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Whittaker BA, Nolet-Mulholland L, Nevoit A, Yun D, Lambert CT, Blunk SC, Guillette LM. Zebra finches have style: Nest morphology is repeatable and associated with experience. iScience 2023; 26:108194. [PMID: 37965145 PMCID: PMC10641255 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated whether birds build nests in repeatable styles and, if so, whether styles were associated with past nest-building experience. Laboratory, captive bred zebra finches in an Experimental group were given nest-building experience, whereas, birds in a Control group were not. Each pair (n = 20) then built four nests that underwent image analyses for nest size, geometric shape and entrance orientation. Birds built nests in repeatable styles, with lower morphometric variation among nests built by the same pair and higher morphometric variation among nests built by different pairs. Morphology was not associated with construction time, body weight, nor age of birds. We found lower morphometric variation among nests built by the Experimental group, which also used less material to build nests compared to the Control group. Prior experience may therefore have been advantageous, as learning to reduce material usage while achieving a similar product (nest) may have lowered building costs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anna Nevoit
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Deborah Yun
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Connor T. Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Sara C. Blunk
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Lauren M. Guillette
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
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2
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Broecke BV, Tafompa PJJ, Mwamundela BE, Bernaerts L, Ribas A, Mnyone LL, Leirs H, Mariën J. Drivers behind co-occurrence patterns between pathogenic bacteria, protozoa, and helminths in populations of the multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis. Acta Trop 2023; 243:106939. [PMID: 37156346 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106939] [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: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Advances in experimental and theoretical work increasingly suggest that parasite interactions within a single host can affect the spread and severity of wildlife diseases. Yet empirical data to support predicted co-infection patterns are limited due to the practical challenges of gathering convincing data from animal populations and the stochastic nature of parasite transmission. Here, we investigated co-infection patterns between micro- (bacteria and protozoa) and macroparasites (gastro-intestinal helminths) in natural populations of the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis). Fieldwork was performed in Morogoro (Tanzania), where we trapped 211 M. natalensis and tested their behaviour using a modified open-field arena. All animals were checked for the presence of helminths in their gastro-intestinal tract, three bacteria (Anaplasma, Bartonella, and Borrelia) and two protozoan genera (Babesia and Hepatozoon). Besides the presence of eight different helminth genera (reported earlier), we found that 21% of M. natalensis were positive for Anaplasma, 13% for Bartonella, and 2% for Hepatozoon species. Hierarchical modelling of species communities was used to investigate the effect of the different host-related factors on these parasites' infection probability and community structure. Our results show that the infection probability of Bartonella increased with the host's age, while the infection probability of Anaplasma peaked when individuals reached adulthood. We also observed that less explorative and stress-sensitive individuals had a higher infection probability with Bartonella. Finally, we found limited support for within-host interactions between micro-and macroparasites, as most co-infection patterns could be attributed to host exposure time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Vanden Broecke
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | - Lisse Bernaerts
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alexis Ribas
- Parasitology Section, Department of Biology, Healthcare and Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ladslaus L Mnyone
- Institute of Pest Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Joachim Mariën
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium.
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3
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Kuo YJ, Lee YF, Kuo YM, Tai YL. Context-specific variation and repeatability in behavioral traits of bent-wing bats. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2023; 9:8. [PMID: 37029405 PMCID: PMC10080966 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-023-00206-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Animals may show consistent among-individual behavioral differences over time and in different contexts, and these tendencies may be correlated to one another and emerge as behavioral syndromes. The cross-context variation in these behavioral tendencies, however, is rarely explored with animals in contexts associated with different locomotion modes. This study assessed the variation and repeatability in behavioral traits of bent-wing bats Miniopterus fuliginosus in southern Taiwan, and the effects of contextual settings associated with locomotion mode. The bats were sampled in the dry winter season, and their behaviors were measured in hole-board box (HB) and tunnel box (TB) tests, both suited for quadrupedal movements of the bats, and flight-tent (FT) tests that allowed for flying behaviors. The bats in the FT tests showed more interindividual and between-trial behavioral variation than those in the HB and TB tests. Nearly all of the behaviors in the TB and FT tests, but only half of those in the HB tests, showed medium to high repeatability. These repeatable behaviors were grouped into distinct behavioral traits of boldness, activity, and exploration, which were correlated to one another across contexts. In addition, we observed a consistently higher correlation between behavioral categories across the HB and TB contexts than between either of these contexts and the FT context. The results indicate consistent among-individual behavioral differences across time and contexts in wildly caught bent-wing bats. The findings of behavioral repeatability and cross-context correlations also indicate context-dependent variation and suggest that test devices which allow for flight behaviors, such as flight tents or cages, may provide a more suitable setting for measuring the behaviors and animal personalities of bats, particularly for those species that display less or little quadrupedal movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Jen Kuo
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Fu Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan.
