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Driscoll RMH, Beaudry FEG, Cosgrove EJ, Bowman R, Fitzpatrick JW, Schoech SJ, Chen N. Allele frequency dynamics under sex-biased demography and sex-specific inheritance in a pedigreed jay population. Genetics 2024:iyae075. [PMID: 38722645 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex-biased demography, including sex-biased survival or migration, can alter allele frequency changes across the genome. In particular, we can expect different patterns of genetic variation on autosomes and sex chromosomes due to sex-specific differences in life histories, as well as differences in effective population size, transmission modes, and the strength and mode of selection. Here, we demonstrate the role that sex differences in life history played in shaping short-term evolutionary dynamics across the genome. We used a 25-year pedigree and genomic dataset from a long-studied population of Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) to directly characterize the relative roles of sex-biased demography and inheritance in shaping genome-wide allele frequency trajectories. We used gene dropping simulations to estimate individual genetic contributions to future generations and to model drift and immigration on the known pedigree. We quantified differential expected genetic contributions of males and females over time, showing the impact of sex-biased dispersal in a monogamous system. Due to female-biased dispersal, more autosomal variation is introduced by female immigrants. However, due to male-biased transmission, more Z variation is introduced by male immigrants. Finally, we partitioned the proportion of variance in allele frequency change through time due to male and female contributions. Overall, most allele frequency change is due to variance in survival and births. Males and females make similar contributions to autosomal allele frequency change, but males make higher contributions to allele frequency change on the Z chromosome. Our work shows the importance of understanding sex-specific demographic processes in characterizing genome-wide allele frequency change in wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose M H Driscoll
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Felix E G Beaudry
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Elissa J Cosgrove
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Reed Bowman
- Avian Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL 33960, USA
| | | | - Stephan J Schoech
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Nancy Chen
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
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2
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Ben Mocha Y, Dahan T, Zou Y, Griesser M, Markman S. Evidence for a reproductive sharing continuum in cooperatively breeding mammals and birds: consequences for comparative research. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230607. [PMID: 37700641 PMCID: PMC10498043 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0607] [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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Extreme reproductive skew occurs when a dominant female/male almost monopolizes reproduction within a group of multiple sexually mature females/males, respectively. It is sometimes considered an additional, restrictive criterion to define cooperative breeding. However, datasets that use this restrictive definition to classify species as cooperative breeders systematically overestimate reproductive skew by including groups in which reproduction cannot be shared by definition (e.g. groups with a single female/male). Here, we review the extent of reproductive sharing in 41 mammal and 37 bird species previously classified as exhibiting alloparental care and extreme reproductive skew, while only considering multi-female or multi-male groups. We demonstrate that in groups where unequal reproduction sharing is possible, extreme reproductive skew occurs in a few species only (11/41 mammal species and 12/37 bird species). These results call for significant changes in datasets that classify species' caring and mating system. To facilitate these changes, we provide an updated dataset on reproductive sharing in 63 cooperatively breeding species. At the conceptual level, our findings suggest that reproductive skew should not be a defining criterion of cooperative breeding and support the definition of cooperative breeding as a care system in which alloparents provide systematic care to other group members' offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yitzchak Ben Mocha
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
- Department of Biology and Environment, University of Haifa at Oranim, 36006 Tivon, Israel
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Tal Dahan
- Department of Biology and Environment, University of Haifa at Oranim, 36006 Tivon, Israel
| | - Yuqi Zou
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Michael Griesser
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Shai Markman
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
- Department of Biology and Environment, University of Haifa at Oranim, 36006 Tivon, Israel
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3
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Kin-structured cooperatively breeding groups due to limited dispersal in the obligate shell-brooding cichlid Neolamprologus meeli. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03201-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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4
