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Bouffet-Halle A, Yang W, Gardner MG, Whiting MJ, Wapstra E, Uller T, While GM. Characterisation and cross-amplification of sex-specific genetic markers in Australasian Egerniinae lizards and their implications for understanding the evolution of sex determination and social complexity. AUST J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/zo21023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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2
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Riley JL, Baxter‐Gilbert J, Whiting MJ, Cherry M. Partitioned parturition: Birthing asynchrony in cordylid lizards. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. L. Riley
- Department of Botany and Zoology Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
- Department of Biology Dalhousie University Halifax NS Canada
- Department of Biology Mount Allison University Sackville NB Canada
| | - J. Baxter‐Gilbert
- Centre for Invasion Biology Department of Botany and Zoology Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - M. J. Whiting
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney NSW Australia
| | - M. Cherry
- Department of Botany and Zoology Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
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Riley JL, Noble DWA, Stow AJ, Bolton PE, While GM, Dennison S, Byrne RW, Whiting MJ. Socioecology of the Australian Tree Skink (Egernia striolata). Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.722455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is great diversity in social behavior across the animal kingdom. Understanding the factors responsible for this diversity can help inform theory about how sociality evolves and is maintained. The Australian Tree Skink (Egernia striolata) exhibits inter- and intra-population variability in sociality and is therefore a good system for informing models of social evolution. Here, we conducted a multi-year study of a Tree Skink population to describe intra-population variation in the social organization and mating system of this species. Skinks aggregated in small groups of 2–5 individuals, and these aggregations were typically associated with shared shelter sites (crevices and hollows within rocks and trees). Aggregations were typically made up of one or more adult females and, often, one male and/or juvenile(s). Social network and spatial overlap analyses showed that social associations were strongly biased toward kin. Tree skinks also exhibited high site fidelity regardless of age or sex. There were high levels of genetic monogamy observed with most females (87%) and males (68%) only breeding with a single partner. Our results indicate that Tree Skinks reside in small family groups and are monogamous, which corresponds with existing research across populations. Similar to previous work, our study area consisted of discrete habitat patches (i.e., rock outcrops, trees, or both), which likely limits offspring dispersal and promotes social tolerance between parents and their offspring. Our study clearly demonstrates that there is intra-population variability in Tree Skink social behavior, but it also provides evidence that there is a high degree of inter-population consistency in sociality across their geographic range. We also highlight promising possible avenues for future research, specifically discussing the importance of studying the nature and extent of Tree Skink parental care and quantifying the fitness outcomes of kin-based sociality in this species, which are topics that will further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying variation in vertebrate social behavior.
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Van Dyke JU, Thompson MB, Burridge CP, Castelli MA, Clulow S, Dissanayake DSB, Dong CM, Doody JS, Edwards DL, Ezaz T, Friesen CR, Gardner MG, Georges A, Higgie M, Hill PL, Holleley CE, Hoops D, Hoskin CJ, Merry DL, Riley JL, Wapstra E, While GM, Whiteley SL, Whiting MJ, Zozaya SM, Whittington CM. Australian lizards are outstanding models for reproductive biology research. AUST J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/zo21017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Australian lizards are a diverse group distributed across the continent and inhabiting a wide range of environments. Together, they exhibit a remarkable diversity of reproductive morphologies, physiologies, and behaviours that is broadly representative of vertebrates in general. Many reproductive traits exhibited by Australian lizards have evolved independently in multiple lizard lineages, including sociality, complex signalling and mating systems, viviparity, and temperature-dependent sex determination. Australian lizards are thus outstanding model organisms for testing hypotheses about how reproductive traits function and evolve, and they provide an important basis of comparison with other animals that exhibit similar traits. We review how research on Australian lizard reproduction has contributed to answering broader evolutionary and ecological questions that apply to animals in general. We focus on reproductive traits, processes, and strategies that are important areas of current research, including behaviours and signalling involved in courtship; mechanisms involved in mating, egg production, and sperm competition; nesting and gestation; sex determination; and finally, birth in viviparous species. We use our review to identify important questions that emerge from an understanding of this body of research when considered holistically. Finally, we identify additional research questions within each topic that Australian lizards are well suited for reproductive biologists to address.
