1
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Sobral G, Dubuc C, Winters S, Ruiz-Lambides A, Emery Thompson M, Maestripieri D, Milich KM. Facial and genital color ornamentation, testosterone, and reproductive output in high-ranking male rhesus macaques. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2621. [PMID: 38297064 PMCID: PMC10831099 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52400-0] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Males in many vertebrate species have colorful ornaments that evolved by sexual selection. The role of androgens in the genesis and maintenance of these signals is unclear. We studied 21 adult high-ranking male rhesus macaques from nine social groups in the free-ranging population on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, and analyzed facial and genital skin luminance and redness, fecal androgens, rates of mating behaviors, and offspring sired. Facial and genital coloration varied in relation to age, mating behavior, reproductive success, and testosterone concentration. Our results indicate that skin coloration in high-ranking male rhesus macaques is a sexually-selected trait mediated by androgens. These results add to the growing literature on the proximate and ultimate causes of male sexual signals and highlight the need to examine how these characteristics change with age in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela Sobral
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM/UFRJ), Macaé, RJ, Brazil
| | - Constance Dubuc
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sandra Winters
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | | | | | - Krista M Milich
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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2
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Gonzalez SJ, Sherer AJ, Hernández‐Pacheco R. Differential effects of early life adversity on male and female rhesus macaque lifespan. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10689. [PMID: 37937273 PMCID: PMC10626128 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity predicts shorter adult lifespan in several animal taxa. Yet, work on long-lived primate populations suggests the evolution of mechanisms that contribute to resiliency and long lives despite early life insults. Here, we tested associations between individual and cumulative early life adversity and lifespan on rhesus macaques at the Cayo Santiago Biological Field Station using 50 years of demographic data. We performed sex-specific survival analyses at different life stages to contrast short-term effects of adversity (i.e., infant survival) with long-term effects (i.e., adult survival). Female infants showed vulnerability to multiple adversities at birth, but affected females who survived to adulthood experienced a reduced risk later in life. In contrast, male infants showed vulnerability to a lower number of adversities at birth, but those who survived to adulthood were negatively affected by both early life individual and cumulative adversity. Our study shows profound immediate effects of insults on female infant cohorts and suggests that affected female adults are more robust. In contrast, adult males who experienced harsh conditions early in life showed an increased mortality risk at older ages as expected from hypotheses within the life course perspective. Our analysis suggests sex-specific selection pressures on life histories and highlights the need for studies addressing the effects of early life adversity across multiple life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie J. Gonzalez
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia State UniversityLong BeachCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Anthony J. Sherer
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia State UniversityLong BeachCaliforniaUSA
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3
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Newman LE, Testard C, DeCasien AR, Chiou KL, Watowich MM, Janiak MC, Pavez-Fox MA, Sanchez Rosado MR, Cooper EB, Costa CE, Petersen RM, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP. The biology of aging in a social world: Insights from free-ranging rhesus macaques. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 154:105424. [PMID: 37827475 PMCID: PMC10872885 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Social adversity can increase the age-associated risk of disease and death, yet the biological mechanisms that link social adversities to aging remain poorly understood. Long-term naturalistic studies of nonhuman animals are crucial for integrating observations of social behavior throughout an individual's life with detailed anatomical, physiological, and molecular measurements. Here, we synthesize the body of research from one such naturalistic study system, Cayo Santiago, which is home to the world's longest continuously monitored free-ranging population of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). We review recent studies of age-related variation in morphology, gene regulation, microbiome composition, and immune function. We also discuss ecological and social modifiers of age-markers in this population. In particular, we summarize how a major natural disaster, Hurricane Maria, affected rhesus macaque physiology and social structure and highlight the context-dependent and domain-specific nature of aging modifiers. Finally, we conclude by providing directions for future study, on Cayo Santiago and elsewhere, that will further our understanding of aging across different domains and how social adversity modifies aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Newman
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Alex R DeCasien
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kenneth L Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Marina M Watowich
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mareike C Janiak
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Melissa A Pavez-Fox
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | | | - Eve B Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christina E Costa
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel M Petersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Marketing Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
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4
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Negrey JD, Deschner T, Langergraber KE. Lean muscle mass, not aggression, mediates a link between dominance rank and testosterone in wild male chimpanzees. Anim Behav 2023; 202:99-109. [PMID: 37483564 PMCID: PMC10358427 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Testosterone promotes mating effort, which involves intraspecific aggression for males of many species. Therefore, males with higher testosterone levels are often thought to be more aggressive. For mammals living in multimale groups, aggression is hypothesized to link male social status (i.e. dominance rank) and testosterone levels, given that high status predicts mating success and is acquired partly through aggressive intragroup competition. In male chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes, dominance rank has been repeatedly linked to interindividual variation in testosterone levels, but evidence directly linking interindividual variation in testosterone and aggression is lacking. In the present study, we test both aggression levels and lean muscle mass, as measured by urinary creatinine, as links between dominance rank and testosterone levels in a large sample of wild male chimpanzees. Multivariate analyses indicated that dominance rank was positively associated with total rates of intragroup aggression, average urinary testosterone levels and average urinary creatinine levels. Testosterone was positively associated with creatinine levels but negatively associated with total aggression rates. Furthermore, mediation analyses showed that testosterone levels facilitated an association between dominance rank and creatinine levels. Our results indicate that (1) adult male chimpanzees with higher average testosterone levels are often higher ranking but not more aggressive than males with lower testosterone and (2) lean muscle mass links dominance rank and testosterone levels in Ngogo males. We assert that aggression rates are insufficient to explain links between dominance rank and testosterone levels in male chimpanzees and that other social variables (e.g. male-male relationship quality) may regulate testosterone's links to aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Negrey