| | - Yen-Min Kuo
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan
| | - Yik Ling Tai
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan
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4
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Bridging animal personality with space use and resource use in a free-ranging population of an asocial ground squirrel. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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5
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Whittaker BA, Consuegra S, Garcia de Leaniz C. Personality profiling may help select better cleaner fish for sea-lice control in salmon farming. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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6
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Vanden Broecke B, Bernaerts L, Ribas A, Sluydts V, Mnyone L, Matthysen E, Leirs H. Linking Behavior, Co-infection Patterns, and Viral Infection Risk With the Whole Gastrointestinal Helminth Community Structure in Mastomys natalensis. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:669058. [PMID: 34485424 PMCID: PMC8415832 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.669058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection probability, load, and community structure of helminths varies strongly between and within animal populations. This can be ascribed to environmental stochasticity or due to individual characteristics of the host such as their age or sex. Other, but understudied, factors are the hosts' behavior and co-infection patterns. In this study, we used the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) as a model system to investigate how the hosts' sex, age, exploration behavior, and viral infection history affects their infection risk, parasitic load, and community structure of gastrointestinal helminths. We hypothesized that the hosts' exploration behavior would play a key role in the risk for infection by different gastrointestinal helminths, whereby highly explorative individuals would have a higher infection risk leading to a wider diversity of helminths and a larger load compared to less explorative individuals. Fieldwork was performed in Morogoro, Tanzania, where we trapped a total of 214 individual mice. Their exploratory behavior was characterized using a hole-board test after which we collected the helminths inside their gastrointestinal tract. During our study, we found helminths belonging to eight different genera: Hymenolepis sp., Protospirura muricola, Syphacia sp., Trichuris mastomysi, Gongylonema sp., Pterygodermatites sp., Raillietina sp., and Inermicapsifer sp. and one family: Trichostrongylidae. Hierarchical modeling of species communities (HMSC) was used to investigate the effect of the different host-related factors on the infection probability, parasite load, and community structure of these helminths. Our results show that species richness was higher in adults and in females compared to juveniles and males, respectively. Contrary to our expectations, we found that less explorative individuals had higher infection probability with different helminths resulting in a higher diversity, which could be due to a higher exposure rate to these helminths and/or behavioral modification due to the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Vanden Broecke
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lisse Bernaerts
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alexis Ribas
- Parasitology Section, Department of Biology, Healthcare and Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, IRBio (Research Institute of Biodiversity), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vincent Sluydts
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ladslaus Mnyone
- Pest Management Center, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Erik Matthysen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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7
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Lifetime stability of social traits in bottlenose dolphins. Commun Biol 2021; 4:759. [PMID: 34145380 PMCID: PMC8213821 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02292-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral phenotypic traits or “animal personalities” drive critical evolutionary processes such as fitness, disease and information spread. Yet the stability of behavioral traits, essential by definition, has rarely been measured over developmentally significant periods of time, limiting our understanding of how behavioral stability interacts with ontogeny. Based on 32 years of social behavioral data for 179 wild bottlenose dolphins, we show that social traits (associate number, time alone and in large groups) are stable from infancy to late adulthood. Multivariate analysis revealed strong relationships between these stable metrics within individuals, suggesting a complex behavioral syndrome comparable to human extraversion. Maternal effects (particularly vertical social learning) and sex-specific reproductive strategies are likely proximate and ultimate drivers for these patterns. We provide rare empirical evidence to demonstrate the persistence of social behavioral traits over decades in a non-human animal. Taylor Evans et al. present analyses based on 32 years of observations of dolphin social behaviour in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Their findings indicate that individual social traits, such as preference for time spent alone vs in groups, remain stable throughout an individual’s lifetime, despite physiological and social changes through adulthood.