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Suh YH, Bowman R, Fitzpatrick JW. Staging to join non-kin groups in a classical cooperative breeder, the Florida scrub-jay. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:970-982. [PMID: 35085401 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. Why unrelated members form groups in animal societies remains a pertinent topic in evolutionary biology because benefits for group members often are not obvious. We studied subordinates that disperse to join unrelated social groups in the Florida scrub-jay Aphelocoma coerulescens, a cooperative breeding species mainly composed of kin-based groups. 2. We evaluated potential adaptive benefits of dispersing to become an unrelated helper (staging) versus remaining home and dispersing only to pair and breed (direct dispersal) to understand why non-kin-based groups form. 3. Using 35 years of demographic data, we quantified life history aspects of staging individuals and tested associations between social and ecological factors on the natal and staging territories. We compared fitness outcomes between dispersal strategies by analyzing survival, breeding recruitment, and direct reproductive output. We tested for sexual asymmetry potentially driven by differences in territory acquisition patterns and female-biased dispersal for this species. 4. Of birds that reached one-year-old, 28% staged at a non-natal territory before breeding or disappearing. Staging dispersers departed at younger ages and moved greater distances than direct dispersers. When looking at proximate factors on the natal territory associated with staging, males left groups with many same-sex helpers, while females often left when their father disappeared. For both sexes, staging individuals more likely came from high-quality territories and joined groups with fewer same-sex helpers than in their natal group. While staging and direct dispersers did not differ in survival or likelihood of becoming a breeder, staging males became breeders later and had lower lifetime reproductive success than direct dispersers. 5. In Florida scrub-jays, staging appears to be an alternative strategy for female helpers, but a best-of-a-bad-situation for males. This sexual asymmetry is consistent with males having more options than females to achieve higher reproductive success by breeding near home. Tradeoffs in cost-benefits of departing the natal territory and joining unrelated groups as a helper seem to best explain alternative dispersal patterns, with optimal social queues primarily driving the benefits. This research highlights plasticity in dispersal behavior in response to social and environmental conditions and offers a new perspective in our understanding of non-kin-based social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Ha Suh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, 14850
| | - Reed Bowman
- Avian Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, 33960
| | - John W Fitzpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, 14850
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5
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Link between past threatening experience and future neophobic behaviour depends on physiological stress responsiveness. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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6
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Suh YH, Pesendorfer MB, Tringali A, Bowman R, Fitzpatrick JW. Investigating social and environmental predictors of natal dispersal in a cooperative breeding bird. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Natal dispersal is a crucial life-history trait that affects both individual fitness and population structure, yet drivers of variation in dispersal probability and distance are difficult to study in wild populations. In cooperatively breeding species, individuals typically delay dispersal beyond their first breeding season and remain on the natal territory as nonbreeders, which prolongs social dynamics that can affect dispersal decisions. Using a 35-year data set covering almost 600 dispersal events in the cooperatively breeding Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), we examined the environmental and social parameters that predict dispersal probability over time and distance. In both sexes, dispersal probability increased with age, which, in turn, was negatively correlated with dispersal distance. In males, individuals occupying low-quality natal territories and living with a stepfather had an increased probability of dispersal. Older and more dominant males were more likely to inherit their natal territory. In females, which generally disperse earlier and farther than males, socially subordinate jays dispersed farther than dominant ones. Overall, jays that delayed dispersal the longest were more likely to attain breeding status near their natal territory, which was previously found to be associated with increased survival and lifetime fitness. Our results suggest that social dynamics and environmental factors on the natal territory affect delayed dispersal patterns differently for the two sexes in this cooperative breeder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Ha Suh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Avian Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL, USA
| | - Mario B Pesendorfer
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Wien, Austria
| | - Angela Tringali
- Avian Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL, USA
| | - Reed Bowman
- Avian Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL, USA
| | - John W Fitzpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Avian Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL, USA
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7
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Tringali A, Sherer DL, Cosgrove J, Bowman R. Life history stage explains behavior in a social network before and during the early breeding season in a cooperatively breeding bird. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8302. [PMID: 32095315 PMCID: PMC7020825 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8302] [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: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In species with stage-structured populations selection pressures may vary between different life history stages and result in stage-specific behaviors. We use life history stage to explain variation in the pre and early breeding season social behavior of a cooperatively breeding bird, the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) using social network analysis. Life history stage explains much of the variation we observed in social network position. These differences are consistent with nearly 50 years of natural history observations and generally conform to a priori predictions about how individuals in different stages should behave to maximize their individual fitness. Where the results from the social network analysis differ from the a priori predictions suggest that social interactions between members of different groups are more important for breeders than previously thought. Our results emphasize the importance of accounting for life history stage in studies of individual social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Tringali