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Laird MK, Thompson MB, Whittington CM. Facultative oviparity in a viviparous skink ( Saiphos equalis). Biol Lett 2019; 15:20180827. [PMID: 30940025 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Facultative changes in parity mode (oviparity to viviparity and vice versa) are rare in vertebrates, yet offer fascinating opportunities to investigate the role of reproductive lability in parity mode evolution. Here, we report apparent facultative oviparity by a viviparous female of the bimodally reproductive skink Saiphos equalis-the first report of different parity modes within a vertebrate clutch. Eggs oviposited facultatively possess shell characteristics of both viviparous and oviparous S. equalis, demonstrating that egg coverings for viviparous embryos are produced by the same machinery as those for oviparous individuals. Since selection may act in either direction when viviparity has evolved recently, squamate reproductive lability may confer a selective advantage. We suggest that facultative oviparity is a viable reproductive strategy for S. equalis and that squamate reproductive lability is more evolutionarily significant than previously acknowledged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie K Laird
- 1 Department of Anatomy, University of Otago , Dunedin , New Zealand.,2 School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- 2 School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia
| | - Camilla M Whittington
- 2 School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia.,3 Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia
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Munch KL, Noble DWA, Budd L, Row A, Wapstra E, While GM. Maternal presence facilitates plasticity in offspring behavior: insights into the evolution of parental care. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kirke L Munch
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Daniel W A Noble
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Luke Budd
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Aryana Row
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Geoffrey M While
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
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Riley JL, Noble DWA, Byrne RW, Whiting MJ. Early social environment influences the behaviour of a family-living lizard. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:161082. [PMID: 28573001 PMCID: PMC5451802 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.161082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Early social environment can play a significant role in shaping behavioural development. For instance, in many social mammals and birds, isolation rearing results in individuals that are less exploratory, shyer, less social and more aggressive than individuals raised in groups. Moreover, dynamic aspects of social environments, such as the nature of relationships between individuals, can also impact the trajectory of development. We tested if being raised alone or socially affects behavioural development in the family-living tree skink, Egernia striolata. Juveniles were raised in two treatments: alone or in a pair. We assayed exploration, boldness, sociability and aggression repeatedly throughout each juvenile's first year of life, and also assessed social interactions between pairs to determine if juveniles formed dominant-subordinate relationships. We found that male and/or the larger skinks within social pairs were dominant. Developing within this social environment reduced skink growth, and subordinate skinks were more prone to tail loss. Thus, living with a conspecific was costly for E. striolata. The predicted negative effects of isolation failed to materialize. Nevertheless, there were significant differences in behavioural traits depending on the social environment (isolated, dominant or subordinate member of a pair). Isolated skinks were more social than subordinate skinks. Subordinate skinks also became more aggressive over time, whereas isolated and dominant skinks showed invariable aggression. Dominant skinks became bolder over time, whereas isolated and subordinate skinks were relatively stable in their boldness. In summary, our study is evidence that isolation rearing does not consistently affect behaviour across all social taxa. Our study also demonstrates that the social environment plays an important role in behavioural development of a family-living lizard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia L. Riley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel W. A. Noble
- School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Richard W. Byrne
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Martin J. Whiting
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Halliwell B, Uller T, Chapple DG, Gardner MG, Wapstra E, While GM. Habitat saturation promotes delayed dispersal in a social reptile. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Halliwell B, Uller T, Wapstra E, While GM. Resource distribution mediates social and mating behavior in a family living lizard. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
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10
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Botterill-James T, Halliwell B, Cooper-Scott E, Uller T, Wapstra E, While GM. Habitat Structure Influences Parent-Offspring Association in a Social Lizard. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Ford LE, Smiseth PT. Asynchronous hatching provides females with a means for increasing male care but incurs a cost by reducing offspring fitness. J Evol Biol 2015; 29:428-37. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Revised: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. E. Ford
- School of Biological Sciences; Institute of Evolutionary Biology; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - P. T. Smiseth
- School of Biological Sciences; Institute of Evolutionary Biology; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
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Takata M, Hayashi S, Thomas CE, Koyama S. The proximate cause of asynchronous hatching in the burying beetle Nicrophorus quadripunctatus. J ETHOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-015-0431-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Takata M, Hayashi S, Thomas CE, Koyama S, Satoh T, Fugo H. Asynchronous hatching in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus quadripunctatus, maxmizes parental fitness. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:1830-6. [PMID: 24898472 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Life history theory predicts that natural selection favours parents who balance investment across offspring to maximize fitness. Theoretical studies have shown that the optimal level of parental investment from the offspring's perspective exceeds that of its parents, and the disparity between the two generates evolutionary conflict for the allocation of parental investment. In various species, the offspring hatch asynchronously. The age hierarchy of the offspring usually establishes competitive asymmetries within the brood and determines the allocation of parental investment among offspring. However, it is not clear whether the allocation of parental investment determined by hatching pattern is optimal for parent or offspring. Here, we manipulated the hatching pattern of the burying beetle Nicrophorus quadripunctatus to demonstrate the influence of hatching pattern on the allocation of parental investment. We found that the total weight of a brood was largest in the group that mimicked the natural hatching pattern, with the offspring skewed towards early hatchers. This increases parental fitness. However, hatching patterns with more later hatchers had heavier individual offspring weights, which increases offspring fitness, but this hatching pattern is not observed in the wild. Thus, our study suggests that the natural hatching pattern optimizes parental fitness, rather than offspring fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Takata