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8
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Smith JE, Smith IB, Working CL, Russell ID, Krout SA, Singh KS, Sih A. Host traits, identity, and ecological conditions predict consistent flea abundance and prevalence on free-living California ground squirrels. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:587-598. [PMID: 33508332 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Understanding why some individuals are more prone to carry parasites and spread diseases than others is a key question in biology. Although epidemiologists and disease ecologists increasingly recognize that individuals of the same species can vary tremendously in their relative contributions to the emergence of diseases, very few empirical studies systematically assess consistent individual differences in parasite loads within populations over time. Two species of fleas (Oropsylla montana and Hoplopsyllus anomalous) and their hosts, California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi), form a major complex for amplifying epizootic plague in the western United States. Understanding its biology is primarily of major ecological importance and is also relevant to public health. Here, we capitalize on a long-term data set to explain flea incidence on California ground squirrels at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County, USA. In a 7 year study, we detected 42,358 fleas from 2,759 live trapping events involving 803 unique squirrels from two free-living populations that differed in the amount of human disturbance in those areas. In general, fleas were most abundant and prevalent on adult males, on heavy squirrels, and at the pristine site, but flea distributions varied among years, with seasonal conditions (e.g., temperature, rainfall, humidity), temporally within summers, and between flea species. Although on-host abundances of the two flea species were positively correlated, each flea species occupied a distinctive ecological niche. The common flea (O. montana) occurred primarily on adults in cool, moist conditions in early summer whereas the rare flea (H. anomalous) was mainly on juveniles in hot, dry conditions in late summer. Beyond this, we uncovered significantly repeatable and persistent effects of host individual identity on flea loads, finding consistent individual differences among hosts in all parasite measures. Taken together, we reveal multiple determinants of parasites on free-living mammals, including the underappreciated potential for host heterogeneity - within populations - to structure the emergence of zoonotic diseases such as bubonic plague.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Smith
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94631, USA.
| | - Imani B Smith
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94631, USA
| | - Cecelia L Working
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94631, USA; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E Green St, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Imani D Russell
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94631, USA
| | - Shelby A Krout
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94631, USA
| | - Kajol S Singh
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94631, USA
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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9
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Paquette C, Garant D, Savage J, Réale D, Bergeron P. Individual and environmental determinants of Cuterebra bot fly parasitism in the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus). Oecologia 2020; 193:359-370. [PMID: 32566968 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04685-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the interactions between parasites, hosts, and their shared environment is central to ecology. Variation in infestation prevalence may be the result of varying environmental and population characteristics; however, variations in parasitism may also depend on individual characteristics that influence both the exposure and susceptibility to parasites. Using 12 years of data from a population of wild eastern chipmunks relying on pulsed food resources, we investigated the determinants of bot fly parasitism at both the population and individual level. We assessed the relationship between infestation prevalence and weather conditions, population size and food abundance. Then, we assessed the relationship between infestation intensity and chipmunk behavior, sex, age, body mass and food abundance. Precipitation, temperature and population size were positively related to infestation prevalence, while beech masts were negatively related to infestation prevalence, highlighting the importance of local environmental conditions on hosts and parasites. We also found that the influence of activity and exploration on infestation intensity varied according to sex in adults. More active and faster exploring males had more parasites compared to females, suggesting that reproductive behaviors may influence parasite exposure. For juveniles, infestation intensity was greater when juveniles emerged in the spring as opposed to fall, possibly because spring emergence is synchronized with the peak of bot fly eggs in the environment, low food availability and longer activity period. Our results suggest that the environmental, population and host characteristics that are advantageous for reproduction and resource acquisition may come at the cost of increasing parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsey Paquette
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada.
