1
|
Ferreira MS, Dickman CR, Fisher DO, Figueiredo MDSL, Vieira MV. Marsupial position on life-history continua and the potential contribution of life-history traits to population growth. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231316. [PMID: 37608722 PMCID: PMC10445018 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that mammal life history varies along the fast-slow continuum and that, in eutherians, this continuum is linked to variation in the potential contribution of survival and reproduction to population growth rate (λ). Fast eutherians mature early, have large litters and short lifespans, and exhibit high potential contribution of age at first reproduction and fertility to λ, while slow eutherians show high potential contribution of survival to λ. However, marsupials have typically been overlooked in comparative tests of mammalian life-history evolution. Here, we tested whether the eutherian life-history pattern extends to marsupials, and show that marsupial life-history trade-offs are organized along two major axes: (i) the reproductive output and dispersion axis, and (ii) the fast-slow continuum, with an additional association between adult survival and body mass. Life-history traits that potentially drive changes in λ are similar in eutherians and marsupials with slow life histories, but differ in fast marsupials; age at first reproduction is the most important trait contributing to λ and fertility contributes little. Marsupials have slower life histories than eutherians, and differences between these clades may derive from their contrasting reproductive modes; marsupials have slower development, growth and metabolism than eutherians of equivalent size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Silva Ferreira
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Christopher R. Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Diana O. Fisher
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
| | - Marcos de Souza Lima Figueiredo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Neotropical, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcus Vinícius Vieira
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gaschk JL, Del Simone K, Wilson RS, Clemente CJ. Resting disparity in quoll semelparity: examining the sex-linked behaviours of wild roaming northern quolls ( Dasyurus hallucatus) during breeding season. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221180. [PMID: 36756058 PMCID: PMC9890097 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Semelparity is a breeding strategy whereby an individual invests large amounts of resources into a single breeding season, leading to the death of the individual. Male northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus) are the largest known mammal to experience a post-breeding die-off; however, the cause of their death is unknown, dissimilar from causes in other semelparous dasyurids. To identify potential differences between male northern quolls that breed once, and females that can breed for up to four seasons, the behaviours, activity budgets, speeds and distances travelled were examined. Northern quolls were captured on Groote Eylandt off the coast of the Northern Territory, Australia, and were fitted with accelerometers. A machine learning algorithm (Self-organizing Map) was trained on more than 76 h of recorded footage of quoll behaviours and used to predict behaviours in 42 days of data from wild roaming quolls (7M : 6F). Male northern quolls were more active (male 1.27 g, s.d. = 0.41; female 1.18 g, s.d. = 0.36), spent more time walking (13.09% male: 8.93% female) and engaged in less lying/resting behaviour than female northern quolls (7.67% male: 23.65% female). Reduced resting behaviour among males could explain the post-breeding death as the deterioration in appearance reflects that reported for sleep-deprived rodents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua L. Gaschk
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Kaylah Del Simone
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Robbie S. Wilson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Christofer J. Clemente
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tian R, Han K, Geng Y, Yang C, Shi C, Thomas PB, Pearce C, Moffatt K, Ma S, Xu S, Yang G, Zhou X, Gladyshev VN, Liu X, Fisher DO, Chopin LK, Leiner NO, Baker AM, Fan G, Seim I. A chromosome-level genome of Antechinus flavipes provides a reference for an Australian marsupial genus with male death after mating. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:740-754. [PMID: 34486812 PMCID: PMC9290055 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The 15 species of small carnivorous marsupials that comprise the genus Antechinus exhibit semelparity, a rare life-history strategy in mammals where synchronized death occurs after one breeding season. Antechinus males, but not females, age rapidly (demonstrate organismal senescence) during the breeding season and show promise as new animal models of ageing. Some antechinus species are also threatened or endangered. Here, we report a chromosome-level genome of a male yellow-footed antechinus Antechinus flavipes. The genome assembly has a total length of 3.2 Gb with a contig N50 of 51.8 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 636.7 Mb. We anchored and oriented 99.7% of the assembly on seven pseudochromosomes and found that repetitive DNA sequences occupy 51.8% of the genome. Draft genome assemblies of three related species in the subfamily Phascogalinae, two additional antechinus species (Antechinus argentus and A. arktos) and the iteroparous sister species Murexia melanurus, were also generated. Preliminary demographic analysis supports the hypothesis that climate change during the Pleistocene isolated species in Phascogalinae and shaped their population size. A transcriptomic profile across the A. flavipes breeding season allowed us to identify genes associated with aspects of the male die-off. The chromosome-level A. flavipes genome provides a steppingstone to understanding an enigmatic life-history strategy and a resource to assist the conservation of antechinuses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ran Tian
- Integrative Biology LaboratoryCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and BiotechnologyCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Kai Han
- BGI‐QingdaoBGI‐ShenzhenQingdaoChina
| | - Yuepan Geng
