may result in polyandry through the formation of temporally overlapping, mixed-paternity litters. Our results suggest that the emergence of prenatal conflict during the evolution of the placenta correlates with a suite of phenotypic and behavioural male traits that is associated with a reduced reliance on pre-copulatory female mate choice.
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Annavi G, Newman C, Buesching CD, Macdonald DW, Burke T, Dugdale HL. Heterozygosity-fitness correlations in a wild mammal population: accounting for parental and environmental effects. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:2594-609. [PMID: 25360289 PMCID: PMC4203301 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
HFCs (heterozygosity–fitness correlations) measure the direct relationship between an individual's genetic diversity and fitness. The effects of parental heterozygosity and the environment on HFCs are currently under-researched. We investigated these in a high-density U.K. population of European badgers (Meles meles), using a multimodel capture–mark–recapture framework and 35 microsatellite loci. We detected interannual variation in first-year, but not adult, survival probability. Adult females had higher annual survival probabilities than adult males. Cubs with more heterozygous fathers had higher first-year survival, but only in wetter summers; there was no relationship with individual or maternal heterozygosity. Moist soil conditions enhance badger food supply (earthworms), improving survival. In dryer years, higher indiscriminate mortality rates appear to mask differential heterozygosity-related survival effects. This paternal interaction was significant in the most supported model; however, the model-averaged estimate had a relative importance of 0.50 and overlapped zero slightly. First-year survival probabilities were not correlated with the inbreeding coefficient (f); however, small sample sizes limited the power to detect inbreeding depression. Correlations between individual heterozygosity and inbreeding were weak, in line with published meta-analyses showing that HFCs tend to be weak. We found support for general rather than local heterozygosity effects on first-year survival probability, and g2 indicated that our markers had power to detect inbreeding. We emphasize the importance of assessing how environmental stressors can influence the magnitude and direction of HFCs and of considering how parental genetic diversity can affect fitness-related traits, which could play an important role in the evolution of mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geetha Annavi
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, U.K ; NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield Sheffield, S10 2TN, U.K ; Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Putra Malaysia UPM 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Christopher Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, U.K
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, U.K
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5QL, U.K
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield Sheffield, S10 2TN, U.K
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield Sheffield, S10 2TN, U.K ; Theoretical Biology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands ; Behavioural Ecology and Self-Organization, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Noonan MJ, Markham A, Newman C, Trigoni N, Buesching CD, Ellwood SA, Macdonald DW. Climate and the individual: inter-annual variation in the autumnal activity of the European badger (Meles meles). PLoS One 2014; 9:e83156. [PMID: 24465376 PMCID: PMC3894934 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We establish intra-individual and inter-annual variability in European badger (Meles meles) autumnal nightly activity in relation to fine-scale climatic variables, using tri-axial accelerometry. This contributes further to understanding of causality in the established interaction between weather conditions and population dynamics in this species. Modelling found that measures of daylight, rain/humidity, and soil temperature were the most supported predictors of ACTIVITY, in both years studied. In 2010, the drier year, the most supported model included the SOLAR*RH interaction, RAIN, and30cmTEMP (w = 0.557), while in 2012, a wetter year, the most supported model included the SOLAR*RH interaction, and the RAIN*10cmTEMP (w = 0.999). ACTIVITY also differed significantly between individuals. In the 2012 autumn study period, badgers with the longest per noctem activity subsequently exhibited higher Body Condition Indices (BCI) when recaptured. In contrast, under drier 2010 conditions, badgers in good BCI engaged in less per noctem activity, while badgers with poor BCI were the most active. When compared on the same calendar dates, to control for night length, duration of mean badger nightly activity was longer (9.5 hrs ±3.3 SE) in 2010 than in 2012 (8.3 hrs ±1.9 SE). In the wetter year, increasing nightly activity was associated with net-positive energetic gains (from BCI), likely due to better foraging conditions. In a drier year, with greater potential for net-negative energy returns, individual nutritional state proved crucial in modifying activity regimes; thus we emphasise how a ‘one size fits all’ approach should not be applied to ecological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Noonan
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Markham
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Wolfson Building, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Niki Trigoni
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Wolfson Building, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Christina D. Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen A. Ellwood
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Sin YW, Dugdale HL, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Burke T. Evolution of MHC class I genes in the European badger (Meles meles). Ecol Evol 2012; 2:1644-62. [PMID: 22957169 PMCID: PMC3434948 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/27/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays a central role in the adaptive immune system and provides a good model with which to understand the evolutionary processes underlying functional genes. Trans-species polymorphism and orthology are both commonly found in MHC genes; however, mammalian MHC class I genes tend to cluster by species. Concerted evolution has the potential to homogenize different loci, whereas birth-and-death evolution can lead to the loss of orthologs; both processes result in monophyletic groups within species. Studies investigating the evolution of MHC class I genes have been biased toward a few particular taxa and model species. We present the first study of MHC class I genes in a species from the superfamily Musteloidea. The European badger (Meles meles) exhibits moderate variation in MHC class I sequences when compared to other carnivores. We identified seven putatively functional sequences and nine pseudogenes from genomic (gDNA) and complementary (cDNA) DNA, signifying at least two functional class I loci. We found evidence for separate evolutionary histories of the α1 and α2/α3 domains. In the α1 domain, several sequences from different species were more closely related to each other than to sequences from the same species, resembling orthology or trans-species polymorphism. Balancing selection and probable recombination maintain genetic diversity in the α1 domain, evidenced by the detection of positive selection and a recombination event. By comparison, two recombination breakpoints indicate that the α2/α3 domains have most likely undergone concerted evolution, where recombination has homogenized the α2/α3 domains between genes, leading to species-specific clusters of sequences. Our findings highlight the importance of analyzing MHC domains separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung Wa Sin
