1
|
Ravindran S, Underwood SL, Dorrens J, Seeker LA, Watt K, Wilbourn RV, Sparks AM, Sinclair R, Chen Z, Pilkington JG, McNeilly TN, Harrington L, Pemberton JM, Nussey DH, Froy H. No correlative evidence of costs of infection or immunity on leucocyte telomere length in a wild population of Soay sheep. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232946. [PMID: 38565156 PMCID: PMC10987235 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is a biomarker hypothesized to capture evolutionarily and ecologically important physiological costs of reproduction, infection and immunity. Few studies have estimated the relationships among infection status, immunity, TL and fitness in natural systems. The hypothesis that short telomeres predict reduced survival because they reflect costly consequences of infection and immune investment remains largely untested. Using longitudinal data from a free-living Soay sheep population, we tested whether leucocyte TL was predicted by infection with nematode parasites and antibody levels against those parasites. Helminth parasite burdens were positively associated with leucocyte TL in both lambs and adults, which is not consistent with TL reflecting infection costs. We found no association between TL and helminth-specific IgG levels in either young or old individuals which suggests TL does not reflect costs of an activated immune response or immunosenescence. Furthermore, we found no support for TL acting as a mediator of trade-offs between infection, immunity and subsequent survival in the wild. Our results suggest that while variation in TL could reflect short-term variation in resource investment or environmental conditions, it does not capture costs of infection and immunity, nor does it behave like a marker of an individual's helminth-specific antibody immune response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjana Ravindran
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Sarah L. Underwood
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Jennifer Dorrens
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Luise A. Seeker
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Kathryn Watt
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Rachael V. Wilbourn
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Alexandra M. Sparks
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Rona Sinclair
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Zhulin Chen
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Jill G. Pilkington
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Tom N. McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Lea Harrington
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada H3C 3J7
| | - Josephine M. Pemberton
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Daniel H. Nussey
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Hannah Froy
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Behavioural syndrome between boldness and aggressiveness and link with reproductive success in a wild bird population. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
|
3
|
Trait Covariances in Eastern Box Turtles Do Not Support Pleiotropic Effects of the Melanocortin System on Color, Behavior, and Stress Physiology. J HERPETOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1670/22-010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|
4
|
Gameiro J, Franco AM, Catry T, Palmeirim JM, Catry I. Antipredator benefits of heterospecific colonial breeding for a predominantly solitary bird. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
5
|
Sharif T, Uddin MMM, Alexiou C. Testing the moderating role of trade openness on the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis: a novel approach. ANNALS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH 2022:1-39. [PMID: 35068643 PMCID: PMC8760118 DOI: 10.1007/s10479-021-04501-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We explore the moderating role of trade openness (TO) by gauging its main and interaction effects on the economic growth and environmental quality nexus. In this direction, we implement a novel approach by using three different measures of pollution emissions (CO2-CH4-PM2.5) in the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis and applying a structural equation modelling methodology to 115 countries, grouped into low-, middle- and high-income countries, spanning the period 1992-2018. The evidence suggests that energy consumption has a positive impact on CO2 emissions for all income panels whilst the moderating effect of TO appears to be a key degrading factor of environmental quality in low- and middle-income countries. In addition, TO's interaction with GDP growth is found to negatively affect environmental quality across all income groups. Given that global economies are on the verge of returning to pre-pandemic levels of industrial operations along with emissions in the wake of the failure of COP26 and that COVID-19 has reminded the world the urgency of developing sustainable approaches in fostering 'green economic growth' models; a host of policy measures are proposed in support of this whilst their likely implications are discussed with reference to different income level countries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taimur Sharif
- Newman University, Bartley Green, Gunners Lane, Birmingham, B32 3NT UK
| | | | - Constantinos Alexiou