- Avian Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL, United States of America
| | - David L Sherer
- Avian Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL, United States of America.,Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Jillian Cosgrove
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Reed Bowman
- Avian Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL, United States of America
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8
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Cheek RG, Harris ML, Kennedy A. First Documented Observation of Island Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma insularis) Precopulatory Display. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2019. [DOI: 10.3398/064.079.0213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca G. Cheek
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521
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9
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Dey CJ, O’Connor CM, Wilkinson H, Shultz S, Balshine S, Fitzpatrick JL. Confounding social and mating systems predictably lead to biased results when examining the evolution of cooperative breeding in cichlids: A response to Tanaka et al. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cody J. Dey
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
- Department of Biology McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Constance M. O’Connor
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Holly Wilkinson
- Computational and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Susanne Shultz
- Computational and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - John L Fitzpatrick
- Computational and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences University of Manchester Manchester UK
- Department of Zoology/Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
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10
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Chen N, Juric I, Cosgrove EJ, Bowman R, Fitzpatrick JW, Schoech SJ, Clark AG, Coop G. Allele frequency dynamics in a pedigreed natural population. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:2158-2164. [PMID: 30598449 PMCID: PMC6369762 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1813852116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A central goal of population genetics is to understand how genetic drift, natural selection, and gene flow shape allele frequencies through time. However, the actual processes underlying these changes-variation in individual survival, reproductive success, and movement-are often difficult to quantify. Fully understanding these processes requires the population pedigree, the set of relationships among all individuals in the population through time. Here, we use extensive pedigree and genomic information from a long-studied natural population of Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) to directly characterize the relative roles of different evolutionary processes in shaping patterns of genetic variation through time. We performed gene dropping simulations to estimate individual genetic contributions to the population and model drift on the known pedigree. We found that observed allele frequency changes are generally well predicted by accounting for the different genetic contributions of founders. Our results show that the genetic contribution of recent immigrants is substantial, with some large allele frequency shifts that otherwise may have been attributed to selection actually due to gene flow. We identified a few SNPs under directional short-term selection after appropriately accounting for gene flow. Using models that account for changes in population size, we partitioned the proportion of variance in allele frequency change through time. Observed allele frequency changes are primarily due to variation in survival and reproductive success, with gene flow making a smaller contribution. This study provides one of the most complete descriptions of short-term evolutionary change in allele frequencies in a natural population to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Chen
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616;
- Department of Evolution & Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627
| | - Ivan Juric
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195
| | - Elissa J Cosgrove
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850
| | - Reed Bowman
- Avian Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL 33960
| | | | - Stephan J Schoech
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152
| | - Andrew G Clark
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850
| | - Graham Coop
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
- Department of Evolution & Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
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11
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Elderbrock EK, Small TW, Schoech SJ. Adult Provisioning Influences Nestling Corticosterone Levels in Florida Scrub Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens). Physiol Biochem Zool 2018; 91:1083-1090. [PMID: 30256169 DOI: 10.1086/700258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
We studied Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) nestlings to examine the relationship between parental feeding rates and levels of corticosterone (CORT), a metabolic and stress-related steroid hormone hypothesized to play a role in mediating begging behavior. It has been documented that nutritional deficiency results in increased glucocorticoid levels in nestling birds. Further, previous studies have found that CORT levels of Florida scrub jay nestlings are negatively correlated with parental nest attendance and provisioning rates; however, the behavioral observations were made several days before the collection of samples to assess CORT levels. Few studies have investigated whether experience immediately before sampling impacts nestling glucocorticoid levels, especially in a free-living species. By monitoring parental activity at the nest before sample collection, we found that nestling CORT levels varied as a function of parental provisioning rate and the time since their last feed. However, counter to our predictions, higher provisioning rates and more recent feedings were associated with higher CORT levels in nestlings rather than lower CORT levels. These results suggest that some aspect of parental provisioning results in increased CORT levels in nestling Florida scrub jays.