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Jade Savage
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bishop's University, Sherbrooke, QC, J1M 1Z7, Canada
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Patrick Bergeron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bishop's University, Sherbrooke, QC, J1M 1Z7, Canada
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10
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Santicchia F, Wauters LA, Piscitelli AP, Van Dongen S, Martinoli A, Preatoni D, Romeo C, Ferrari N. Spillover of an alien parasite reduces expression of costly behaviour in native host species. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1559-1569. [PMID: 32291765 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the effects of invasive alien species (IAS) on native host-parasite relationships is of importance for enhancing ecological theory and IAS management. When IAS and their parasite(s) invade a guild, the effects of interspecific resource competition and/or parasite-mediated competition can alter existing native host-parasite relationships and the dependent biological traits such as native species' behaviour. We used a natural experiment of populations of native red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris that were colonized by the alien grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis, comparing repeated measurements of red squirrel parasite infection and personality with those taken in sites where only the native species occurred. We explored two alternative hypotheses: (a) individual differences in personality traits (activity and/or sociability) of native red squirrel positively affect the probability of macroparasite spillover and thus the likelihood to acquire the alien's parasitic helminth Strongyloides robustus; (b) the combined effects of grey squirrel presence and parasite infection result in a reduction of costly personality traits (activity and/or exploration). Using data from 323 arena tests across three experimental (native species and IAS) and three control sites (only native species), we found negative correlations between native species' activity and infection with S. robustus in the sites invaded by the alien species. Activity was also negatively correlated with infection by its native helminth Trypanoxyuris sciuri but only when grey squirrels were present, while in the red-only sites there was no relationship of T. sciuri infection with any of the personality traits. Moreover, individuals that acquired S. robustus during the study reduced their activity after infection, while this was not the case for animals that remained uninfected. Our results show that parasite-mediated competition is costly, reducing activity in individuals of the native species, and altering the native host-native parasite relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Santicchia
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit "Guido Tosi Research Group", Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Lucas A Wauters
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit "Guido Tosi Research Group", Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Varese, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Anna Pia Piscitelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Università "La Sapienza" di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Adriano Martinoli
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit "Guido Tosi Research Group", Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Damiano Preatoni
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit "Guido Tosi Research Group", Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Claudia Romeo
- Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ferrari
- Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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11
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Payne E, Sinn DL, Spiegel O, Leu ST, Wohlfeil C, Godfrey SS, Gardner M, Sih A. Consistent individual differences in ecto‐parasitism of a long‐lived lizard host. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Payne
- Dept of Environmental Science and Policy, Univ. of California Davis 1 Shields Ave. Davis CA 95616‐5270 USA
| | - David L. Sinn
- Dept of Environmental Science and Policy, Univ. of California Davis 1 Shields Ave. Davis CA 95616‐5270 USA
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
| | - Orr Spiegel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv Univ. Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Stephan T. Leu
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Macquarie Univ. Sydney Australia
| | - Caroline Wohlfeil
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders Univ. Adelaide Australia
| | | | - Michael Gardner
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders Univ. Adelaide Australia
- Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum North Terrace Adelaide Australia
| | - Andy Sih
- Dept of Environmental Science and Policy, Univ. of California Davis 1 Shields Ave. Davis CA 95616‐5270 USA
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12
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Costa TSO, Nogueira-Filho SLG, De Vleeschouwer KM, Oliveira LC, de Sousa MBC, Mendl M, Catenacci LS, Nogueira SSC. Individual behavioral differences and health of golden-headed lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas). Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23118. [PMID: 32128855 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Individual behavioral differences may influence how animals cope with altered environments. Depending on their behavioral traits, individuals may thus vary in how their health is affected by environmental conditions. We investigated the relationship between individual behavior of free-living golden-headed lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) responding to a novel object (to assess exploration-avoidance), and their habitat use and health status (endoparasitism; clinical measures: biometric data, heart rate, respiratory frequency, and temperature; fecal glucocorticoid metabolites). As parasite transmission can be affected by individual variation in social contact and social grooming, we also evaluated whether more sociable individuals show higher endoparasite loads compared with less sociable animals. Four groups living in landscapes with different levels of human disturbance were investigated: two in degraded forest fragments in an agricultural matrix (DFAM-higher disturbance), and two in a cocoa agroforestry system (cabruca-lower disturbance) in the Atlantic forest of South Bahia, Brazil. Using a subjective ratings approach, highly correlated adjective descriptors were combined to produce z-score ratings of one derived variable ("confidence"), which was selected to characterize the tamarins' exploration/avoidance responses during a novel object test. The higher the confidence score, the longer female tamarins spent foraging for prey independent of landscape, and the greater their body mass independent of sex and landscape. Only DFAM individuals showed intestinal parasite infection. Endoparasite loads were positively correlated with the number of grooming partners, suggesting an association between social grooming and transmission (more groomers = more endoparasites). Individual behavior, including in a test situation, may thus have some predictive value for behavior in a free-living context, and for its health consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaise S O Costa