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
- Department of Pathology/Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-
Salem, NC, U.S.A
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Comparative BioCognition, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück,
Germany
| | - Kevin E. Langergraber
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
- Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A
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5
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Culbert BM, Border SE, Fialkowski RJ, Bolitho I, Dijkstra PD. Social status influences relationships between hormones and oxidative stress in a cichlid fish. Horm Behav 2023; 152:105365. [PMID: 37119610 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
An individual's social environment can have widespread effects on their physiology, including effects on oxidative stress and hormone levels. Many studies have suggested that variation in oxidative stress experienced by individuals of different social statuses might be due to endocrine differences, however, few studies have evaluated this hypothesis. Here, we assessed whether a suite of markers associated with oxidative stress in different tissues (blood/plasma, liver, and gonads) had social status-specific relationships with circulating testosterone or cortisol levels in males of a cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni. Across all fish, blood DNA damage (a global marker of oxidative stress) and gonadal synthesis of reactive oxygen species [as indicated by NADPH-oxidase (NOX) activity] were lower when testosterone was high. However, high DNA damage in both the blood and gonads was associated with high cortisol in subordinates, but low cortisol in dominants. Additionally, high cortisol was associated with greater production of reactive oxygen species (greater NOX activity) in both the gonads (dominants only) and liver (dominants and subordinates). In general, high testosterone was associated with lower oxidative stress across both social statuses, whereas high cortisol was associated with lower oxidative stress in dominants and higher oxidative stress in subordinates. Taken together, our results show that differences in the social environment can lead to contrasting relationships between hormones and oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Culbert
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Shana E Border
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Illinois State University, School of Biological Sciences, Normal, IL, USA
| | | | - Isobel Bolitho
- University of Manchester, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Manchester, UK
| | - Peter D Dijkstra
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Neuroscience Program, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA.
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6
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Newman LE, Testard C, DeCasien AR, Chiou KL, Watowich MM, Janiak MC, Pavez-Fox MA, Rosado MRS, Cooper EB, Costa CE, Petersen RM, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Brent LJ, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP. The biology of aging in a social world:insights from free-ranging rhesus macaques. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.28.525893. [PMID: 36747827 PMCID: PMC9900930 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.28.525893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Social adversity can increase the age-associated risk of disease and death, yet the biological mechanisms that link social adversities to aging remain poorly understood. Long-term naturalistic studies of nonhuman animals are crucial for integrating observations of social behavior throughout an individual's life with detailed anatomical, physiological, and molecular measurements. Here, we synthesize the body of research from one such naturalistic study system, Cayo Santiago Island, which is home to the world's longest continuously monitored free-ranging population of rhesus macaques. We review recent studies of age-related variation in morphology, gene regulation, microbiome composition, and immune function. We also discuss ecological and social modifiers of age-markers in this population. In particular, we summarize how a major natural disaster, Hurricane Maria, affected rhesus macaque physiology and social structure and highlight the context-dependent and domain-specific nature of aging modifiers. Finally, we conclude by providing directions for future study, on Cayo Santiago and elsewhere, that will further our understanding of aging across different domains and how social adversity modifies aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Newman
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
| | - Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alex R. DeCasien
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institutes of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kenneth L. Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Marina M. Watowich
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mareike C. Janiak
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Eve B. Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
| | - Christina E. Costa
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
| | - Rachel M. Petersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael J. Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Marketing Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lauren J.N. Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
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7
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Arnocky S, Denomme B, Hodges-Simeon C, Hlay JK, Davis AC, Brennan H. Self-perceived Mate Value is Predicted by Biological and self-reported Indices of Health in Young Adults. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 9:54-71. [PMID: 36686590 PMCID: PMC9838438 DOI: 10.1007/s40750-022-00209-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Immunocompetence can influence an organism's reproductive fitness, and thus presumably their desirability as a mate (i.e., mate value). In humans, the link between immunocompetence and mate value has found circumstantial support by way of both expressed mate preferences for healthy partners, and via preferences for attractive phenotypes that are ostensibly linked to immune functioning. We examined whether a biological marker of immunocompetence, salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA), along with self-reported frequency and severity of symptoms of poor health predicted individuals' reported mate value and mating behavior in a sample of 691 young adults. Our measures of immunocompetence (sIgA and symptoms of poor health) correlated significantly with one another, suggesting sIgA is a viable marker of general immune function in young adults. We then examined the independent contributions of these variables to mate value, controlling for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Results showed that sIgA (positively) and poor health (negatively) predicted mate value, but not lifetime number of sex partners or current romantic relationship status. These findings suggest that those with better health and immune function report being more desirable as mating partners but support past research showing null links to reported mating behavior. Together, these findings suggest that more comprehensive work on links between immunocompetence and mating is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Arnocky
- Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, P1B8L7 North Bay, ON Canada
| | - Brittany Denomme
- Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, P1B8L7 North Bay, ON Canada
| | | | | | - Adam C. Davis
- Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, P1B8L7, North Bay, ON Canada
| | - Hillary Brennan
- Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, P1B8L7 North Bay, ON Canada
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8
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Melvin ZE, Dhirani H, Mitchell C, Davenport TRB, Blount JD, Georgiev AV. Methodological confounds of measuring urinary oxidative stress in wild animals. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9115. [PMID: 35866020 PMCID: PMC9288928 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomarkers of oxidative stress (OS) are useful in addressing a wide range of research questions, but thus far, they have had limited application to wild mammal populations due to a reliance on blood or tissue sampling. A shift toward non‐invasive measurement of OS would allow field ecologists and conservationists to apply this method more readily. However, the impact of methodological confounds on urinary OS measurement under field conditions has never been explicitly investigated. We combined a cross‐sectional analysis with a field experiment to assess the impact of four potential methodological confounds on OS measurements: (1) time of sampling, (2) environmental contamination from foliage; (3) delay between sample collection and flash‐freezing in liquid nitrogen; and (4) sample storage of up to 15 months below −80°C. We measured DNA oxidative damage (8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine, 8‐OHdG), lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and uric acid (UA) in 167 urine samples collected from wild Zanzibar red colobus (Piliocolobus kirkii). We found that MDA was higher in samples collected in the morning than in the afternoon but there were no diurnal patterns in any of the other markers. Contamination of samples from foliage and length of time frozen at −80°C for up to 15 months did not affect OS marker concentrations. Freezing delay did not affect OS levels cross‐sectionally, but OS values from individual samples showed only moderate‐to‐good consistency and substantial rank‐order reversals when exposed to different freezing delays. We recommend that diurnal patterns of OS markers and the impact of storage time before and after freezing on OS marker concentrations be considered when designing sampling protocols. However, given the high stability we observed for four OS markers subject to a variety of putative methodological confounds, we suggest that urinary OS markers provide a valuable addition to the toolkit of field ecologists and conservationists within reasonable methodological constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe E Melvin
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University Bangor UK.,Zanzibar Red Colobus Project Bangor University Bangor UK
| | | | - Christopher Mitchell
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Penryn UK
| | | | - Jonathan D Blount
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life & Environmental Sciences University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Penryn UK
| | - Alexander V Georgiev
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University Bangor UK.,Zanzibar Red Colobus Project Bangor University Bangor UK
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9
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Quque M, Ferreira C, Sosa S, Schull Q, Zahn S, Criscuolo F, Bleu J, Viblanc VA. Cascading effects of conspecific aggression on oxidative status and telomere length in zebra finches. Physiol Biochem Zool 2022; 95:416-429. [DOI: 10.1086/721252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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10
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Covas R, Lardy S, Silva LR, Rey B, Ferreira AC, Theron F, Tognetti A, Faivre B, Doutrelant C. The oxidative cost of helping and its minimization in a cooperative breeder. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Cooperative actions are beneficial to the group, but presumably costly to the individual co-operators. In cooperatively breeding species, helping to raise young is thought to involve important energetic costs, which could lead to elevated exposure to reactive oxygen species, resulting in oxidative stress. However, identifying such costs can be difficult if individuals adjust their investment in helping in relation to environmental conditions or their own physiological condition. Experimental approaches are therefore required to quantify the costs of helping but, to date, these have been infrequent. Here, we combined correlational and experimental data to investigate the oxidative cost of helping-at-the-nest and how this affects helping decisions in wild sociable weavers Philetairus socius, a colonial cooperatively breeding bird. At the correlational level, we found that the probability of helping was influenced by the interaction of an individual’s oxidative state and age: compared to younger birds, older individuals were more likely to help when they had higher oxidative damage, and the opposite trend was found for younger individuals. After experimentally increasing the energetic cost of flight, manipulated helpers in breeding colonies decreased nestling feeding rates and incurred an increase in oxidative damage, which was not present in manipulated helpers in non-breeding colonies. This indicates that individuals decreased their helping behavior to minimize the associated costs. These results suggest that oxidative stress can influence helping decisions and underlie a trade-off between cooperation and self-maintenance, which is central to understanding when helping might take place in this and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Covas
- CIBIO-InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Sophie Lardy
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- Biogéosciences, CNRS UMR 6282, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Liliana R Silva
- CIBIO-InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Benjamin Rey
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France
| | - André C Ferreira
- CIBIO-InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul-Valery Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Franck Theron
- CIBIO-InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul-Valery Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Arnaud Tognetti
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, 1, esplanade de l’Université, 31080 Toulouse Cedex 06, France
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bruno Faivre
- Biogéosciences, CNRS UMR 6282, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Claire Doutrelant
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul-Valery Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
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11
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Border SE, Piefke TJ, Funnell TR, Fialkowski RF, Sawecki J, Dijkstra PD. Social instability influences rank-specific patterns of oxidative stress in a cichlid fish. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:272109. [PMID: 34495308 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.237172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In many animal societies, dominant individuals have priority access to resources. However, defending high rank can be costly, especially in unstable social hierarchies where there is more intense competition. Oxidative stress has been proposed as a potential cost of social dominance, but few studies have examined this cost in relation to social stability. We studied the cost of social dominance in the cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni by manipulating social stability among males in replicate naturalistic communities for 22 weeks. We found that our social stability treatment influenced status-specific patterns in 3 out of 6 measurements of oxidative stress. Specifically, dominant males experienced increased plasma oxidative damage (measured as reactive oxygen metabolites, ROMs) compared with subordinate males in stable hierarchies only. Subordinate males in unstable hierarchies had higher ROMs than their stable community counterparts, but we found no effect of social stability treatment for dominant males. However, dominant males tended to have reduced total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the liver when compared with subordinate males in unstable hierarchies, suggesting that the cost of social dominance is higher in unstable hierarchies. There were no effects of status and treatment on gonad TAC, muscle TAC or oxidative DNA damage. We conclude that the stability of the social environment influences the relative cost of social dominance in a tissue- and marker-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shana E Border
- Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Taylor J Piefke
- Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
| | - Tyler R Funnell
- Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA.,Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Robert F Fialkowski
- Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
| | - Jacob Sawecki
- Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA.,Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Peter D Dijkstra
- Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA.,Neuroscience Program, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA.,Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
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12
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Funnell TR, Fialkowski RJ, Dijkstra PD. Social dominance does not increase oxidative stress in a female dominance hierarchy of an African cichlid fish. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler R. Funnell
- Department of Biology Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant MI USA
- Quantitative Fisheries Center Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | | | - Peter D. Dijkstra
- Department of Biology Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant MI USA
- Neuroscience Program Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant MI USA
- Institute for Great Lakes Research Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant MI USA
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13
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Oxidative stress and the differential expression of traits associated with mating effort in humans. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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14
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15
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Radical change: temporal patterns of oxidative stress during social ascent in a dominance hierarchy. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02981-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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16
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Sandel AA, Rushmore J, Negrey JD, Mitani JC, Lyons DM, Caillaud D. Social Network Predicts Exposure to Respiratory Infection in a Wild Chimpanzee Group. ECOHEALTH 2020; 17:437-448. [PMID: 33404931 PMCID: PMC7786864 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-020-01507-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Respiratory pathogens are expected to spread through social contacts, but outbreaks often occur quickly and unpredictably, making it challenging to simultaneously record social contact and disease incidence data, especially in wildlife. Thus, the role of social contacts in the spread of infectious disease is often treated as an assumption in disease simulation studies, and few studies have empirically demonstrated how pathogens spread through social networks. In July-August 2015, an outbreak of respiratory disease was observed in a wild chimpanzee community in Kibale National Park, Uganda, during an ongoing behavioral study of male chimpanzees, offering a rare opportunity to evaluate how social behavior affects individual exposure to socially transmissible diseases. From May to August 2015, we identified adult and adolescent male chimpanzees displaying coughs and rhinorrhea and recorded 5-m proximity data on males (N = 40). Using the network k-test, we found significant relationships between male network connectivity and the distribution of cases within the network, supporting the importance of short-distance contacts for the spread of the respiratory outbreak. Additionally, chimpanzees central to the network were more likely to display clinical signs than those with fewer connections. Although our analyses were limited to male chimpanzees, these findings underscore the value of social connectivity data in predicting disease outcomes and elucidate a potential evolutionary cost of being social.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A Sandel
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Julie Rushmore
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Epicenter for Disease Dynamics, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jacob D Negrey
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - John C Mitani
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daniel M Lyons
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Damien Caillaud
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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17
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Cinková I, Shrader AM. Rival assessment by territorial southern white rhinoceros males via eavesdropping on the contact and courtship calls. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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18
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Solak HM, Yanchukov A, Çolak F, Matur F, Sözen M, Ayanoğlu İC, Winternitz JC. Altitudinal Effects on Innate Immune Response of a Subterranean Rodent. Zoolog Sci 2020; 37:31-41. [PMID: 32068372 DOI: 10.2108/zs190067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Immune defense is costly to maintain and deploy, and the optimal investment into immune defense depends on risk of infection. Altitude is a natural environmental factor that is predicted to affect parasite abundance, with lower parasite abundance predicted at higher altitudes due to stronger environmental stressors, which reduce parasite transmission. Using high and low altitude populations of the Turkish blind mole-rat (TBMR) Nannospalax xanthodon, we tested for effects of altitude on constitutive innate immune defense. Field studies were performed with 32 wild animals in 2017 and 2018 from two low- and one high-altitude localities in the Central Taurus Mountains, at respective altitudes of 1010 m, 1115 m, and 2900 m above sea level. We first compared innate standing immune defense as measured by the bacteria-killing ability of blood serum. We then measured corticosterone stress hormone levels, as stressful conditions may affect immune response. Finally, we compared prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal parasites of field-captured TBMR. We found that the bacteria-killing ability of serum is greater in the mole-rat samples from high altitude. There was no significant difference in stress (corticosterone) levels between altitude categories. Coccidian prevalence and abundance were significantly higher in 2017 than 2018 samples, but there was no significant difference in prevalence, abundance, or intensity between altitudes, or between sexes. Small sample sizes may have reduced power to detect true differences; nevertheless, this study provides support that greater standing innate immunity in high altitude animals may reflect greater investment into constitutive defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halil Mert Solak
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Alexey Yanchukov
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Faruk Çolak
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Ferhat Matur
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dokuz Eylül University, Tınaztepe Campus, 35390, Buca, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Sözen