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12
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Stress levels of dominants reflect underlying conflicts with subordinates in a cooperatively breeding species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2484-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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13
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Elderbrock EK, Small TW, Schoech SJ. Influence of corticosterone treatment on nestling begging in Florida scrub-jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 259:213-222. [PMID: 29217466 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 11/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Altricial young are dependent on adults for protection and food, and they display nutritional need by begging to elicit feeding from parents. Begging at high levels can be energetically expensive and attract predators; thus, an individual must balance its nutritional needs with these potential costs. Further, because a parent is limited in the amount of food it can provide, begging can contribute to both parent-offspring conflict and sibling-sibling competition. Many extrinsic and intrinsic factors may contribute to begging behavior. One intrinsic factor of interest is corticosterone (CORT), a metabolic hormone hypothesized to play a role in regulating a nestling's begging behavior. We investigated the hypothesis that increased exposure to CORT influences nestling begging behavior in an altricial species, the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). We treated one nestling per treatment nest with a twice-daily dose of exogenous hormone via a CORT-injected waxworm, whereas a second individual received a vehicle-injected waxworm. We monitored individual nestling and adult behavior at all nests with the use of high-definition video cameras on several days during treatment. We found no difference in begging rate between CORT fed and vehicle fed nestlings within a treatment nest. Further, to determine whether CORT treatment had indirect effects on the entire brood, we monitored additional nests, in which nestlings were not manipulated. When treatment and controls were compared, overall begging rates of nestlings in treatment nests were greater than those in control nests. This result suggests that CORT treatment of an individual altered its behavior, as well as that of its siblings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Elderbrock
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, United States.
| | - Thomas W Small
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, United States
| | - Stephan J Schoech
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, United States
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14
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Riehl C. Kinship and Incest Avoidance Drive Patterns of Reproductive Skew in Cooperatively Breeding Birds. Am Nat 2017; 190:774-785. [PMID: 29166167 DOI: 10.1086/694411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Social animals vary in how reproduction is divided among group members, ranging from monopolization by a dominant pair (high skew) to equal sharing by cobreeders (low skew). Despite many theoretical models, the ecological and life-history factors that generate this variation are still debated. Here I analyze data from 83 species of cooperatively breeding birds, finding that kinship within the breeding group is a powerful predictor of reproductive sharing across species. Societies composed of nuclear families have significantly higher skew than those that contain unrelated members, a pattern that holds for both multimale and multifemale groups. Within-species studies confirm this, showing that unrelated subordinates of both sexes are more likely to breed than related subordinates are. Crucially, subordinates in cooperative groups are more likely to breed if they are unrelated to the opposite-sex dominant, whereas relatedness to the same-sex dominant has no effect. This suggests that incest avoidance, rather than suppression by dominant breeders, may be an important proximate mechanism limiting reproduction by subordinates. Overall, these results support the ultimate evolutionary logic behind concessions models of skew-namely, that related subordinates gain indirect fitness benefits from helping at the nests of kin, so a lower direct reproductive share is required for selection to favor helping over dispersal-but not the proximate mechanism of dominant control assumed by these models.
