1
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Mullaney CM, Seminoff JA, Lemons GE, Chesney B, Maurer AS. The urban lives of green sea turtles: Insights into behavior in an industrialized habitat using an animal-borne camera. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11282. [PMID: 38665891 PMCID: PMC11044005 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The cryptic and aquatic life histories of sea turtles have made them a challenging group to directly observe, leaving significant knowledge gaps regarding social behavior and fine-scale elements of habitat use. Using a custom-designed animal-borne camera, we observed previously undocumented behaviors by green turtles (Chelonia mydas) at a foraging area in San Diego Bay, a highly urbanized ecosystem in California, USA. We deployed a suction-cup-attached pop-off camera (manufactured by Customized Animal Tracking Solutions) on 11 turtles (mean straight carapace length = 84.0 ± 11.2 cm) for between 1 and 30.8 h. Video recordings, limited to sunlit hours, provided 73 h of total observation time between May 2022 and June 2023. We observed 32 conspecific interactions; we classified 18 as active, entailing clear social behaviors, as compared with 14 passive interactions representing brief, chance encounters. There was no evidence for agonistic interactions. The camera additionally revealed that green turtles consistently use metal structures within urban San Diego Bay. In seven instances, turtles exhibited rubbing behavior against metal structures, and we observed two examples of turtles congregating at these structures. High rates of intraspecific interaction exhibited relatively consistently among individuals provide a compelling case for sociality for green turtles in San Diego Bay, adding to a growing research base updating their historical label of "non-social." The frequent use of metal structures by the population, in particular the rubbing of exposed skin, has implications for behavioral adaptations to urban environments. Our study exemplifies the promise of technological advances (e.g., underwater and animal-borne cameras) for updating natural history paradigms, even for well-studied populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron M. Mullaney
- University of CaliforniaSan Diego, La JollaCaliforniaUSA
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science CenterLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | | | | | | | - Andrew S. Maurer
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science CenterLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
- National Research CouncilWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
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2
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Scott AM, Banes GL, Setiadi W, Saragih JR, Susanto TW, Mitra Setia T, Knott CD. Flanged males have higher reproductive success in a completely wild orangutan population. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296688. [PMID: 38335166 PMCID: PMC10857694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Male orangutans (Pongo spp.) exhibit bimaturism, an alternative reproductive tactic, with flanged and unflanged males displaying two distinct morphological and behavioral phenotypes. Flanged males are larger than unflanged males and display secondary sexual characteristics which unflanged males lack. The evolutionary explanation for alternative reproductive tactics in orangutans remains unclear because orangutan paternity studies to date have been from sites with ex-captive orangutans, provisioning via feeding stations and veterinary care, or that lack data on the identity of mothers. Here we demonstrate, using the first long-term paternity data from a site free of these limitations, that alternative reproductive tactics in orangutans are condition-dependent, not frequency-dependent. We found higher reproductive success by flanged males than by unflanged males, a pattern consistent with other Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) paternity studies. Previous paternity studies disagree on the degree of male reproductive skew, but we found low reproductive skew among flanged males. We compare our findings and previous paternity studies from both Bornean and Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii) to understand why these differences exist, examining the possible roles of species differences, ecology, and human intervention. Additionally, we use long-term behavioral data to demonstrate that while flanged males can displace unflanged males in association with females, flanged males are unable to keep other males from associating with a female, and thus they are unable to completely mate guard females. Our results demonstrate that alternative reproductive tactics in Bornean orangutans are condition-dependent, supporting the understanding that the flanged male morph is indicative of good condition. Despite intense male-male competition and direct sexual coercion by males, female mate choice is effective in determining reproductive outcomes in this population of wild orangutans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Scott
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Graham L. Banes
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- The Orang-Utan Conservation Genetics Project, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Wuryantari Setiadi
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Agency for Research and Innovation (BRIN), The Science and Technology Center of Soekarno, Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Jessica R. Saragih
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Agency for Research and Innovation (BRIN), The Science and Technology Center of Soekarno, Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Tri Wahyu Susanto
