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Kleindorfer S, Krupka MA, Katsis AC, Frigerio D, Common LK. Aggressiveness predicts dominance rank in greylag geese: mirror tests and agonistic interactions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231686. [PMID: 38577211 PMCID: PMC10987982 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Individual differences in aggressiveness, if consistent across time and contexts, may contribute to the long-term maintenance of social hierarchies in complex animal societies. Although agonistic interactions have previously been used to calculate individuals' positions within a dominance hierarchy, to date the repeatability of agonistic behaviour has not been tested when calculating social rank. Here, we examined the consistency and social relevance of aggressiveness as a personality trait in a free-flying population of greylag geese (Anser anser). For each individual, we quantified (i) aggressiveness using a standardized mirror stimulation test and (ii) dominance ranking based on the number of agonistic interactions won and lost in a feeding context. We found that individual differences in aggressiveness were significantly repeatable and that individuals' aggressiveness predicted their dominance rank position. The flock showed a robust and intermediately steep dominance hierarchy. Social rank was higher in paired birds, males and older birds, and most agonistic interactions occurred between individuals with moderate rank differences. We suggest that selection favours aggressiveness as a personality trait associated with resource acquisition and social rank, whereby a dominance hierarchy may increase the benefits of group living and reduce costs over conflict within dyads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Kleindorfer
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia5042, Australia
| | - Mara A. Krupka
- Biology Department, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI49006, USA
| | - Andrew C. Katsis
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
| | - Didone Frigerio
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
| | - Lauren K. Common
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
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Błońska D, Tarkan AS, Janic B, Tszydel M, Bukowska B. Does intraspecific competition cause oxidative stress? Influence of biotic and abiotic factors on antioxidant system of an invasive round goby. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10795. [PMID: 38130710 PMCID: PMC10733779 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10795] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in oxidative status represent organismal response to stressful external stimuli. While there is substantial knowledge on the influence of abiotic factors on the antioxidant system of different organisms, the impact of biotic factors remains largely unexplored. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of acute competitive interactions on oxidative stress. Territory-resident and intruder round goby Neogobius melanostomus individuals were experimentally subjected to competition for limited shelter resource in three treatments (lasting 1, 6 and 12 h), and oxidative stress parameters (total antioxidant capacity, catalase activity, reduced glutathione, lipid peroxidation), as well as behaviour (time spent in the shelter, guarding the shelter and aggression) were measured. All tested biochemical parameters reached higher values in the liver than in the muscle tissue. Fish behaviour and antioxidant defence did not show any potential relationships reflecting changes in antioxidant status and aggression. Particularly, there was no difference between resident and intruder fish in oxidative stress parameters. We compared our results to the outcome of our previous studies (similar experimental protocol and species) but with acute heat shock as a stressor instead of competition. The higher temperature was found to be a stronger stressor than the competition, most pronounced in total antioxidant capacity and oxidative damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmara Błońska
- Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental ProtectionUniversity of LodzŁódźPoland
| | - Ali Serhan Tarkan
- Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental ProtectionUniversity of LodzŁódźPoland
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of FisheriesMuğla Sıtkı Koçman UniversityMuğlaTurkey
| | - Bartosz Janic
- Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental ProtectionUniversity of LodzŁódźPoland
| | - Mariusz Tszydel
- Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental ProtectionUniversity of LodzŁódźPoland
| | - Bożena Bukowska
- Department of Biophysics of Environmental Pollution, Faculty of Biology and Environmental ProtectionUniversity of LodzŁódźPoland
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Lemonnier C, Bize P, Boonstra R, Dobson FS, Criscuolo F, Viblanc VA. Effects of the social environment on vertebrate fitness and health in nature: Moving beyond the stress axis. Horm Behav 2022; 145:105232. [PMID: 35853411 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Social interactions are a ubiquitous feature of the lives of vertebrate species. These may be cooperative or competitive, and shape the dynamics of social systems, with profound effects on individual behavior, physiology, fitness, and health. On one hand, a wealth of studies on humans, laboratory animal models, and captive species have focused on understanding the relationships between social interactions and individual health within the context of disease and pathology. On the other, ecological studies are attempting an understanding of how social interactions shape individual phenotypes in the wild, and the consequences this entails in terms of adaptation. Whereas numerous studies in wild vertebrates have focused on the relationships between social environments and the stress axis, much remains to be done in understanding how socially-related activation of the stress axis coordinates other key physiological functions related to health. Here, we review the state of our current knowledge on the effects that social interactions may have on other markers of vertebrate fitness and health. Building upon complementary findings from the biomedical and ecological fields, we identify 6 key physiological functions (cellular metabolism, oxidative stress, cellular senescence, immunity, brain function, and the regulation of biological rhythms) which are intimately related to the stress axis, and likely directly affected by social interactions. Our goal is a holistic understanding of how social environments affect vertebrate fitness and health in the wild. Whereas both social interactions and social environments are recognized as important sources of phenotypic variation, their consequences on vertebrate fitness, and the adaptive nature of social-stress-induced phenotypes, remain unclear. Social flexibility, or the ability of an animal to change its social behavior with resulting changes in social systems in response to fluctuating environments, has emerged as a critical underlying factor that may buffer the beneficial and detrimental effects of social environments on vertebrate fitness and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Lemonnier
- Ecole Normale Supérieur de Lyon, 69342 Lyon, France; Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Pierre Bize
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK; Swiss Institute of Ornithology, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
| | - F Stephen Dobson
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France; Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | | | - Vincent A Viblanc
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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Fialkowski RJ, Border SE, Bolitho I, Dijkstra PD. Social dominance and reproduction result in increased integration of oxidative state in males of an African cichlid fish. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2022; 269:111216. [PMID: 35430378 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Oxidative stress is a potential cost of social dominance and reproduction, which could mediate life history trade-offs between current and future reproductive fitness. However, the evidence for an oxidative cost of social dominance and reproduction is mixed, in part because organisms have efficient protective mechanisms that can counteract oxidative insults. Further, previous studies have shown that different aspects of oxidative balance, including oxidative damage and antioxidant function, vary dramatically between tissue types, yet few studies have investigated oxidative cost in terms of interconnectedness and coordination within the system. Here, we tested whether dominant and subordinate males of the cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni differ in integration of different components of oxidative stress. We assessed 7 markers of oxidative stress, which included both oxidative damage and antioxidant function in various tissue types (total of 14 measurements). Across all oxidative stress measurements, we found more co-regulated clusters in dominant males, suggesting that components of oxidative state are more functionally integrated in dominant males than they are in subordinate males. We discuss how a high degree of functional integration reflects increased robustness or efficiency of the system (e.g. increased effectiveness of antioxidant machinery in reducing oxidative damage), but we also highlight potential costs (e.g. activation of cytoprotective mechanisms may have unwanted pleiotropic effects). Overall, our results suggest that quantifying the extent of functional integration across different components of oxidative stress could reveal insights into the oxidative cost of important life history events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Fialkowski
- Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA.
| | - Shana E Border
- Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, 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
- Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, 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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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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