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15
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The glucocorticoid response in a free-living bird predicts whether long-lasting memories fade or strengthen with time. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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16
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Mills JA, Teplitsky C, Arroyo B, Charmantier A, Becker PH, Birkhead TR, Bize P, Blumstein DT, Bonenfant C, Boutin S, Bushuev A, Cam E, Cockburn A, Côté SD, Coulson JC, Daunt F, Dingemanse NJ, Doligez B, Drummond H, Espie RHM, Festa-Bianchet M, Frentiu F, Fitzpatrick JW, Furness RW, Garant D, Gauthier G, Grant PR, Griesser M, Gustafsson L, Hansson B, Harris MP, Jiguet F, Kjellander P, Korpimäki E, Krebs CJ, Lens L, Linnell JDC, Low M, McAdam A, Margalida A, Merilä J, Møller AP, Nakagawa S, Nilsson JÅ, Nisbet ICT, van Noordwijk AJ, Oro D, Pärt T, Pelletier F, Potti J, Pujol B, Réale D, Rockwell RF, Ropert-Coudert Y, Roulin A, Sedinger JS, Swenson JE, Thébaud C, Visser ME, Wanless S, Westneat DF, Wilson AJ, Zedrosser A. Archiving Primary Data: Solutions for Long-Term Studies. Trends Ecol Evol 2016; 30:581-589. [PMID: 26411615 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2015] [Revised: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The recent trend for journals to require open access to primary data included in publications has been embraced by many biologists, but has caused apprehension amongst researchers engaged in long-term ecological and evolutionary studies. A worldwide survey of 73 principal investigators (Pls) with long-term studies revealed positive attitudes towards sharing data with the agreement or involvement of the PI, and 93% of PIs have historically shared data. Only 8% were in favor of uncontrolled, open access to primary data while 63% expressed serious concern. We present here their viewpoint on an issue that can have non-trivial scientific consequences. We discuss potential costs of public data archiving and provide possible solutions to meet the needs of journals and researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Céline Teplitsky
- Département Ecologie et Gestion de la Biodiversité, UMR 7204 CNRS/MNHN/UPMC, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.
| | - Beatriz Arroyo
- Instituto de Investigacion en Recursos Cinegeticos (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad, Real, Spain
| | - Anne Charmantier
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175, Campus CNRS, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier CEDEX 5, France
| | - Peter H Becker
- Institute of Avian Research, 'Vogelwarte Helgoland', An der Vogelwarte 21 D26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Tim R Birkhead
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Pierre Bize
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Christophe Bonenfant
- CNRS,Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, UMR 5558, Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, 43 boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne CEDEX, France
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Andrey Bushuev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/12, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Emmanuelle Cam
- UMR 5174 EDB Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique, CNRS, ENFA, Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse CEDEX 9, France
| | - Andrew Cockburn
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Steeve D Côté
- Département de Biologie and Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | | | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB UK
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; Evolutionary Ecology of Variation Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Blandine Doligez
- CNRS,Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, UMR 5558, Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, 43 boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne CEDEX, France
| | - Hugh Drummond
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70-275, México DF 04510, México
| | - Richard H M Espie
- Technical Resource Branch, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, 3211 Albert Street, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 5W6, Canada
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Francesca Frentiu
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059 Australia
| | - John W Fitzpatrick
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Robert W Furness
- Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Gilles Gauthier
- Département de Biologie and Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Peter R Grant
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544-1003, USA
| | - Michael Griesser
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Michael P Harris
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB UK
| | - Frédéric Jiguet
- CESCO, UMR7204 Sorbonne Universités-MNHN-CNRS-UPMC, CP51, 55 Rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Petter Kjellander
- Grimso Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) 73091, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Erkki Korpimäki
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Charles J Krebs
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - John D C Linnell
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, PO Box 5685 Sluppen, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Matthew Low
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andrew McAdam
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Antoni Margalida
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - Juha Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, PO Box 65 (Biocenter 3, Viikinkaari 1), University of Helsinki, 00014 Helskinki, Finland
| | - Anders P Møller
- Laboratoire Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, Equipe Diversité, Ecologie et Evolution Microbiennes, Bâtiment 362, 91405 Orsay CEDEX, France
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jan-Åke Nilsson
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ian C T Nisbet
- I.C.T. Nisbet and Company, 150 Alder Lane, North Falmouth, MA 02556, USA
| | - Arie J van Noordwijk
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), PO Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Oro
- Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marques 21, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Spain
| | - Tomas Pärt
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Jaime Potti
- Departamento de Ecologia Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, Av. Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Benoit Pujol