- Departemen of Biology, Faculty of Biology and Agricultural, Universitas Nasional, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Tatang Mitra Setia
- Departemen of Biology, Faculty of Biology and Agricultural, Universitas Nasional, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Cheryl D. Knott
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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3
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Wölfl S, Zala SM, Penn DJ. Male scent but not courtship vocalizations induce estrus in wild female house mice. Physiol Behav 2023; 259:114053. [PMID: 36502894 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.114053] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to males or male urinary scent can induce and accelerate the rate of female estrous cycling in house mice ("Whitten effect"), and this response has been replicated many times since its discovery over 60 years ago. Here, we tested whether exposing female mice to recordings of male courtship ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) induces estrous cycling, and whether exposure to both male scent and USVs has a stronger effect than to either of these stimuli alone. We conducted our study with 60 wild-derived female house mice (Mus musculus musculus). After singly housing females for 14 days, we monitored estrous stages via vaginal cytology for two weeks while isolated from males or male stimuli. We continued monitoring estrus for two more weeks during experimental exposure to one of four different types of stimuli: (1) clean bedding and background noise playback (negative control); (2) recordings of male USVs (16 min per day) and clean bedding (male USV treatment); (3) soiled male bedding and background noise playback (male odor treatment; positive control); or (4) male USVs and soiled male bedding (male odor and USV treatment). Females were then paired with males to test whether any of the four treatments influenced female reproduction (especially latency to birth). We confirmed that exposure to male odor increased female cycling, as expected, but exposure to recordings of male USVs had no effect on estrus. Females exposed to both USVs and odor went through more cycles compared to controls, but did not differ significantly from exposure to male odor (and background noise). After pairing females with a male, females showing male odor-induced cycling produced their first litter sooner than controls, whereas USVs did not have such an effect. This is the first study to our knowledge to show that male odor induces estrus in wild house mice and to show functional effects on reproduction. Our results do not support the hypothesis that male vocalizations induce female estrus, although we suggest other approaches that could be used to further test this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Wölfl
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah M Zala
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dustin J Penn
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
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4
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Cerrito P, Hu B, Kalisher R, Bailey SE, Bromage TG. Life history in primate teeth is revealed by changes in major and minor element concentrations measured via field-emission SEM-EDS analysis. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20220438. [PMID: 36651149 PMCID: PMC9846430 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Overcoming the non-specificity of histological accentuated growth lines in hard tissues is an ongoing challenge. Identifying season at death and reproductive events has profound implications for evolutionary, ecological and conservation studies. Dental cementum is a mineralized tissue with yearly periodicity that continues deposition from tooth formation until death, maintaining a record spanning almost the entire life of an individual. Recent work has successfully employed elemental analysis of calcified incremental tissues to detect changes in extrinsic conditions such as diet and climate and to identify two important life-history milestones: weaning and sexual maturity. Here, we employ field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis to measure the relative concentrations of calcium, phosphorous, oxygen, magnesium and sodium in the cementum of 34 teeth from seven male and female rhesus macaques with known medical and life-history information. We find that changes in relative magnesium concentrations correspond with reproductive events in females and breastfeeding in infants. Additionally, we observe seasonal calcium patterns in 77.3% of the samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Cerrito
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA,Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA,Collegium Helveticum, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Bin Hu
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Kalisher
- Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Shara E. Bailey
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothy G. Bromage
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA,Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA
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5
