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Siciliano-Martina L, Martina JP, Dohnalik E, Vielleux G. Factors influencing the timing and frequency of litters in captive fennec foxes (Vulpes zerda). Anim Reprod Sci 2023; 248:107182. [PMID: 36529013 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2022.107182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining reproductive seasonality can be vital to the fitness of wild animals. Certain species, however, may display aseasonal reproduction and may produce multiple yearly litters when maintained in captivity. Wild fennec foxes (Vulpes zerda), for example, produce a single litter in March or April although their reproductive behaviors are reportedly variable in captivity. Here, we used the fennec fox studbook to extract traits related to reproductive variability in 220 captive-born litters. The captive litters in our dataset were born during every month of the year and nearly half (47%) were born outside of the expected months. The production of multiple litters in a single year was common, where 67% of the litters represented a second annual litter for a given dam. We detected several traits related to multi-litter years, including the dam's ability to habituate to the birth location, the dam's age, the dam's number of previous litters, and the dam's birth month. Although producing multiple litters within a year has been anecdotally associated with the loss of a previous litter, we did not detect a relationship between multi-litter years and the survivorship of previous litters. These findings suggest that captive populations of fennec foxes may experience a destabilization of their reproductive patterns, which may culminate in the production of multiple litters outside of the typical window of reproduction. Fennec foxes are a common captive species bred in zoos worldwide. Developing a greater understanding of their reproduction can allow for more successful captive management, which may improve future reproductive successes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Siciliano-Martina
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA; Interdisciplinary Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Jason P Martina
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA
| | - Emma Dohnalik
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Grace Vielleux
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Loy A, Ciucci P, Guidarelli G, Roccotelli E, Colangelo P. Developmental instability and phenotypic evolution in a small and isolated bear population. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200729. [PMID: 33878275 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We explored fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and morphological integration (MI) in the skull of the small, highly inbred and divergent Apennine bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus), to explore its uniqueness and investigate any potential effects of inbreeding depression. We used 3D geometric morphometrics contrasting Apennine bears with other two large outbred bear populations from Scandinavia and Kamchatka as controls. Shape divergence and variability were explored by a principal component analysis on aligned coordinates of 39 landmarks. Procrustes ANOVA, morphological disparity and the global integration index were used to explore FA, shape variance and MI. By remarking Apennine bears as a highly divergent phenotype, we recorded the highest FA and deviation from self-similarity compared with the other two control populations. We conclude that Apennine bears are likely facing developmental instability as a consequence of inbreeding depression, whereas the divergent trait covariance pattern may represent a potential source of evolutionary novelties. We discuss the implications for the conservation and management of this imperiled taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Loy
- Envix Lab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche (IS), Italy
| | - P Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies 'Charles Darwin', University of Rome La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - G Guidarelli
- Envix Lab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche (IS), Italy
| | - E Roccotelli
- Envix Lab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche (IS), Italy
| | - P Colangelo
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems, National Research Council, 00015 Montelibretti, Rome, Italy
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Gooley R, Hogg CJ, Belov K, Grueber CE. No evidence of inbreeding depression in a Tasmanian devil insurance population despite significant variation in inbreeding. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1830. [PMID: 28500329 PMCID: PMC5431960 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02000-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding depression occurs when inbred individuals experience reduced fitness as a result of reduced genome-wide heterozygosity. The Tasmanian devil faces extinction due to a contagious cancer, devil facial tumour disease (DFTD). An insurance metapopulation was established in 2006 to ensure the survival of the species and to be used as a source population for re-wilding and genetic rescue. The emergence of DFTD and the rapid decline of wild devil populations have rendered the species at risk of inbreeding depression. We used 33 microsatellite loci to (1) reconstruct a pedigree for the insurance population and (2) estimate genome-wide heterozygosity for 200 individuals. Using heterozygosity-fitness correlations, we investigated the effect of heterozygosity on six diverse fitness measures (ulna length, asymmetry, weight-at-weaning, testes volume, reproductive success and survival). Despite statistically significant evidence of variation in individual inbreeding in this population, we found no associations between inbreeding and any of our six fitness measurements. We propose that the benign environment in captivity may decrease the intensity of inbreeding depression, relative to the stressful conditions in the wild. Future work will need to measure fitness of released animals to facilitate translation of this data to the broader conservation management of the species in its native range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Gooley
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Carolyn J Hogg
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.,Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Catherine E Grueber