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec A Montréal, CP 8888 Cuccursale Centre Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Robert F Rockwell
- Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024 USA
| | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS UMR7178, 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - James S Sedinger
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada Reno, Reno NV 89512, USA
| | - Jon E Swenson
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, 1432 Ås, and Norway and Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, PO Box 5685 Sluppen, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christophe Thébaud
- UMR 5174 EDB Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique, CNRS, ENFA, Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse CEDEX 9, France
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), PO Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah Wanless
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB UK
| | - David F Westneat
- Department of Biology, Center for Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Alastair J Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental and Health Studies, Telemark University College, 3800 Bø i Telemark, Norway
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Tringali A, Bowman R, Husby A. Selection and inheritance of sexually dimorphic juvenile plumage coloration. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:5413-5422. [PMID: 30151142 PMCID: PMC6102527 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Revised: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic plumage coloration is widespread in birds and is generally thought to be a result of sexual selection for more ornamented males. Although many studies find an association between coloration and fitness related traits, few of these simultaneously examine selection and inheritance. Theory predicts that sex‐linked genetic variation can facilitate the evolution of dimorphism, and some empirical work supports this, but we still know very little about the extent of sex linkage of sexually dimorphic traits. We used a longitudinal study on juvenile Florida scrub‐jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) to estimate strength of selection and autosomal and Z‐linked heritability of mean brightness, UV chroma, and hue. Although plumage coloration signals dominance in juveniles, there was no indication that plumage coloration was related to whether or not an individual bred or its lifetime reproductive success. While mean brightness and UV chroma are moderately heritable, hue is not. There was no evidence for sex‐linked inheritance of any trait with most of the variation explained by maternal effects. The genetic correlation between the sexes was high and not significantly different from unity. These results indicate that evolution of sexual dimorphism in this species is constrained by low sex‐linked heritability and high intersexual genetic correlation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Tringali
- Avian Ecology Laboratory Archbold Biological Station 123 Main Dr. Venus Florida 33960
| | - Reed Bowman
- Avian Ecology Laboratory Archbold Biological Station 123 Main Dr. Venus Florida 33960
| | - Arild Husby
- Department of Biosciences University of Helsinki PO Box 65 FI-00014 Helsinki Finland
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18
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Male-male competition is not costly to dominant males in a cooperatively breeding bird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2011-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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19
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Abstract
Restriction site-associated DNA sequencing or genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approaches allow for rapid and cost-effective discovery and genotyping of thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in multiple individuals. However, rigorous quality control practices are needed to avoid high levels of error and bias with these reduced representation methods. We developed a formal statistical framework for filtering spurious loci, using Mendelian inheritance patterns in nuclear families, that accommodates variable-quality genotype calls and missing data--both rampant issues with GBS data--and for identifying sex-linked SNPs. Simulations predict excellent performance of both the Mendelian filter and the sex-linkage assignment under a variety of conditions. We further evaluate our method by applying it to real GBS data and validating a subset of high-quality SNPs. These results demonstrate that our metric of Mendelian inheritance is a powerful quality filter for GBS loci that is complementary to standard coverage and Hardy-Weinberg filters. The described method, implemented in the software MendelChecker, will improve quality control during SNP discovery in nonmodel as well as model organisms.
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20
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Steller sex: infidelity and sexual selection in a social Corvid (Cyanocitta stelleri). PLoS One 2014; 9:e105257. [PMID: 25148039 PMCID: PMC4141755 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic analysis of avian mating systems has revealed that more than 70% of monogamous species show incidence of offspring parentage that does not match the social partner. Extra-pair parentage (EPP) has been linked to a variety of factors, including size and symmetry of ornamental traits, coloration, resource availability, and local conspecific density. We examined how ornamental plumage traits of individual Steller's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) and territory characteristics influence genetic fidelity of socially monogamous pairs. We used seven highly polymorphic microsatellite markers to assign paternity to 79 offspring, and identified 12 (15.2%) as extra-pair young (EPY). Steller's jays with extra-pair young had significantly lower values of feather brightness and hue, indicating more ultraviolet-blue shifted coloration, and nested in closer proximity to the forest edge than Steller's jays with no detected EPY. Body size, crest height, asymmetry of ornamental crest stripes, as well as vegetative composition of territories and their proximity to supplemental feeders appeared to have little relationship to EPP. These results indicate that extra-pair parentage plays a role in the evolution of secondary sexual characteristics in both sexes, and suggest local density and availability of resources may influence Steller's jay mating dynamics.