- Applied Ethology Laboratory, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Brazil
| | | | | | - Leonardo C Oliveira
- Faculdade de Formação de Professores, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Michael Mendl
- Center for Behavioral Biology, School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Lilian S Catenacci
- Departamento de Morfofisiologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
| | - Selene S C Nogueira
- Applied Ethology Laboratory, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Brazil
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13
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Vanden Broecke B, Mariën J, Sabuni CA, Mnyone L, Massawe AW, Matthysen E, Leirs H. Relationship between population density and viral infection: A role for personality? Ecol Evol 2019; 9:10213-10224. [PMID: 31624546 PMCID: PMC6787790 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Conspecific density and animal personality (consistent among-individual differences in behavior) may both play an important role in disease ecology. Nevertheless, both factors have rarely been studied together but may provide insightful information in understanding pathogen transmission dynamics. In this study, we investigated how both personality and density affect viral infections both direct and indirectly, using the multimammate mice (Mastomys natalensis) and Morogoro arenavirus (MORV) as a model system. Using a replicated semi-natural experiment, we found a positive correlation between MORV antibody presence and density, suggesting that MORV infection is density-dependent. Surprisingly, slower explorers were more likely to have antibodies against MORV compared to highly explorative individuals. However, exploration was positively correlated with density which may suggest a negative, indirect effect of density on MORV infection. We have shown here that in order to better understand disease ecology, both personality and density should be taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Vanden Broecke
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupDepartment of BiologyUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Joachim Mariën
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupDepartment of BiologyUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | | | - Ladslaus Mnyone
- Pest Management CenterSokoine University of AgricultureMorogoroTanzania
| | - Apia W. Massawe
- Pest Management CenterSokoine University of AgricultureMorogoroTanzania
| | - Erik Matthysen
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupDepartment of BiologyUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupDepartment of BiologyUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
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14
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Santicchia F, Romeo C, Ferrari N, Matthysen E, Vanlauwe L, Wauters LA, Martinoli A. The price of being bold? Relationship between personality and endoparasitic infection in a tree squirrel. Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Petkova I, Abbey-Lee RN, Løvlie H. Parasite infection and host personality: Glugea-infected three-spined sticklebacks are more social. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:173. [PMID: 30369708 PMCID: PMC6182751 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2586-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Abstract The existence of animal personality is now well-documented, although the causes and consequences of this phenomenon are still largely unclear. Parasite infection can have pervasive effects on hosts, including altering host behaviour, and may thus contribute to differences in host personality. We investigated the relationship between the three-spined stickleback and its common parasite Glugea anomala, with focus on differences in host personality. Naturally infected and uninfected individuals were assayed for the five personality traits activity, exploration, boldness, sociability, and aggression. If infected fish behaved differently from uninfected, to benefit this parasite with horizontal transmission, we predicted behaviour increasing interactions with other sticklebacks to increase. Infection status explained differences in host personality. Specifically, Glugea-infected individuals were more social than uninfected fish. This confirms a link between parasite infection and host behaviour, and a relationship which may improve the horizontal transmission of Glugea. However, future studies need to establish the consequences of this for the parasite, and the causality of the parasite-host personality relationship. Significance statement Parasite infection that alters host behaviour could be a possible avenue of research into the causes of animal personality. We studied the link between infection and personality using the three-spined stickleback and its parasite Glugea anomala. We predicted that infected individuals would be more prone to interact with other sticklebacks, since this would improve transmission of this parasite. The personality of uninfected and naturally infected fish was measured and we observed that Glugea-infected sticklebacks were more social. Our results confirm a link between parasitism and variation in host personality. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00265-018-2586-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Petkova
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX UK
| | - Robin N. Abbey-Lee
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Hanne Løvlie
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
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Mazzamuto MV, Cremonesi G, Santicchia F, Preatoni D, Martinoli A, Wauters LA. Rodents in the arena: a critical evaluation of methods measuring personality traits. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2018.1488768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Mazzamuto
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Giacomo Cremonesi
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Francesca Santicchia
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Damiano Preatoni
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Adriano Martinoli
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Lucas A. Wauters
- Environment Analysis and Management Unit, Guido Tosi Research Group, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, I-21100 Varese, Italy
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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Affiliation(s)
- Liv Baker
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
- Institute for Compassionate Conservation, Calgary, AB, Canada
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