- Macroeconomics and Policy, Economics and Banking, Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield University, Bedford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Haave-Audet E, Besson AA, Nakagawa S, Mathot KJ. Differences in resource acquisition, not allocation, mediate the relationship between behaviour and fitness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:708-731. [PMID: 34859575 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Within populations, individuals often show repeatable variation in behaviour, called 'animal personality'. In the last few decades, numerous empirical studies have attempted to elucidate the mechanisms maintaining this variation, such as life-history trade-offs. Theory predicts that among-individual variation in behavioural traits could be maintained if traits that are positively associated with reproduction are simultaneously associated with decreased survival, such that different levels of behavioural expression lead to the same net fitness outcome. However, variation in resource acquisition may also be important in mediating the relationship between individual behaviour and fitness components (survival and reproduction). For example, if certain phenotypes (e.g. dominance or aggressiveness) are associated with higher resource acquisition, those individuals may have both higher reproduction and higher survival, relative to others in the population. When individuals differ in their ability to acquire resources, trade-offs are only expected to be observed at the within-individual level (i.e. for a given amount of resource, if an individual increases its allocation to reproduction, it comes at the cost of allocation to survival, and vice versa), while among individuals traits that are associated with increased survival may also be associated with increased reproduction. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, asking: (i) do among-individual differences in behaviour reflect among-individual differences in resource acquisition and/or allocation, and (ii) is the relationship between behaviour and fitness affected by the type of behaviour and the testing environment? Our meta-analysis consisted of 759 estimates from 193 studies. Our meta-analysis revealed a positive correlation between pairs of estimates using both survival and reproduction as fitness proxies. That is, for a given study, behaviours that were associated with increased reproduction were also associated with increased survival, suggesting that variation in behaviour at the among-individual level largely reflects differences among individuals in resource acquisition. Furthermore, we found the same positive correlation between pairs of estimates using both survival and reproduction as fitness proxies at the phenotypic level. This is significant because we also demonstrated that these phenotypic correlations primarily reflect within-individual correlations. Thus, even when accounting for among-individual differences in resource acquisition, we did not find evidence of trade-offs at the within-individual level. Overall, the relationship between behaviour and fitness proxies was not statistically different from zero at the among-individual, phenotypic, and within-individual levels; this relationship was not affected by behavioural category nor by the testing condition. Our meta-analysis highlights that variation in resource acquisition may be more important in driving the relationship between behaviour and fitness than previously thought, including at the within-individual level. We suggest that this may come about via heterogeneity in resource availability or age-related effects, with higher resource availability and/or age leading to state-dependent shifts in behaviour that simultaneously increase both survival and reproduction. We emphasize that future studies examining the mechanisms maintaining behavioural variation in populations should test the link between behavioural expression and resource acquisition - both within and among individuals. Such work will allow the field of animal personality to develop specific predictions regarding the mediating effect of resource acquisition on the fitness consequences of individual behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elène Haave-Audet
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Anne A Besson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Kimberley J Mathot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Canada Research Chair, Integrative Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Reichert S, Berger V, Dos Santos DJF, Lahdenperä M, Nyein UK, Htut W, Lummaa V. Age related variation of health markers in Asian elephants. Exp Gerontol 2021; 157:111629. [PMID: 34800624 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Although senescence is often observed in the wild, its underlying mechanistic causes can rarely be studied alongside its consequences, because data on health, molecular and physiological measures of senescence are rare. Documenting how different age-related changes in health accelerate ageing at a mechanistic level is key if we are to better understand the ageing process. Nevertheless, very few studies, particularly on natural populations of long-lived animals, have investigated age-related variation in biological markers of health and sex differences therein. Using blood samples collected from semi-captive Asian elephants, we show that pronounced differences in haematology, blood chemistry, immune, and liver functions among age classes are also evident under natural conditions in this extremely long-lived mammal. We provide strong support that overall health declined with age, with progressive declines in immune and liver functions similarly in both males and females. These changes parallel those mainly observed to-date in humans and laboratory mammals, and suggest a certain ubiquity in the ageing patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Reichert
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Vérane Berger
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
| | | | - Mirkka Lahdenperä
- Department of Public Health, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20014 Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - U Kyaw Nyein
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Win Htut
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Virpi Lummaa