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Warrington MH, Rollins LA, Raihani NJ, Russell AF, Griffith SC. Genetic monogamy despite variable ecological conditions and social environment in the cooperatively breeding apostlebird. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:4669-82. [PMID: 24363896 PMCID: PMC3867903 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Revised: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 09/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating strategies may be context-dependent and may vary across ecological and social contexts, demonstrating the role of these factors in driving the variation in genetic polyandry within and among species. Here, we took a longitudinal approach across 5 years (2006–2010), to study the apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea), an Australian cooperatively breeding bird, whose reproduction is affected by ecological “boom and bust” cycles. Climatic variation drives variation in the social (i.e., group sizes, proportion of males and females) and ecological (i.e., plant and insect abundance) context in which mating occurs. By quantifying variation in both social and ecological factors and characterizing the genetic mating system across multiple years using a molecular parentage analysis, we found that the genetic mating strategy did not vary among years despite significant variation in rainfall, driving primary production, and insect abundance, and corresponding variation in social parameters such as breeding group size. Group sizes in 2010, an ecologically good year, were significantly smaller (mean = 5.8 ± 0.9, n = 16) than in the drought affected years, between 2006 and 2008, (mean = 9.1 ± 0.5, n = 63). Overall, apostlebirds were consistently monogamous with few cases of multiple maternity or paternity (8 of 78 nests) across all years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyako H Warrington
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
| | - Lee Ann Rollins
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
| | - Nichola J Raihani
- Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London Gower St, London, WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Andrew F Russell
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter Penryn, TR10 9EZ, Cornwall, U.K
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia ; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
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22
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Wilcoxen TE, Bridge ES, Boughton RK, Hahn TP, Schoech SJ. Physiology of reproductive senescence in Florida scrub-jays: results from a long-term study and GnRH challenge. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 194:168-74. [PMID: 24096038 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2013] [Revised: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In most vertebrates, production of reproductive hormones wanes with age, co-occurring with a decline in reproductive output. Measurement of these hormones can serve as a key marker of the onset of reproductive senescence. Longitudinal studies of physiological parameters in populations of free-living animals are relatively uncommon; however, we have monitored baseline concentrations of hormones for nine years in a population of Florida scrub-jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens). We hypothesized that concentrations of circulating reproductive hormones change with age, and predicted declines in reproductive hormones in the oldest jays. We found that baseline levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T) were relatively low in both young and old male breeders and reach their highest levels in birds aged 4-7years. Conversely, we found no age-related patterns in baseline levels of LH or estradiol in female jays. In males we determined which component of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is responsible for observed age-based differences, by challenging males of different ages with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH); thereby allowing assessment of pituitary and gonadal responsiveness by measuring plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone and testosterone, respectively. The magnitude of increase in levels of both LH and T in response to GnRH challenge decreased with age in male breeders. Combined with the baseline levels, the results from the GnRH challenge suggest that younger birds have the capability to produce higher levels of reproductive hormone, whereas the old birds may be constrained by senescence in their ability to produce these hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis E Wilcoxen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, 3778 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN 38111, USA; Biology Department, Millikin University, 1184 West Main Street, Decatur, IL 62522, USA.
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Social and genetic mating system of Ridgway's hawk (Buteo ridgwayi), an endemic raptor on Hispaniola. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467413000655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Patterns of social organization and mating systems have been shown to be functions of ecological factors such as resource allocation and breeding density. In some species, particularly birds, social organization and genetic mating systems differ with molecular studies providing evidence of extra-pair young frequently occurring within broods of socially monogamous species. Here we examine the social and genetic mating system of an ecologically little-known forest raptor endemic to the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. From 2005–2009, our field observations of over 60 breeding pairs verified a social mating system of monogamy for the species. During the same time period, we collected blood samples (n= 146 birds, 48 nests) and used microsatellite profiles from 10 loci to estimate genetic relatedness among nestlings in a brood and assign putative fathers. We found no evidence of extra-pair paternity in 41 broods. We had one instance where a social male was not assigned as the putative father, however, the confidence level of this assignment was not significant since the genotypes of the social and assigned males were very similar. Our results support our hypothesis that genetic monogamy would be exhibited by Ridgway's hawk, an island-endemic tropical raptor.