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - İhsan Cihan Ayanoğlu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Science, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Jamie C Winternitz
- Department of Animal Behavior, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany,
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19
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Negrey JD, Sandel AA, Langergraber KE. Dominance rank and the presence of sexually receptive females predict feces-measured body temperature in male chimpanzees. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020; 74:5. [PMID: 34079157 PMCID: PMC8168630 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2788-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Quantifying the costs of mating is key for understanding life-history trade-offs. As a reflection of metabolic rate, body temperature is one metric for assaying these costs. However, conventional methods for measuring body temperature are invasive and unsuitable for the study of free-living populations of endangered species, including great apes. A promising proxy for body temperature is fecal temperature, the internal temperature of fecal deposits shortly following defecation. We validated this method with humans, finding that maximum fecal temperature is a reliable proxy for rectal temperature. We then applied this method to wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. We collected and analyzed 101 fecal temperature measurements from 43 adult chimpanzees (male: N = 28; female: N = 15). Chimpanzee fecal temperature ranged from 33.4 to 38.9 °C, with a mean of 35.8 °C. Although fecal temperature was not predicted by sex, age, or ambient temperature, male fecal temperature was 1.1 °C higher on days when sexually receptive females were present and was positively correlated with male dominance rank. Post hoc analyses showed that overall copulation rates, but not aggression rates, were positively correlated with fecal temperature, suggesting that sexual physiology and behavior best explain mating-related temperature variation. Together, these results indicate fecal temperature is a reliable proxy for core body temperature in large-bodied mammals, captures metabolic costs associated with male mating behavior, and represents a valuable noninvasive tool for biological field research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Negrey
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Aaron A. Sandel
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78705, USA
| | - Kevin E. Langergraber
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, 900 S. Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
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20
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Effects of condition and sperm competition risk on sperm allocation and storage in neriid flies. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractEjaculate traits can be sexually selected and often exhibit heightened condition-dependence. However, the influence of sperm competition risk in tandem with condition-dependent ejaculate allocation strategies is relatively unstudied. Because ejaculates are costly to produce, high-condition males may be expected to invest more in ejaculates when sperm competition risk is greater. We examined the condition-dependence of ejaculate size by manipulating nutrient concentration in the juvenile (larval) diet of the neriid fly Telostylinus angusticollis. Using a fully factorial design we also examined the effects of perceived sperm competition risk (manipulated by allowing males to mate first or second) on the quantity of ejaculate transferred and stored in the three spermathecae of the female reproductive tract. To differentiate male ejaculates, we fed males nontoxic rhodamine fluorophores (which bind to proteins in the body) prior to mating, labeling their sperm red or green. We found that high-condition males initiated mating more quickly and, when mating second, transferred more ejaculate to both of the female’s posterior spermathecae. This suggests that males allocate ejaculates strategically, with high-condition males elevating their ejaculate investment only when facing sperm competition. More broadly, our findings suggest that ejaculate allocation strategies can incorporate variation in both condition and perceived risk of sperm competition.
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Todd EV, Liu H, Lamm MS, Thomas JT, Rutherford K, Thompson KC, Godwin JR, Gemmell NJ. Female Mimicry by Sneaker Males Has a Transcriptomic Signature in Both the Brain and the Gonad in a Sex-Changing Fish. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:225-241. [PMID: 29136184 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity represents an elegant adaptive response of individuals to a change in their environment. Bluehead wrasses (Thalassoma bifasciatum) exhibit astonishing sexual plasticity, including female-to-male sex change and discrete male morphs that differ strikingly in behavior, morphology, and gonadal investment. Using RNA-seq transcriptome profiling, we examined the genes and physiological pathways underlying flexible behavioral and gonadal differences among female, dominant (bourgeois) male, and female-mimic (sneaker) male blueheads. For the first time in any organism, we find that female mimicry by sneaker males has a transcriptional signature in both the brain and the gonad. Sneaker males shared striking similarity in neural gene expression with females, supporting the idea that males with alternative reproductive phenotypes have "female-like brains." Sneaker males also overexpressed neuroplasticity genes, suggesting that their opportunistic reproductive strategy requires a heightened capacity for neuroplasticity. Bourgeois males overexpressed genes associated with socio-sexual behaviors (e.g., isotocin), but also neuroprotective genes and biomarkers of oxidative stress and aging, indicating a hitherto unexplored cost to these males of attaining the reproductively privileged position at the top of the social hierarchy. Our novel comparison of testicular transcriptomes in a fish with male sexual polymorphism associates greater gonadal investment by sneaker males with overexpression of genes involved in cell proliferation and sperm quality control. We propose that morphological female-mimicry by sneaker male teleosts entails pervasive downregulation of androgenesis genes, consistent with low androgen production in males lacking well-developed secondary sexual characters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica V Todd
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Melissa S Lamm
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Jodi T Thomas
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kim Rutherford
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kelly C Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - John R Godwin
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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22
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Social rank, color morph, and social network metrics predict oxidative stress in a cichlid fish. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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23