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Li H, Zhang X, Wu Y, Zhang F, Li C. Environmental temperature during early life affects the personality of mosquitofish in adulthood. Curr Zool 2021; 67:481-488. [PMID: 34616946 PMCID: PMC8489117 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Personality has been observed in a variety of animal taxa with important implications in ecology and evolution. Exploring the influence of environmental temperature during early life on personality could help to understand the ontogeny of this phenotypic trait in animals. In this study, we reared newborn mosquitofish Gambusia affinis at high (30°C) and low (25°C) water temperatures and measured their shyness and exploration upon sexual maturity. We tested the repeatability of each behavioral trait; the correlation between them; and the effects of rearing temperature, sex, and body length on the behaviors. When growing up at low temperatures, female fish exhibited repeatability in shyness and exploration, and males exhibited marginal repeatability in shyness. However, neither of the 2 behaviors were repeatable when the fish were reared at high temperatures. There was a negative correlation between shyness and exploration, indicating that the 2 behaviors comprise a behavioral syndrome in this species. Mosquitofish reared at high temperatures were more explorative than those reared at low temperatures, while there was no difference in shyness between the 2 treatments. Body length and sex had no significant effects on the average values of the 2 behaviors. The results indicate that environmental temperature during early life could shape the personality of mosquitofish and modify the average of the behavioral traits. These findings might provide insights to understand the ontogeny of animal personality and how changes in environmental temperature influence animal dispersal by shaping their personality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haifeng Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Chunlin Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Franco dos Santos DJ, Berger V, Cristofari R, Htut W, Nyein UK, Aung HH, Reichert S, Lummaa V. Seasonal variation of health in Asian elephants. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa119. [PMID: 33408865 PMCID: PMC7771574 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Long-lived species are often predicted to be buffered against seasonal variation: longevity means low annual mortality and reproductive rates and annual variability in climate may therefore have a smaller impact on population growth rates of long-lived species in comparison to short-lived ones. However, little is known of the physiological mechanisms underlying such patterns in long-lived species. In this study, we investigated seasonal variation in the health of Asian elephants living in a seasonal monsoon climate. We used two complementary methods: (i) global and (ii) trait-by-trait analyses of seasonal effects on 23 health parameters of 225 individually marked elephants with known age and reproductive and health history, with repeated measures per individual over a 26-month period. The global analysis highlighted the biggest differences in health between the hot and monsoon seasons. Our trait-specific analyses identified the physiological functions underlying such health variation in different ecological settings, including haematological, immunological, muscular, kidney and liver functions, as well as protein balance and electrolytes. Overall, the results suggest that even long-lived, large mammals may experience physiological changes in response to seasonal variation that in extreme circumstances can pose a significant health risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Vérane Berger
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Yliopistonmäki (Vesilinnantie 5) 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Robin Cristofari
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Yliopistonmäki (Vesilinnantie 5) 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Win Htut
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, West Gyogone Forest Compound, Bayint Naung Road, 11011 Insein Township, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - U Kyaw Nyein
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, West Gyogone Forest Compound, Bayint Naung Road, 11011 Insein Township, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Htoo Htoo Aung
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, West Gyogone Forest Compound, Bayint Naung Road, 11011 Insein Township, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Sophie Reichert
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Yliopistonmäki (Vesilinnantie 5) 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Virpi Lummaa
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Yliopistonmäki (Vesilinnantie 5) 20014 Turku, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Carlson BE, Tetzlaff SJ. Long‐term behavioral repeatability in wild adult and captive juvenile turtles (
Terrapene carolina
): Implications for personality development. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sasha J. Tetzlaff
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana Illinois
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Clermont J, Réale D, Lindsay MÈ, Giroux JF. Plasticity, state-dependency, and individual consistency in Canada goose nest defense behavior. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2681-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
12
|
Thys B, Lambreghts Y, Pinxten R, Eens M. Nest defence behavioural reaction norms: testing life-history and parental investment theory predictions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:182180. [PMID: 31183140 PMCID: PMC6502369 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.182180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Predation is the primary source of reproductive failure in many avian taxa and nest defence behaviour against predators is hence an important aspect of parental investment. Nest defence is a complex trait that might consistently differ among individuals (personality), while simultaneously vary within individuals (plasticity) according to the reproductive value of the offspring. Both complementary aspects of individual variation can influence fitness, but the causality of links with reproductive success remains poorly understood. We repeatedly tested free-living female great tits (Parus major) for nest defence (hissing) behaviour across the nesting cycle, by presenting them with a model predator. Hissing behaviour was highly repeatable but, despite population-level plasticity, we found no support for individual differences in plasticity. Path analysis revealed that repeatable differences in hissing behaviour had no direct effect on nest success or fledgling number. However, our best supported path-model showed that more fiercely hissing females laid smaller clutches, with clutch size in turn positively influencing fledgling number, suggesting that females are most likely facing a trade-off between investment in nest defence and reproduction. Strong stabilizing selection for optimal plasticity, in combination with life-history trade-offs, might explain the high repeatability of nest defence and its link with reproductive success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bert Thys