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Abstract
Cooperatively breeding animals live in social groups in which some individuals help to raise the offspring of others, often at the expense of their own reproduction. Kin selection--when individuals increase their inclusive fitness by aiding genetic relatives--is a powerful explanation for the evolution of cooperative breeding, particularly because most groups consist of family members. However, recent molecular studies have revealed that many cooperative groups also contain unrelated immigrants, and the processes responsible for the formation and maintenance of non-kin coalitions are receiving increasing attention. Here, I provide the first systematic review of group structure for all 213 species of cooperatively breeding birds for which data are available. Although the majority of species (55%) nest in nuclear family groups, cooperative breeding by unrelated individuals is more common than previously recognized: 30% nest in mixed groups of relatives and non-relatives, and 15% nest primarily with non-relatives. Obligate cooperative breeders are far more likely to breed with non-kin than are facultative cooperators, indicating that when constraints on independent breeding are sufficiently severe, the direct benefits of group membership can substitute for potential kin-selected benefits. I review three patterns of dispersal that give rise to social groups with low genetic relatedness, and I discuss the selective pressures that favour the formation of such groups. Although kin selection has undoubtedly been crucial to the origin of most avian social systems, direct benefits have subsequently come to play a predominant role in some societies, allowing cooperation to persist despite low genetic relatedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Riehl
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, , Museum of Comparative Zoology, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, , Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Balboa, Colon, Panama
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Ryder TB, Fleischer RC, Shriver WG, Marra PP. The ecological-evolutionary interplay: density-dependent sexual selection in a migratory songbird. Ecol Evol 2012; 2:976-87. [PMID: 22837842 PMCID: PMC3399163 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Revised: 03/02/2012] [Accepted: 03/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is understood about how environmental heterogeneity influences the spatial dynamics of sexual selection. Within human-dominated systems, habitat modification creates environmental heterogeneity that could influence the adaptive value of individual phenotypes. Here, we used the gray catbird to examine if the ecological conditions experienced in the suburban matrix (SM) and embedded suburban parks (SP) influence reproductive strategies and the strength of sexual selection. Our results show that these habitats varied in a key ecological factor, breeding density. Moreover, this ecological factor was closely tied to reproductive strategies such that local breeding density predicted the probability that a nest would contain extra-pair offspring. Partitioning reproductive variance showed that while within-pair success was more important in both habitats, extra-pair success increased the opportunity for sexual selection by 39% at higher breeding densities. Body size was a strong predictor of relative reproductive success and was under directional selection in both habitats. Importantly, our results show that the strength of sexual selection did not differ among habitats at the landscape scale but rather that fine-scale variation in an ecological factor, breeding density, influenced sexual selection on male phenotypes. Here, we document density-dependent sexual selection in a migratory bird and hypothesize that coarse-scale environmental heterogeneity, in this case generated by anthropogenic habitat modification, changed the fine-scale ecological conditions that drove the spatial dynamics of sexual selection.
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27
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Rubenstein DR. Family feuds: social competition and sexual conflict in complex societies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2012; 367:2304-13. [PMID: 22777018 PMCID: PMC3391424 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Darwin was initially puzzled by the processes that led to ornamentation in males-what he termed sexual selection-and those that led to extreme cooperation and altruism in complex animal societies-what was later termed kin selection. Here, I explore the relationships between sexual and kin selection theory by examining how social competition for reproductive opportunities-particularly in females-and sexual conflict over mating partners are inherent and critical parts of complex altruistic societies. I argue that (i) patterns of reproductive sharing within complex societies can drive levels of social competition and reproductive conflict not only in males but also in females living in social groups, and ultimately the evolution of female traits such as ornaments and armaments; (ii) mating conflict over female choice of sexual partners can influence kin structure within groups and drive the evolution of complex societies; and (iii) patterns of reproductive sharing and conflict among females may also drive the evolution of complex societies by influencing kin structure within groups. Ultimately, complex societies exhibiting altruistic behaviour appear to have only arisen in taxa where social competition over reproductive opportunities and sexual conflict over mating partners were low. Once such societies evolved, there were important selective feedbacks on traits used to regulate and mediate intra-sexual competition over reproductive opportunities, particularly in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin R Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 10th Floor Schermerhorn Extension, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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