- Integrative Biology LaboratoryCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Chen Yang
- Integrative Biology LaboratoryCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | | | - Patrick B. Thomas
- Ghrelin Research GroupTranslational Research Institute‐Institute of Health and Biomedical InnovationSchool of Biomedical SciencesQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre‐QueenslandTranslational Research Institute – Institute of Health and Biomedical InnovationQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
- Queensland Bladder Cancer InitiativeTranslational Research Institute‐Institute of Health and Biomedical InnovationSchool of Biomedical SciencesQueensland University of TechnologyWoolloongabbaQLDAustralia
| | - Coral Pearce
- School of Biology and Environmental ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - Kate Moffatt
- School of Biology and Environmental ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - Siming Ma
- Genome Institute of SingaporeAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Shixia Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and BiotechnologyCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Guang Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and BiotechnologyCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Xuming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Vadim N. Gladyshev
- Division of GeneticsDepartment of MedicineBrigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Xin Liu
- BGI‐QingdaoBGI‐ShenzhenQingdaoChina
| | - Diana O. Fisher
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - Lisa K. Chopin
- Ghrelin Research GroupTranslational Research Institute‐Institute of Health and Biomedical InnovationSchool of Biomedical SciencesQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre‐QueenslandTranslational Research Institute – Institute of Health and Biomedical InnovationQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - Natália O. Leiner
- Laboratório de Ecologia de MamíferosInstituto de BiologiaUniversidade Federal de UberlândiaUberlândiaBrazil
| | - Andrew M. Baker
- School of Biology and Environmental ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
- Natural Environments ProgramQueensland MuseumSouth BrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - Guangyi Fan
- BGI‐QingdaoBGI‐ShenzhenQingdaoChina
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese MedicineInstitute of Chinese Medical SciencesUniversity of MacauMacauChina
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural GenomicsBGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina
| | - Inge Seim
- Integrative Biology LaboratoryCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
- Ghrelin Research GroupTranslational Research Institute‐Institute of Health and Biomedical InnovationSchool of Biomedical SciencesQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre‐QueenslandTranslational Research Institute – Institute of Health and Biomedical InnovationQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
- School of Biology and Environmental ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gooley RM, Hogg CJ, Fox S, Pemberton D, Belov K, Grueber CE. Inbreeding depression in one of the last DFTD-free wild populations of Tasmanian devils. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9220. [PMID: 32587794 PMCID: PMC7304431 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vulnerable species experiencing inbreeding depression are prone to localised extinctions because of their reduced fitness. For Tasmanian devils, the rapid spread of devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) has led to population declines and fragmentation across the species' range. Here we show that one of the few remaining DFTD-free populations of Tasmanian devils is experiencing inbreeding depression. Moreover, this population has experienced a significant reduction in reproductive success over recent years. METHODS We used 32 microsatellite loci to examine changes in genetic diversity and inbreeding in the wild population at Woolnorth, alongside field data on breeding success from females to test for inbreeding depression. RESULTS Wefound that maternal internal relatedness has a negative impact on litter sizes. The results of this study imply that this population may be entering an extinction vortex and that to protect the population genetic rescue should be considered. This study provides conservation managers with useful information for managing wild devils and provides support for the "Wild Devil Recovery Program", which is currently augmenting small, isolated populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M. Gooley
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Carolyn J. Hogg
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Samantha Fox
- Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Toledo Zoo, Toledo, OH, United States of America
| | - David Pemberton
- Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Catherine E. Grueber
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Animal life history is shaped by the pace of life and the distribution of age-specific mortality and reproduction. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:1217-1224. [PMID: 31285573 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0938-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Animals exhibit an extraordinary diversity of life history strategies. These realized combinations of survival, development and reproduction are predicted to be constrained by physiological limitations and by trade-offs in resource allocation. However, our understanding of these patterns is restricted to a few taxonomic groups. Using demographic data from 121 species, ranging from humans to sponges, we test whether such trade-offs universally shape animal life history strategies. We show that, after accounting for body mass and phylogenetic relatedness, 71% of the variation in animal life history strategies can be explained by life history traits associated with the fast-slow continuum (pace of life) and with a second axis defined by the distribution of age-specific mortality hazards and the spread of reproduction. While we found that life history strategies are associated with metabolic rate and ecological modes of life, surprisingly similar life history strategies can be found across the phylogenetic and physiological diversity of animals.
Collapse
|