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Snopkowski K, Nelson JJ. Fertility intentions and outcomes in Indonesia: Evolutionary perspectives on sexual conflict. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2021; 3:e33. [PMID: 37588532 PMCID: PMC10427277 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2021.27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential fertility preferences for men and women may provide insights into human sexual conflict. We explore whether pairbonded couples have different preferences for future offspring, which socioecological factors are associated with these preferences, and who achieves their desired fertility over time. We utilise the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS), a longitudinal survey which collected data from 1993 to 2015, to compare desired future fertility for 9655 couples and follow couples who had divergent preferences. The majority of couples (64.8%) want the same number of future offspring. In 20.7% of couples, husbands want more future offspring than their wives, while the reverse occurs in 14.5% of couples. Living in villages with the husband's or the wife's parent(s) is associated with having divergent preferences for future offspring, where there is a higher likelihood that women prefer more offspring than their husbands. When examining fertility outcomes, women, particularly those who marry at older ages, are more likely to achieve their desired preference. Contrary to previous research, we do not find that living near one's natal kin or having increased autonomy increases an individual's likelihood of achieving desired fertility outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Snopkowski
- Department of Anthropology, 1910 University Drive, Boise State University, Boise, ID83725, USA
| | - James Joseph Nelson
- Department of Anthropology, 1910 University Drive, Boise State University, Boise, ID83725, USA
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6
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo H. Cassini
- Laboratorio de Biología del Comportamiento IBYME CONICET Obligado 2490 Buenos Aires1429Argentina
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7
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Bright Ross JG, Newman C, Buesching CD, Macdonald DW. What lies beneath? Population dynamics conceal pace-of-life and sex ratio variation, with implications for resilience to environmental change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:3307-3324. [PMID: 32243650 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Life-history and pace-of-life syndrome theory predict that populations are comprised of individuals exhibiting different reproductive schedules and associated behavioural and physiological traits, optimized to prevailing social and environmental factors. Changing weather and social conditions provide in situ cues altering this life-history optimality; nevertheless, few studies have considered how tactical, sex-specific plasticity over an individual's lifespan varies in wild populations and influences population resilience. We examined the drivers of individual life-history schedules using 31 years of trapping data and 28 years of pedigree for the European badger (Meles meles L.), a long-lived, iteroparous, polygynandrous mammal that exhibits heterochrony in the timing of endocrinological puberty in male cubs. Our top model for the effects of environmental (social and weather) conditions during a badger's first year on pace-of-life explained <10% of variance in the ratio of fertility to age at first reproduction (F/α) and lifetime reproductive success. Conversely, sex ratio (SR) and sex-specific density explained 52.8% (males) and 91.0% (females) of variance in adult F/α ratios relative to the long-term population median F/α. Weather primarily affected the sexes at different life-history stages, with energy constraints limiting the onset of male reproduction but playing a large role in female strategic energy allocation, particularly in relation to ongoing mean temperature increases. Furthermore, the effects of social factors on age of first reproduction and year-to-year reproductive success covaried differently with sex, likely due to sex-specific responses to potential mate availability. For females, low same-sex densities favoured early primiparity; for males, instead, up to 10% of yearlings successfully mated at high same-sex densities. We observed substantial SR dynamism relating to differential mortality of life-history strategists within the population, and propose that shifting ratios of 'fast' and 'slow' life-history strategists contribute substantially to population dynamics and resilience to changing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius G Bright Ross
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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8
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Scherer C, Radchuk V, Franz M, Thulke H, Lange M, Grimm V, Kramer‐Schadt S. Moving infections: individual movement decisions drive disease persistence in spatially structured landscapes. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Scherer
- Leibniz Inst. for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Alfred‐Kowalke‐Str. 17 DE‐10315 Berlin Germany
| | - Viktoriia Radchuk
- Leibniz Inst. for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Alfred‐Kowalke‐Str. 17 DE‐10315 Berlin Germany
| | - Mathias Franz
- Leibniz Inst. for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Alfred‐Kowalke‐Str. 17 DE‐10315 Berlin Germany
| | | | - Martin Lange
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Volker Grimm
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ Leipzig Germany
| | - Stephanie Kramer‐Schadt
- Leibniz Inst. for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Alfred‐Kowalke‐Str. 17 DE‐10315 Berlin Germany
- Dept of Ecology, Technische Univ. Berlin Berlin Germany
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9