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Yorick Lambreghts
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Antwerp School of Education, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Schell CJ, Young JK, Lonsdorf EV, Santymire RM, Mateo JM. Parental habituation to human disturbance over time reduces fear of humans in coyote offspring. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12965-12980. [PMID: 30619597 PMCID: PMC6308887 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental tenet of maternal effects assumes that maternal variance over time should have discordant consequences for offspring traits across litters. Yet, seldom are parents observed across multiple reproductive bouts, with few studies considering anthropogenic disturbances as an ecological driver of maternal effects. We observed captive coyote (Canis latrans) pairs over two successive litters to determine whether among‐litter differences in behavior (i.e., risk‐taking) and hormones (i.e., cortisol and testosterone) corresponded with parental plasticity in habituation. Thus, we explicitly test the hypothesis that accumulating experiences of anthropogenic disturbance reduces parental fear across reproductive bouts, which should have disparate phenotypic consequences for first‐ and second‐litter offspring. To quantify risk‐taking behavior, we used foraging assays from 5–15 weeks of age with a human observer present as a proxy for human disturbance. At 5, 10, and 15 weeks of age, we collected shaved hair to quantify pup hormone levels. We then used a quantitative genetic approach to estimate heritability, repeatability, and between‐trait correlations. We found that parents were riskier (i.e., foraged more frequently) with their second versus first litters, supporting our prediction that parents become increasingly habituated over time. Second‐litter pups were also less risk‐averse than their first‐litter siblings. Heritability for all traits did not differ from zero (0.001–0.018); however, we found moderate support for repeatability in all observed traits (r = 0.085–0.421). Lastly, we found evidence of positive phenotypic and cohort correlations among pup traits, implying that cohort identity (i.e., common environment) contributes to the development of phenotypic syndromes in coyote pups. Our results suggest that parental habituation may be an ecological cue for offspring to reduce their fear response, thus emphasizing the role of parental plasticity in shaping their pups’ behavioral and hormonal responses toward humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Schell
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology University of Chicago Chicago Illinois.,School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences University of Washington Tacoma Tacoma Washington
| | - Julie K Young
- USDA-WS-NWRC Predator Research Facility, Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan Utah
| | | | - Rachel M Santymire
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology University of Chicago Chicago Illinois.,Conservation and Science Department Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago Illinois
| | - Jill M Mateo
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology University of Chicago Chicago Illinois
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Trade-off between tolerance and resistance to infections: an experimental approach with malaria parasites in a passerine bird. Oecologia 2018; 188:1001-1010. [PMID: 30377770 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4290-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Avian malaria parasites are known to have negative effects on their hosts, including consequences for reproductive success and survival. However, the outcome of disease may vary greatly among individuals, due to their particular genetic background, their past history of exposure to infections, or the way they respond to infections at the physiological level. We experimentally reduced parasitemia in naturally infected birds to examine individual-level variation in physiological parameters involved in anti-parasite defense, focusing specifically on disease resistance and tolerance. As a measure of disease resistance, we used circulating levels of IgY, and as a measure of disease tolerance, we estimated haptoglobin concentrations. Our results show individual consistency in the physiological parameters studied during the experiment, that was statistically significant for body condition, and marginally significant for IgY levels, and a trade-off between physiological mechanisms involved in resistance and tolerance that seem to be mediated by parasitemia. The medication experiment with primaquine was successful in reducing parasite intensity, but was not sufficient to clear the infection, and there was a generalized improvement in body condition in all birds maintained in captivity during the experiment. We suggest that the observed changes in the association between resistance and tolerance estimates may be due to the decrease in parasitemia attained through medication, to the improved nutritional status observed during the experiment or to the combined effect of both. Our study adds to the understanding of how wild animals cope with the diseases they are exposed to in their natural environment, and ultimately the consequences of parasitism at the individual level.