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan CentreTubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldWestern Bank, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldWestern Bank, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
- Behavioural Ecology and Self-Organization, University of GroningenP.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
- Theoretical Biology, University of GroningenP.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan CentreTubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan CentreTubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, United Kingdom
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldWestern Bank, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
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Sin YW, Buesching CD, Burke T, Macdonald DW. Molecular characterization of the microbial communities in the subcaudal gland secretion of the European badger (Meles meles). FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2012; 81:648-59. [PMID: 22530962 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2012.01396.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2011] [Revised: 04/17/2012] [Accepted: 04/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Many mammals possess specialized scent glands, which convey information about the marking individual. As the chemical profile of scent marks is likely to be affected by bacteria metabolizing the primary gland products, the variation in bacterial communities between different individuals has been proposed to underpin olfactory communication. However, few studies have investigated the dependency of microbiota residing in the scent organs on the host's individual-specific parameters. Here, we used terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene and clone library construction to investigate the microbial communities in the subcaudal gland secretion of the European badger (Meles meles). As the secretion has been shown to encode individual-specific information, we investigated the correlation of the microbiota with different individual-specific parameters (age, sex, body condition, reproductive status, and season). We discovered a high number of bacterial species (56 operational taxonomic units from four phyla: Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes), dominated by Actinobacteria (76.0%). The bacterial communities of cubs and adults differed significantly. Cubs possessed considerably more diverse communities dominated by Firmicutes, while in adults the communities were less diverse and dominated by Actinobacteria, suggesting that the acquisition of a 'mature bacterial community' is an ontogenetic process related to physiological changes during maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung Wa Sin
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, University of Oxford, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK.
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Newman C, Zhou YB, Buesching CD, Kaneko Y, Macdonald DW. Contrasting Sociality in Two Widespread, Generalist, Mustelid Genera,MelesandMartes. MAMMAL STUDY 2011. [DOI: 10.3106/041.036.0401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Dugdale HL, Griffiths A, Macdonald DW. Polygynandrous and repeated mounting behaviour in European badgers, Meles meles. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Lan YT, Hsu Y. Prior contest experience exerts a long-term influence on subsequent winner and loser effects. Front Zool 2011; 8:28. [PMID: 22051441 PMCID: PMC3262751 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-8-28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2011] [Accepted: 11/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Animals are capable of using information from recent experiences to modify subsequent behavioral responses. Animals' ability or propensity to modify their behavior in the light of new information has repeatedly been shown to correlate with, or be influenced by, either their intrinsic competitive ability or their dominance experience - an influence which can be long-lasting. Using a mangrove killifish, Kryptolebias marmoratus, as the study organism, we investigated whether and if so how the effect of a winning or a losing experience one day prior to a dyadic contest was modulated by both competitive ability measured two months previously and a winning or losing experience forced on the contestants one month previously. Results Winning/losing experience forced on the fish one month previously affected how they utilized information from their winning/losing experience one day before Test Day: Individuals that were randomly assigned a losing experience one month previously were more susceptible to the influence of their 1-day winning/losing experience than those assigned a winning experience. Competitive ability measured two months previously, winning/losing experience from one month previously and the winning/losing experience received one day previously all significantly influenced the fish's contest behaviors on Test Day, although only 2-month competitive ability significantly influenced escalation duration, indicating that it was still a good index for the fish's competitive ability two months later. Conclusions These results suggest that the value to the fish of information from a recent win or loss depends on the outcome of their past contests and show that contest experience has a long-term effect on contest behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ting Lan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, 88, Section 4, Ting-Chou Rd,, Taipei 11677, Taiwan.
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Female teat size is a reliable indicator of annual breeding success in European badgers: Genetic validation. Mamm Biol 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2011.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Sin YW, Dugdale HL, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Burke T. MHC class II genes in the European badger (Meles meles): characterization, patterns of variation, and transcription analysis. Immunogenetics 2011; 64:313-27. [DOI: 10.1007/s00251-011-0578-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2011] [Accepted: 09/28/2011] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Aloise King ED, Banks PB, Brooks RC. Sexual conflict in mammals: consequences for mating systems and life history. Mamm Rev 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2907.2011.00200.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edith D. Aloise King
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological; Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of New South Wales; Sydney; New South Wales; 2052; Australia
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney; New South Wales; 2006; Australia
| | - Robert C. Brooks
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological; Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of New South Wales; Sydney; New South Wales; 2052; Australia
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