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Gale TJ, Garratt M, Brooks RC. Female mice seek refuge from castrated males, but not intact or vasectomized males, mitigating a socially-induced glucocorticoid response. Physiol Behav 2019; 211:112678. [PMID: 31505190 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Sexual conflict may be manifested during social interactions, shaping the costs of reproduction in sexually reproducing species. This conflict, and the physical necessity of intromission, can intensify the already costly nature of reproduction for female mammals. To identify and partition the costs that males inflict on females during mating and reproduction, we paired female mice with either other females or castrated, vasectomised, or intact (sham-vasectomised) males, thus manipulating exposure to social mating behavior and costs arising from fertilization. We also provided females with refuges where males could not enter, to test whether females show avoidance or attraction to males of different gonadal status expected to exhibit different levels of social behavior. We found that females paired with vasectomised and castrated males spent the most time in their refuge. Females housed with castrated males also had increased glucocorticoid levels, an effect that was mitigated when females could retreat from these males to a refuge. This suggests that females actively refuge from castrated males, and that housing with such males is sufficient to generate an increased glucocorticoid response. Our results show that females choose to refuge from males depending on the partner's gonadal status, choices that are linked to social induced stress responses but not exposure to male mating behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teagan J Gale
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), the University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Michael Garratt
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), the University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia; Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Robert C Brooks
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), the University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
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10
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Booth LN, Maures TJ, Yeo RW, Tantilert C, Brunet A. Self-sperm induce resistance to the detrimental effects of sexual encounters with males in hermaphroditic nematodes. eLife 2019; 8:46418. [PMID: 31282863 PMCID: PMC6697445 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual interactions have a potent influence on health in several species, including mammals. Previous work in C. elegans identified strategies used by males to accelerate the demise of the opposite sex (hermaphrodites). But whether hermaphrodites evolved counter-strategies against males remains unknown. Here we discover that young C. elegans hermaphrodites are remarkably resistant to brief sexual encounters with males, whereas older hermaphrodites succumb prematurely. Surprisingly, it is not their youthfulness that protects young hermaphrodites, but the fact that they have self-sperm. The beneficial effect of self-sperm is mediated by a sperm-sensing pathway acting on the soma rather than by fertilization. Activation of this pathway in females triggers protection from the negative impact of males. Interestingly, the role of self-sperm in protecting against the detrimental effects of males evolved independently in hermaphroditic nematodes. Endogenous strategies to delay the negative effect of mating may represent a key evolutionary innovation to maximize reproductive success. A nematode worm known as Caenorhabditis elegans is often used in the laboratory to study how animals grow and develop. There are two types of C. elegans worm: hermaphrodite individuals produce both female sex cells (eggs) and male sex cells (sperm), while male individuals only produce sperm. The hermaphrodite worms are able to reproduce without mating with another worm, allowing populations of C. elegans to grow rapidly when they are living in favorable conditions. However, when the hermaphrodites do mate with males they tend to produce more offspring. These offspring are also usually healthier because they receive a mixture of genetic material from two different parents. Although mating is beneficial for the survival of a species it can also harm an individual animal. Previous studies have shown that mating with male worms can accelerate aging of hermaphrodite worms and cause premature death. However, it remained unclear whether hermaphrodite worms have evolved any mechanisms to protect themselves after mating with a male. To address this question, Booth et al. used genetic techniques to study the lifespans of hermaphrodite worms. The experiments found that the hermaphrodites’ own sperm (known as self-sperm) regulated a sperm-sensing signaling pathway that protected them from the negative impact of mating with males. Hermaphrodites with self-sperm that mated with males lived for a similar length of time as hermaphrodites that did not mate. On the other hand, hermaphrodites that did not have self-sperm (because they were older or had a genetic mutation) had shorter lifespans after mating than worms that did not mate. Modulating the sperm-sensing signaling pathway in worms that lacked self-sperm was sufficient to protect them from the negative effects of mating with males. Further experiments found that the hermaphrodites of another nematode worm called C. briggsae – which evolved self-sperm independently of C. elegans – also protected themselves from the negative effects of mating with males in a similar way. This suggests that other animals may also have evolved similar mechanisms to protect themselves from harm when mating. A separate study by Shi et al. has found that the beneficial effects of self-sperm are mediated by a pathway linked to longevity that also exists in mammals. The results of both investigations combined suggest possible avenues for future research into the complex relationship between health, longevity, and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren N Booth