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Rosenfield KA, Semple S, Georgiev AV, Maestripieri D, Higham JP, Dubuc C. Experimental evidence that female rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta) perceive variation in male facial masculinity. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181415. [PMID: 30800385 PMCID: PMC6366174 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Among many primate species, face shape is sexually dimorphic, and male facial masculinity has been proposed to influence female mate choice and male-male competition by signalling competitive ability. However, whether conspecifics pay attention to facial masculinity has only been assessed in humans. In a study of free-ranging rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta, we used a two-alternative look-time experiment to test whether females perceive male facial masculinity. We presented 107 females with pairs of images of male faces-one with a more masculine shape and one more feminine-and recorded their looking behaviour. Females looked at the masculine face longer than at the feminine face in more trials than predicted by chance. Although there was no overall difference in average look-time between masculine and feminine faces across all trials, females looked significantly longer at masculine faces in a subset of trials for which the within-pair difference in masculinity was most pronounced. Additionally, the proportion of time subjects looked toward the masculine face increased as the within-pair difference in masculinity increased. This study provides evidence that female macaques perceive variation in male facial shape, a necessary condition for intersexual selection to operate on such a trait. It also highlights the potential impact of perceptual thresholds on look-time experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A. Rosenfield
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary, Social and Interdisciplinary Anthropology, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD, UK
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, 409 Carpenter Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Stuart Semple
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary, Social and Interdisciplinary Anthropology, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Alexander V. Georgiev
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, 940 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Dario Maestripieri
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, 940 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Constance Dubuc
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
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24
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Silva LR, Lardy S, Ferreira AC, Rey B, Doutrelant C, Covas R. Females pay the oxidative cost of dominance in a highly social bird. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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25
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Smyth KN, Caruso NM, Davies CS, Clutton-Brock TH, Drea CM. Social and endocrine correlates of immune function in meerkats: implications for the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180435. [PMID: 30225031 PMCID: PMC6124081 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Social status can mediate effects on the immune system, with profound consequences for individual health; nevertheless, most investigators of status-related disparities in free-ranging animals have used faecal parasite burdens to proxy immune function in the males of male-dominant species. We instead use direct measures of innate immune function (complement and natural antibodies) to examine status-related immunocompetence in both sexes of a female-dominant species. The meerkat is a unique model for such a study because it is a cooperatively breeding species in which status-related differences are extreme, evident in reproductive skew, morphology, behaviour, communication and physiology, including that dominant females naturally express the greatest total androgen (androstenedione plus testosterone) concentrations. We found that, relative to subordinates, dominant animals had reduced serum bacteria-killing abilities; also, relative to subordinate females, dominant females had reduced haemolytic complement activities. Irrespective of an individual's sex or social status, androstenedione concentrations (but not body condition, age or reproductive activity) negatively predicted concurrent immunocompetence. Thus, dominant meerkats of both sexes are immunocompromised. Moreover, in female meerkats, androstenedione perhaps acting directly or via local conversion, may exert a double-edged effect of promoting dominance and reproductive success at the cost of increased parasitism and reduced immune function. Given the prominent signalling of dominance in female meerkats, these findings may relate to the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH); however, our data would suggest that the endocrine mechanism underlying the ICHH need not be mediated solely by testosterone and might explain trade-offs in females, as well as in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra N. Smyth
- University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Nicholas M. Caruso
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Charli S. Davies
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Tim H. Clutton-Brock
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Christine M. Drea
- University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
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26
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Costantini D. Meta-analysis reveals that reproductive strategies are associated with sexual differences in oxidative balance across vertebrates. Curr Zool 2018; 64:1-11. [PMID: 29492033 PMCID: PMC5809033 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress is a key physiological mechanism underlying life-history tradeoffs. Here, I use meta-analytic techniques to test whether sexual differences in oxidative balance are common in vertebrates and to identify which factors are associated with such differences. The dataset included 732 effect size estimates from 100 articles (82 species). Larger unsigned effect size (meaning larger sexual differences in a given marker) occurred in: reptiles and fish; those species that do not provide parental care; and oviparous species. Estimates of signed effect size (positive values meaning higher oxidative stress in males) indicated that females were less resistant to oxidative stress than males in: reptiles while males and females were similar in fish, birds, and mammals; those species that do not provide parental care; and oviparous species. There was no evidence for a significant sexual differentiation in oxidative balance in fish, birds, and mammals. Effect size was not associated with: the number of offspring; whether the experimental animals were reproducing or not; biomarker (oxidative damage, non-enzymatic, or enzymatic antioxidant), the species body mass; the strain (wild vs. domestic); or the study environment (wild vs. captivity). Oxidative stress tended to be higher in females than males across most of the tissues analyzed. Levels of residual heterogeneity were high in all models tested. The findings of this meta-analysis indicate that diversification of reproductive strategies might be associated with sexual differences in oxidative balance. This explorative meta-analysis offers a starting platform for future research to investigate the relationship between sex and oxidative balance further.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Costantini
- UMR 7221, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 7 rue Cuvier 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, Berlin 10315, Germany
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
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27
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Longman DP, Prall SP, Shattuck EC, Stephen ID, Stock JT, Wells JCK, Muehlenbein MP. Short-term resource allocation during extensive athletic competition. Am J Hum Biol 2018; 30:e23052. [PMID: 28994489 PMCID: PMC5846891 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Following predictions from life history theory, we sought to identify acute trade-offs between reproductive effort (as measured by psychological arousal) and somatic maintenance (via functional measures of innate immunity) during conditions of severe energetic imbalance. METHODS Sixty-six male ultramarathon runners (ages 20 to 37 years) were sampled before and after a lengthy race. Saliva and sera were collected for testosterone and immunological analyses (hemolytic complement activity and bacterial killing ability). Lean body mass was assessed by bioelectrical impedance, and libido was measured using a slideshow of arousing and neutral images. RESULTS Following predictions, there was a significant decrease in salivary testosterone levels (109.59 pg/mL versus 97.61 pg/mL, P < .001) and arousal scores in response to provocative images (5.40 versus 4.89, P = .001) between prerace and postrace time points. Additionally, participant bacterial killing ability (P = .035) and hemolytic complement activity (P = .021) increased between prerace and postrace. CONCLUSIONS Decreased libido and testosterone with concomitant heightened innate immune responses suggest a shift in energetic priorities away from reproduction and toward maintenance/defense during a period of energetic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P. Longman