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.,San Diego Zoo Global, PO Box 120551, San Diego, CA, 92112, USA
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Widdig A, Muniz L, Minkner M, Barth Y, Bley S, Ruiz-Lambides A, Junge O, Mundry R, Kulik L. Low incidence of inbreeding in a long-lived primate population isolated for 75 years. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016; 71:18. [PMID: 28018027 PMCID: PMC5145906 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2236-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT When close relatives mate, offspring are expected to suffer fitness consequences due to inbreeding depression. Inbreeding has previously been quantified in two ways: using a sufficiently large panel of markers or deep and complete pedigrees over several generations. However, the application of both approaches is still limited by the challenge of compiling such data for species with long generation times, such as primates. Here, we assess inbreeding in rhesus macaques living on Cayo Santiago (Puerto Rico), a population genetically isolated since 1938, but descendant of a large set of presumably unrelated founders. Using comprehensive genetic data, we calculated inbreeding coefficients (F) for 2669 individuals with complete three generation pedigrees and 609 individuals with complete four generation pedigrees. We found that 0.79 and 7.39% of individuals had an F > 0 when using data from three and four generation pedigrees, respectively. No evidence of an increase in inbreeding over the study period (up to 23 years) was found. Furthermore, the observed mean relatedness of breeding pairs differed significantly from the distribution of parental relatedness expected as simulated based on previous reproductive data, suggesting that kin generally avoid breeding with each other. Finally, inbreeding was not a predictor of early mortality measured as survival until weaning and sexual maturation, respectively. Our results remain consistent with three estimators of inbreeding (standardized heterozygosity, internal relatedness, and homozygosity by loci) using up to 42 highly polymorphic microsatellites for the same set of individuals. Together, our results demonstrate that close inbreeding may not be prevalent even in populations isolated over long periods when mechanisms of inbreeding avoidance can operate. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT When close relatives mate, offspring may suffer from such inbreeding, e.g., via lower survival and/or fertility. Using (i) a large panel of genetic markers and (ii) complete three or four generation pedigrees, respectively, we show that incidences of inbreeding in a long-lived primate population are rare, even after genetic isolation for 75 years. Moreover, our simulations suggest that kin in our population generally avoid breeding with each other. Finally, the few inbred individuals detected in our large sample did not suffer from lower survival. Given that many animal species face dramatic habitat loss combined with critical population declines, our study provides important implications for conservation biology in general and for population management in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Widdig
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Deutscher Platz 5E, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Laura Muniz
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mirjam Minkner
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yvonne Barth
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefanie Bley
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Angelina Ruiz-Lambides
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, Punta Santiago, PO Box 906, San Juan, PR 00741 USA
| | - Olaf Junge
- Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Brunswiker Straße 10, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Roger Mundry
- Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lars Kulik
- Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Research Group of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Pozio E. Trichinella spp. imported with live animals and meat. Vet Parasitol 2015; 213:46-55. [PMID: 25754352 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Revised: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Nematodes of the genus Trichinella are widely distributed throughout the world in omnivorous and carnivorous animals (mammals, birds, and reptiles) and in incidental hosts. To prevent the transmission of these zoonotic parasites to humans, meat samples from Trichinella spp. susceptible animals are tested at the slaughterhouse or in game processing plants. The aim of the present review was to collect documented cases on Trichinella infected animals, meat, or meat derived products which reached the international trade or were illegally introduced from one to another country in personal baggage. In the course of the last 60 years in the international literature, there have been 43 reports of importation of Trichinella spp. infected animals or meat, most of which (60%, 26/43) related to live horses or their meat. Meat or meat derived products from pigs, wild boar and bears, account only for 18.6% (8/43), 4.7% (3/43), and 14.3% (6/43), respectively. However, only live horses or their meat intended for human consumption, meat from a single wild boar, and live polar bears caught in the wild for zoos, were imported through the international market; whereas, meat from pigs, wild boars and bears were illegally introduced in a country in personal baggage. Trichinella infected animals or meat which were officially or illegally introduced in a country were the source of 3443 Trichinella infections in humans in a 40-year period (1975-2014). Most of these infections (96.8%) have been linked to horsemeat consumption, whereas meat from pigs, wild boars and bears accounted only for 2.2%, 0.7% and 0.3% of cases, respectively. This review shows the Trichinella spp. risk in the international animal and meat trade has been linked mainly to horses and only one time to wild boar, if they carcasses are not adequately tested, whereas pigs and other wild animals or their derived products infected with Trichinella spp. are unlikely to reach the international market by the official animal and meat trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Pozio
- Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
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