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Travis J Maures
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Robin W Yeo
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Cindy Tantilert
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Anne Brunet
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging at Stanford University, Stanford, United States
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11
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Mokkonen M, Koskela E, Procyshyn T, Crespi B. Socio-reproductive Conflicts and the Father's Curse Dilemma. Am Nat 2018; 192:250-262. [PMID: 30016171 DOI: 10.1086/698216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary conflicts between males and females can manifest over sexually antagonistic interactions at loci or over sexually antagonistic interests within a locus. The latter form of conflict, intralocus sexual conflict, arises from sexually antagonistic selection and constrains the fitness of individuals through a phenotypic compromise. These conflicts, and socio-reproductive interactions in general, are commonly mediated by hormones, and thus predictive insights can be gained from studying their mediating effects. Here, we integrate several lines of evidence to describe a novel, hormonally mediated reproductive dilemma that we call the father's curse, which results from an intralocus conflict between mating and parental efforts. Essentially, a genetic locus exerts pleiotropic and antagonistic effects on the mating effort of one individual and the parental effort of a related individual who is the primary provider of parental care. We outline the criteria for operation of the father's curse dilemma, provide evidence of the phenomenon, and discuss the predictions and outcomes arising from its dynamics. By integrating the effects of hormones into socio-reproductive conflicts and socio-reproductive effort, clearer links between genotypes, phenotypes, and fitness can be established.
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12
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Firman RC. Postmating sexual conflict and female control over fertilization during gamete interaction. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Renée C. Firman
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology University of Western Australia Western Australia Australia
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13
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Juan EE, Provensal MC, Steinmann AR. Space Use and Social Mating System of the Hantavirus Host, Oligoryzomys longicaudatus. ECOHEALTH 2018; 15:96-108. [PMID: 29196828 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-017-1301-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The long-tailed mouse, Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae), is the major host of Andes hantavirus, the etiological agent of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the south of Argentina and Chile. Studying the ecology of this species is necessary to understand how Andes hantavirus is maintained in nature. In this study, we examine the home range size and intra- and intersexual overlap degree of male and female O. longicaudatus in order to elucidate the mating system of this species. To our knowledge, this research provides the first documentation, obtained from a specific design, of spacing and mating systems in this species in Argentina. The study was conducted seasonally from April (autumn) 2012 to October (spring) 2013 in a shrubland habitat of Cholila, Andean region, Argentina. We studied spacing patterns using 59 and 51 home ranges established by adult males and females, respectively, in two 3.24 ha capture-marked and recapture grids. Significant differences between sexes in home range size and overlap degree were found. Male home ranges were always larger than those of females. We observed exclusive space use both among males and females (13.15 ± 18.67, and 3.60 ± 3.43%, respectively). Considering only those males that get access to receptive females (40%), average intersexual overlap value was about 30.82 ± 19.73%. Sexual differences in home range sizes and the spatial avoidance between breeding males, that would reflect intrasexual competition for receptive females, allows us to propose a polygynous mating system for O. longicaudatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto E Juan
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Avda. Rivadavia 1917, CP C1033AAJ, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Cecilia Provensal
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Agencia Postal N° 3, 5800, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Andrea R Steinmann
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Avda. Rivadavia 1917, CP C1033AAJ, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Agencia Postal N° 3, 5800, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
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14
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Schell CJ, Young JK, Lonsdorf EV, Mateo JM, Santymire RM. It takes two: Evidence for reduced sexual conflict over parental care in a biparental canid. J Mammal 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyx150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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15