Collapse
|
15
|
Qu J, Fletcher QE, Réale D, Li W, Zhang Y. Independence between coping style and stress reactivity in plateau pika. Physiol Behav 2018; 197:1-8. [PMID: 30236525 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The concept of coping style represents the way individual animals react to a stressful situation, both behaviourally and neurophysiologically. Over the last decades coping style has been linked to the development of research on animal personality. Based on this concept, we should find a proactive-reactive continuum in animal populations, with proactive individuals being fast explorer, bold, aggressive, and show high sympathetic reactivity (higher heart rate), as well as low hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (PHA) axis reactivity to external stressor (higher plasma glucocorticoid level). At the other extreme, shy, lowly aggressive, reactive individuals should be slow in their exploration, and show a low sympathetic reactivity and a high HPA axis reactivity. However, a recent two-tier model proposed that coping style and stress reactivity should be independent of each other. In this study, we tested the two-tier model in a wild plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) population on the Tibetan Plateau, by quantifying the associations between several behavioural and physiological traits at the among- and within-individual levels. We repeatedly measured exploration, docility, boldness, heart rate and plasma cortisol concentration in individuals between April and September of 2013. All traits tested were repeatable. At the among-individual level, all behavioural traits were correlated with each other and with heart rate, but were independent of both basal level and variation of plasma cortisol concentration. Most correlations were negligible at the within-individual level. In support of the two-tier model, these results suggest that coping style (i.e. behaviour and heart rate associations) is independent of stress reactivity (i.e. glucocorticoid reactivity) in that species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiapeng Qu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai 810008, China; Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology in Cold Region, Qinghai 810008, China.
| | - Quinn E Fletcher
- Department of Biology, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Wenjing Li
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai 810008, China
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai 810008, China.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Montiglio PO, Dammhahn M, Dubuc Messier G, Réale D. The pace-of-life syndrome revisited: the role of ecological conditions and natural history on the slow-fast continuum. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2526-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
|
17
|
Lane JE, McAdam AG, McFarlane SE, Williams CT, Humphries MM, Coltman DW, Gorrell JC, Boutin S. Phenological shifts in North American red squirrels: disentangling the roles of phenotypic plasticity and microevolution. J Evol Biol 2018. [PMID: 29518280 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Phenological shifts are the most widely reported ecological responses to climate change, but the requirements to distinguish their causes (i.e. phenotypic plasticity vs. microevolution) are rarely met. To do so, we analysed almost two decades of parturition data from a wild population of North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). Although an observed advance in parturition date during the first decade provided putative support for climate change-driven microevolution, a closer look revealed a more complex pattern. Parturition date was heritable [h2 = 0.14 (0.07-0.21 (HPD interval)] and under phenotypic selection [β = -0.14 ± 0.06 (SE)] across the full study duration. However, the early advance reversed in the second decade. Further, selection did not act on the genetic contribution to variation in parturition date, and observed changes in predicted breeding values did not exceed those expected due to genetic drift. Instead, individuals responded plastically to environmental variation, and high food [white spruce (Picea glauca) seed] production in the first decade appears to have produced a plastic advance. In addition, there was little evidence of climate change affecting the advance, as there was neither a significant influence of spring temperature on parturition date or evidence of a change in spring temperatures across the study duration. Heritable traits not responding to selection in accordance with quantitative genetic predictions have long presented a puzzle to evolutionary ecologists. Our results on red squirrels provide empirical support for one potential solution: phenotypic selection arising from an environmental, as opposed to genetic, covariance between the phenotypic trait and annual fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey E Lane
- Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Andrew G McAdam
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - S Eryn McFarlane
- Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala Universitet Biologiska Sektionen, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cory T Williams
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | | | - David W Coltman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jamieson C Gorrell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Unravelling the relationships between life history, behaviour and condition under the pace-of-life syndromes hypothesis using long-term data from a wild bird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2461-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
|
19
|
Traisnel G, Pichegru L. Does it always pay to defend one's nest? A case study in African penguin. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gwendoline Traisnel
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology; Institute for Coastal and Marine Research and Department of Zoology at the Nelson Mandela University; Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - Lorien Pichegru
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology; Institute for Coastal and Marine Research and Department of Zoology at the Nelson Mandela University; Port Elizabeth South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Villegas-Ríos D, Réale D, Freitas C, Moland E, Olsen EM. Individual level consistency and correlations of fish spatial behaviour assessed from aquatic animal telemetry. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
21
|
Horváth G, Martín J, López P, Garamszegi LZ, Herczeg G. Food and vitamin D3 availability affects lizard personalities: an experiment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2257-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
22
|
|
23
|
|
24
|