- Department of Archaeology and AnthropologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Sean P. Prall
- Laboratory for Evolutionary Medicine, Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Eric C. Shattuck
- Laboratory for Evolutionary Medicine, Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Ian D. Stephen
- Department of PsychologyMacquarie UniversitySydneyAustralia
| | - Jay T. Stock
- Department of Archaeology and AnthropologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of AnthropologyWestern University, LondonOntario N6A 3K7Canada
| | - Jonathan C. K. Wells
- UCL Institute of Child HealthChildhood Nutrition Research CentreLondonUnited Kingdom
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28
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Milich KM, Georgiev AV, Petersen RM, Emery Thompson M, Maestripieri D. Alpha male status and availability of conceptive females are associated with high glucocorticoid concentrations in high-ranking male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) during the mating season. Horm Behav 2018; 97:5-13. [PMID: 28954215 PMCID: PMC6180231 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between male mating opportunities, stress, and glucocorticoid concentrations is complicated by the fact that physiological stress and glucocorticoid concentrations can be influenced by dominance rank, group size, and the stability of the male dominance hierarchy, along with ecological factors. We studied the three highest-ranking males in nine different social groups within the same free-ranging population of rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, during the mating season, to examine variation in glucocorticoid concentrations in relation to number of females that conceived each month, alpha status, number of adult males in a group, and male rank hierarchy stability. We found that glucocorticoid concentrations were highest in the early mating season period when more females conceived in each group and declined linearly as the mating season progressed and the number of conceptive females decreased. Alpha males had significantly higher mean monthly glucocorticoid concentrations than other high-ranking males throughout the study period. Male age, number of adult males in a group, and hierarchy stability were not significantly associated with glucocorticoid concentrations. Our findings suggest that alpha males may experience significantly higher levels of physiological stress than their immediate subordinates and that this stress coincides with the period of the mating season when most conceptions occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista M Milich
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, USA; Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA.
| | - Alexander V Georgiev
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, UK
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Petersdorf M, Dubuc C, Georgiev AV, Winters S, Higham JP. Is male rhesus macaque facial coloration under intrasexual selection? Behav Ecol 2017; 28:1472-1481. [PMID: 29622929 PMCID: PMC5872909 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Exaggerated male traits can evolve under intra- or intersexual selection, but it remains less clear how often both mechanisms act together on trait evolution. While the males of many anthropoid primate species exhibit colorful signals that appear to be badges of status under intrasexual selection, the red facial coloration of male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) appears to have evolved primarily under intersexual selection and female mate choice. Nonetheless, experiments show that red color is salient to males, raising the question of whether the signal may also be under intrasexual selection. Here, we examine whether males express this signal more strongly in competitive contexts. Facial images were collected on all 15 adult males of a free-ranging social group during the peak of the mating season, and coloration was quantified using visual models. Results show that males more similar in facial redness were more likely to interact aggressively than more dissimilar ones, suggesting that color may be involved in the assessment of rivals. Furthermore, males exhibited darker coloration on days they were observed copulating, and dominance rank predicted facial redness only on copulating days, suggesting that coloration may also advertise motivation to defend a mate. Male rhesus macaque facial coloration may thus mediate agonistic interactions with rivals during competition over reproductive opportunities, such that it is under both inter- and intrasexual selection. However, color differences were small, raising perceptibility questions. It remains possible that color variation reflects differences in male condition, which in turn alter investment towards male-male competition and mating effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Petersdorf
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Pl, New York,
NY 10003, USA
| | - Constance Dubuc
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Pl, New York,
NY 10003, USA
| | - Alexander V Georgiev
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, 940 E 57th St,
Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor,
Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Sandra Winters
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Pl, New York,
NY 10003, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Pl, New York,
NY 10003, USA
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Beaulieu M, Ancel A, Chastel O, Criscuolo F, Raclot T. Socially-induced variation in physiological mediators of parental care in a colonial bird. Horm Behav 2017; 93:39-46. [PMID: 28356224 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 03/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Social facilitation of reproduction occurs in humans and animals, and may represent one of the bases of reproduction in groups. However, its underlying physiological mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, we found in a colonial bird, the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), that the number of parental interactions (nest relief ceremonies) performed by breeding individuals on the colony was positively related to prolactin levels in other breeding individuals exposed to these interactions (i.e. focal individuals). As prolactin is typically involved in the expression of parental behaviour in birds, this suggests that parental interactions by conspecifics represent social cues that might increase parental motivation in focal individuals. Moreover, parental interactions were not related to corticosterone levels in focal individuals, suggesting that these social cues were not stressful for penguins. However, social stimulation still had a cost for focal individuals, as it was negatively related to their antioxidant defences (a component of self-maintenance). As social stimulation was also positively related to prolactin levels, this highlights the fact that social stimulation acts on the trade-off between reproduction and self-maintenance. For the first time, the results of the current study shed light on the physiological factors potentially underlying social facilitation of parental care. Importantly, they suggest that, even though social facilitation of parental care may increase breeding performance, it can also negatively affect other fitness components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Beaulieu
- Zoological Institute & Museum, University of Greifswald, Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Str. 11/12, 17489 Greifswald, Germany.