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
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Mainwaring MC, Lucy D, Hartley IR. Hatching Asynchrony Decreases the Magnitude of Parental Care in Domesticated Zebra Finches: Empirical Support for the Peak Load Reduction Hypothesis. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - David Lucy
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
| | - Ian R. Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
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While GM, Uller T, Bordogna G, Wapstra E. Promiscuity resolves constraints on social mate choice imposed by population viscosity. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:721-32. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2012] [Revised: 11/22/2013] [Accepted: 11/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey M. While
- School of Zoology; University of Tasmania; Private Bag 05 Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
- Department of Zoology; Edward Grey Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
| | - Tobias Uller
- Department of Zoology; Edward Grey Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
| | - Genevieve Bordogna
- School of Zoology; University of Tasmania; Private Bag 05 Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
- International Services; Slippery Rock University; Slippery Rock PA 16057 USA
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Zoology; University of Tasmania; Private Bag 05 Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
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Schuett GW, Repp RA, Hoss SK, Herrmann HW. Environmentally cued parturition in a desert rattlesnake,Crotalus atrox. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gordon W. Schuett
- Department of Biology and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience; Georgia State University; 33 Gilmer Street, SE, Unit 8 Atlanta GA 30303-3088 USA
| | - Roger A. Repp
- National Optical Astronomy Observatory; 950 North Cherry Avenue Tucson AZ 85719 USA
| | - Shannon K. Hoss
- Department of Biology; San Diego State University; 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego CA 92182-4614 USA
| | - Hans-Werner Herrmann
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment; University of Arizona; Tucson AZ 85721 USA
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Gilby AJ, Mainwaring MC, Griffith SC. Incubation behaviour and hatching synchrony differ in wild and captive populations of the zebra finch. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Takata M, Koyama S, Satoh T, Fugo H. Asynchronous hatching and brood reduction by filial cannibalism in the burying beetle Nicrophorus quadripunctatus. J ETHOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-013-0373-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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20
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The role of size and aggression in intrasexual male competition in a social lizard species, Egernia whitii. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1427-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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While GM, Uller T, Wapstra E. Variation in social organization influences the opportunity for sexual selection in a social lizard. Mol Ecol 2010; 20:844-52. [PMID: 21199033 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04976.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Social monogamy has traditionally been suggested to be maintained because of weak sexual selection on male partner acquisition. However, the ubiquitous incidence of extra-pair paternity suggests that sexual selection can be strong in monogamous systems, although studies partitioning variance in male reproductive success have come to mixed conclusions. Here, we use detailed field data to examine variance in male reproductive success and its implications for the maintenance of sociality in a population of the socially monogamous lizard Egernia whitii. We show that both within-pair and, to a lesser extent, extra-pair partner acquisition contribute to the variance in male reproductive success, resulting in considerable opportunity for sexual selection. Despite this, levels of multiple mating are lower in Egernia compared to other reptiles, suggesting that male partner acquisition is constrained. We suggest that this constraint may be a result of strong territoriality combined with sexual conflict over multiple mating generated by costs of extra-pair paternity to females as a result of facultative male care. This has the potential to limit sexual selection by reducing variance in male reproductive success and therefore contribute to the maintenance of complex social organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey M While
- School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, PO Box 05, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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While GM, Isaksson C, McEvoy J, Sinn DL, Komdeur J, Wapstra E, Groothuis TGG. Repeatable intra-individual variation in plasma testosterone concentration and its sex-specific link to aggression in a social lizard. Horm Behav 2010; 58:208-13. [PMID: 20361965 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2009] [Revised: 03/17/2010] [Accepted: 03/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Individual hormone profiles can be important generators of phenotypic variation. Despite this, work on the consequences of hormone profiles has traditionally ignored the large inter-individual variation within natural populations. However, recent research has advocated the need to explicitly consider this variation and address its consequences for selection. One of the key steps in this process is examining repeatability in hormone profiles and their links to behavioral traits under selection. In this study we show that individuals within a free-ranging population of the Australian lizard Egernia whitii exhibit temporal repeatability in their circulating baseline testosterone concentrations as well as their aggressive response towards conspecific intruders. Furthermore, we show significant, sex-specific links between testosterone and aggression. Specifically, testosterone and aggression is negatively linked in males, while there is no relationship in females. As conspecific aggression has significant consequences for fitness-related traits (parental care, mating strategies) in this species, inter-individual variation in testosterone concentrations, through their effects on aggression, could have important implications for individual fitness. We discuss the potential causes and consequences of hormonal repeatability as well as provide explanations for its sex-specific links with aggression. Specifically, we suggest that these patterns are the result of alternative hormonal pathways governing aggression within Egernia and may indicate a decoupling of aggression and testosterone across the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey M While
- School of Zoology, Private Bag 05, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia 7001.