Santostefano F, Wilson AJ, Araya-Ajoy YG, Dingemanse NJ. Interacting with the enemy: indirect effects of personality on conspecific aggression in crickets. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
|
25
|
Garamszegi LZ, Markó G, Szász E, Zsebők S, Azcárate M, Herczeg G, Török J. Among-year variation in the repeatability, within- and between-individual, and phenotypic correlations of behaviors in a natural population. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015; 69:2005-2017. [PMID: 26586925 PMCID: PMC4642588 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2012-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
When mean behaviors correlate among individuals, they form behavioral syndromes. One way to understand the evolution of such a group-level phenomenon is to compare horizontally patterns of correlations among populations (or species) or follow longitudinally the same population over years in the light of parallel differences in the environment. We applied the longitudinal approach to 8-year field data and analyzed phenotypic correlations, and their within- and between-individual components, among three behaviors (novelty avoidance, aggression, and risk-taking) in male collared flycatchers, Ficedula albicollis, in a meta-analytic framework. The phenotypic correlation between novelty avoidance and aggression varied heterogeneously (it was positive in some years, while it was negative in other years), while the other pair-wise correlations were consistently positive over the study period. We investigated four potential socio-ecological factors, and found evidence that the among-year alterations in the demographic structure of the population (density, age composition) can be responsible for the heterogeneous effect sizes. Comparing within- and between-individual correlations across pairs of traits, we found that the correlation between aggression and risk-taking at the among-individual level was the strongest suggesting that this relationship has the highest potential to form a behavioral syndrome. Within-year repeatabilities varied among traits, but were systematically higher than between-year repeatabilities. Our study highlights on an empirical basis that there can be several biological and statistical reasons behind detecting a phenotypic correlation in a study, but only few of these imply that fixed behavioral syndromes are maintained in a natural population. In fact, some correlations seem to be shaped by environmental fluctuations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- László Zsolt Garamszegi
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, c/Americo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Gábor Markó
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology , Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary ; Department of Plant Pathology, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest Ménesi út 44, 1118 Budapest, Hungary ; MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, Biological Institute, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. sétany 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Szász
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology , Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sándor Zsebők
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology , Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Manuel Azcárate
- Grupo Ecología Evolutiva y de la Conducta, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas-CSIC, Ctra. de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Gábor Herczeg
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology , Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology , Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Niemelä PT, Santostefano F. Social carry-over effects on non-social behavioral variation: mechanisms and consequences. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
|
27
|
Niemela PT, Lattenkamp EZ, Dingemanse NJ. Personality-related survival and sampling bias in wild cricket nymphs. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
28
|
Dosmann AJ, Brooks KC, Mateo JM. Within-individual correlations reveal link between a behavioral syndrome, condition and cortisol in free-ranging Belding's ground squirrels. Ethology 2015; 121:125-134. [PMID: 25598565 PMCID: PMC4295653 DOI: 10.1111/eth.12320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Animals often exhibit consistent individual differences in behavior (i.e. animal personality) and correlations between behaviors (i.e. behavioral syndromes), yet the causes of those patterns of behavioral variation remain insufficiently understood. Many authors hypothesize that state-dependent behavior produces animal personality and behavioral syndromes. However, empirical studies assessing patterns of covariation among behavioral traits and state variables have produced mixed results. New statistical methods that partition correlations into between-individual and residual within-individual correlations offer an opportunity to more sufficiently quantify relationships among behaviors and state variables to assess hypotheses of animal personality and behavioral syndromes. In a population of wild Belding's ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi) we repeatedly measured activity, exploration, and response to restraint behaviors alongside glucocorticoids and nutritional condition. We used multivariate mixed models to determine whether between-individual or within-individual correlations drive phenotypic relationships among traits. Squirrels had consistent individual differences for all five traits. At the between-individual level, activity and exploration were positively correlated whereas both traits negatively correlated with response to restraint, demonstrating a behavioral syndrome. At the within-individual level, condition negatively correlated with cortisol, activity and exploration. Importantly, this indicates that although behavior is state-dependent, which may play a role in animal personality and behavioral syndromes, feedback mechanisms between condition and behavior appear not to produce consistent individual differences in behavior and correlations between them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andy J. Dosmann
- Stanford University, Thinking Matters, Sweet Hall 219B, 590 Escondido Mall, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Katherine C. Brooks
- The University of Chicago, Committee on Evolutionary Biology, 940 E. 57 St. Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Jill. M. Mateo
- The University of Chicago, Committee on Evolutionary Biology, 940 E. 57 St. Chicago, IL 60637
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Brommer JE, Karell P, Aaltonen E, Ahola K, Karstinen T. Dissecting direct and indirect parental effects on reproduction in a wild bird of prey: dad affects when but not how much. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1842-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|