| | - André Ancel
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; CNRS, UMR7178, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR7372-CNRS/Univ. La Rochelle, F-79360, France
| | - François Criscuolo
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; CNRS, UMR7178, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Thierry Raclot
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; CNRS, UMR7178, 67087 Strasbourg, France
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Rebout N, Thierry B, Sanna A, Cozzolino R, Aujard F, De Marco A. Female mate choice and male-male competition in Tonkean macaques: Who decides? Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Rebout
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien; Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
| | - Bernard Thierry
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien; Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
| | | | | | - Fabienne Aujard
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution; Brunoy France
| | - Arianna De Marco
- Fondazione Ethoikos; Radicondoli Italy
- Parco Faunistico di Piano dell'Abatino; Poggio San Lorenzo Italy
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Rome Italy
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Messina S, Eens M, Casasole G, AbdElgawad H, Asard H, Pinxten R, Costantini D. Experimental inhibition of a key cellular antioxidant affects vocal communication. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Messina
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Giulia Casasole
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Hamada AbdElgawad
- Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research Department of Biology University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium
- Department of Botany Faculty of Science University of Beni‐Suef Beni‐Suef62511 Egypt
| | - Han Asard
- Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research Department of Biology University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Belgium
- Faculty of Social Sciences Antwerp School of Education University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium
| | - David Costantini
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Belgium
- UMR 7221 Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 7 rue Cuvier 75231 Paris Cedex 05 France
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Foo YZ, Simmons LW, Rhodes G. The relationship between health and mating success in humans. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:160603. [PMID: 28280558 PMCID: PMC5319324 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Health has been claimed to play an important role in human sexual selection, especially in terms of mate choice. Our preferences for attractive individuals are said to represent evolved adaptations for finding high-quality, healthy mates. If this is true, then we expect health to predict mating success in humans. We tested this hypothesis using several important physiological indicators of health, including immune function, oxidative stress and semen quality, and self-reported measures of sexual behaviour that contribute to mating success. In contrast to our hypothesis, we did not find a relationship between the physiological measures of health and sexual behaviour. Our results provide little support for claims that health, at least the health measures we used, increases mating success in relatively healthy humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zhi Foo
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Western Australia, Australia
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology and School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Western Australia, Australia
| | - Leigh W. Simmons
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Western Australia, Australia
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology and School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Western Australia, Australia
| | - Gillian Rhodes
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 Western Australia, Australia
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Stewart EC, Greives TJ. Short-term immune challenge does not influence social dominance behaviour in top-ranked black-capped chickadees. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Georgiev A, Christie D, Rosenfield K, Ruiz-Lambides A, Maldonado E, Emery Thompson M, Maestripieri D. Breaking the succession rule: the costs and benefits of an alpha-status take-over by an immigrant rhesus macaque on Cayo Santiago. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Explaining intraspecific variation in reproductive tactics hinges on measuring associated costs and benefits. Yet, this is difficult if alternative (purportedly less optimal) tactics remain unobserved. We describe a rare alpha-position take-over by an immigrant male rhesus macaque in a population where males typically gain rank via succession. Unusually, male aggressiveness after the take-over correlated with rank and mating success. The new alpha achieved the highest mating and reproductive success. Nevertheless, he sired only 4 infants due to high extra-group paternity (59.3%). The costs of his immigration tactic were high: after the mating season ended, unable to deter coalitionary attacks by resident males, he was overthrown. The following year he had the highest relative annual weight loss and levels of immune activation among males in the group. Succession-based rank-acquisition in large, provisioned groups of macaques thus appears to be actively maintained by resident males, who impose high costs on challengers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V. Georgiev
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, 940 E57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Diana Christie
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, 1321 Kincaid Street, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Kevin A. Rosenfield
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Angelina V. Ruiz-Lambides
- Caribbean Primate Research Center–Cayo Santiago, University of Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago, PR 00741, Puerto Rico
| | - Elizabeth Maldonado
- Caribbean Primate Research Center–Cayo Santiago, University of Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago, PR 00741, Puerto Rico
| | - Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, 500 University Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Dario Maestripieri
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, 940 E57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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36
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Georgiev AV, Thompson ME, Mandalaywala TM, Maestripieri D. Oxidative stress as an indicator of the costs of reproduction among free-ranging rhesus macaques. J Exp Biol 2015; 218:1981-5. [PMID: 25908058 PMCID: PMC4510843 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.121947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in longevity may reflect sex-specific costs of intra-sexual competition and reproductive effort. As male rhesus macaques experience greater intrasexual competition and die younger, we predicted that males would experience greater oxidative stress than females and that oxidative stress would reflect sex-specific measures of reproductive effort. Males, relative to females, had higher concentrations of 8-OHdG and malondialdehyde, which are markers of DNA oxidative damage and lipid peroxidation, respectively. Older macaques had lower 8-OHdG levels than younger ones, suggesting that oxidative stress decreases in parallel with known age-related declines in reproductive investment. Among males, a recent period of social instability affected oxidative status: males who attacked others at higher rates had higher 8-OHdG levels. Multiparous lactating females with daughters had higher 8-OHdG levels than those with sons. No differences in antioxidant capacity were found. These results lend initial support for the use of oxidative stress markers to assess trade-offs between reproductive effort and somatic maintenance in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V Georgiev
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, 940 E 57th St, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, 500 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Tara M Mandalaywala
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, 940 E 57th St, Chicago, IL 60637, USA Department of Psychology, New York University, 6 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Dario Maestripieri
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, 940 E 57th St, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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