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WHILE GEOFFREYM, ULLER TOBIAS, WAPSTRA ERIK. Within-population variation in social strategies characterize the social and mating system of an Australian lizard,Egernia whitii. AUSTRAL ECOL 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.02002.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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While GM, Uller T, Wapstra E. Offspring performance and the adaptive benefits of prolonged pregnancy: experimental tests in a viviparous lizard. Funct Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01544.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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While GM, Wapstra E. Effects of basking opportunity on birthing asynchrony in a viviparous lizard. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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While GM, Sinn DL, Wapstra E. Female aggression predicts mode of paternity acquisition in a social lizard. Proc Biol Sci 2009; 276:2021-9. [PMID: 19324771 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.1926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in behaviour are ubiquitous in nature. Despite the likely role of selection in maintaining these differences, there are few demonstrations of their fitness consequences in wild populations and, consequently, the mechanisms that link behavioural variation to variation in fitness are poorly understood. Specifically, the consequences of consistent individual differences in behaviour for the evolution of social and mating strategies have rarely been considered. We examined the functional links between variation in female aggression and her social and mating strategies in a wild population of the social lizard Egernia whitii. We show that female Egernia exhibit temporally consistent aggressive phenotypes, which are unrelated to body size, territory size or social density. A female's aggressive phenotype, however, has strong links to her mode of paternity acquisition (within- versus extra-pair paternity), with more aggressive females having more offspring sired by extra-pair males than less aggressive females. We discuss the potential mechanisms by which female aggression could underpin mating strategies, such as the pursuit/acceptance of extra-pair copulations. We propose that a deeper understanding of the evolution and maintenance of social and mating systems may result from an explicit focus on individual-level female behavioural phenotypes and their relationship with key reproductive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey M While
- School of Zoology, Private Bag 05, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
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While GM, Uller T, Wapstra E. Family conflict and the evolution of sociality in reptiles. Behav Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arp015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Uller T, While GM, Wapstra E, Warner DA, Goodman BA, Schwarzkopf L, Langkilde T, Doughty P, Radder RS, Rohr DH, Bull CM, Shine R, Olsson M. Evaluation of offspring size-number invariants in 12 species of lizard. J Evol Biol 2009; 22:143-51. [PMID: 19120815 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01629.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The optimal division of resources into offspring size vs. number is one of the classic problems in life-history evolution. Importantly, models that take into account the discrete nature of resource division at low clutch sizes suggest that the variance in offspring size should decline with increasing clutch size according to an invariant relationship. We tested this prediction in 12 species of lizard with small clutch sizes. Contrary to expectations, not all species showed a negative relationship between variance in offspring size and clutch size, and the pattern significantly deviated from quantitative predictions in five of the 12 species. We suggest that the main limitation of current size-number models for small clutch sizes is that they rely on assumptions of hierarchical allocation strategies with independence between allocation decisions. Indeed, selection may favour alternative mechanisms of reproductive allocation that avoid suboptimal allocation imposed by the indivisible fraction at low clutch sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Uller
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Smiseth PT, Morgan K. Asynchronous hatching in burying beetles: a test of the peak load reduction hypothesis. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Sinn D, While G, Wapstra E. Maternal care in a social lizard: links between female aggression and offspring fitness. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Smiseth PT, Hwang W, Steiger S, Müller JK. Adaptive consequences and heritable basis of asynchronous hatching in Nicrophorus vespilloides. OIKOS 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.0030-1299.2008.16473.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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