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Bonatto F, Priotto J, Coda J, Steinmann AR. Female Intrasexual Territoriality and its Potential Adaptive Significance: The Pampean Grassland Mouse as an Ecological Model Species. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Bonatto
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Ecología Poblacional y Comportamental (GIEPCO); Departamento de Ciencias Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
| | - José Priotto
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Ecología Poblacional y Comportamental (GIEPCO); Departamento de Ciencias Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
| | - José Coda
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Ecología Poblacional y Comportamental (GIEPCO); Departamento de Ciencias Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
| | - Andrea R. Steinmann
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Ecología Poblacional y Comportamental (GIEPCO); Departamento de Ciencias Naturales; Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Río Cuarto Córdoba Argentina
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16
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Pineaux M, Turgeon J. Behavioural Consistency in Female Resistance to Male Harassment in a Water Strider Species. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Pineaux
- Département de Biologie; Université Laval; Québec QC Canada
| | - Julie Turgeon
- Département de Biologie; Université Laval; Québec QC Canada
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17
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Mokkonen M, Koskela E, Mappes T, Mills SC. Evolutionary Conflict Between Maternal and Paternal Interests: Integration with Evolutionary Endocrinology. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:146-58. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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18
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19
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Garratt M, Kee AJ, Palme R, Brooks RC. Male Presence can Increase Body Mass and Induce a Stress-Response in Female Mice Independent of Costs of Offspring Production. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23538. [PMID: 27004919 PMCID: PMC4804214 DOI: 10.1038/srep23538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual reproduction in animals requires close interactions with the opposite sex. These interactions may generate costs of reproduction, because mates can induce detrimental physiological or physical effects on one another, due to their interest in maximising their own fitness. To understand how a male’s presence influences aspects of female physiology implicated in reproductive costs in mice, independent of offspring production, we paired females with vasectomised, castrated or intact males, or other females. Being paired with a male, irrespective of his gonadal status, increased female weight. This effect was transient in females paired with castrated males but more persistent in those with vasectomised males. Those paired with males also showed an increase in corticosterone, suggesting an increased stress response. However, this was dependent on the gonadal status of the male housing partner, since those housed with vasectomised males had lower corticosterone than those with castrated males. Altered energy metabolism was only detectable in pregnant females, and oxidative stress was not consistently affected by a female’s housing partner. These results suggest that a male’s presence alters female weight, and stresses associated with reproduction could be induced by simply the presence of a male, but reduced by mating and/or being solicited to mate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Garratt
- Evolution and Ecology Research Group and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Anthony J Kee
- Neuromuscular and Regenerative Medicine Unit, School of Medical Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences/Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert C Brooks
- Evolution and Ecology Research Group and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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20
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Ávila B, Bonatto F, Priotto J, Steinmann AR. Effects of high density on spacing behaviour and reproduction in Akodon azarae: A fencing experiment. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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21
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Kappeler PM, Fichtel C. Eco-evo-devo of the lemur syndrome: did adaptive behavioral plasticity get canalized in a large primate radiation? Front Zool 2015; 12 Suppl 1:S15. [PMID: 26816515 PMCID: PMC4722368 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-12-s1-s15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Comprehensive explanations of behavioral adaptations rarely invoke all levels famously admonished by Niko Tinbergen. The role of developmental processes and plasticity, in particular, has often been neglected. In this paper, we combine ecological, physiological and developmental perspectives in developing a hypothesis to account for the evolution of 'the lemur syndrome', a combination of reduced sexual dimorphism, even adult sex ratios, female dominance and mild genital masculinization characterizing group-living species in two families of Malagasy primates. RESULTS We review the different components of the lemur syndrome and compare it with similar adaptations reported for other mammals. We find support for the assertion that the lemur syndrome represents a unique set of integrated behavioral, demographic and morphological traits. We combine existing hypotheses about underlying adaptive function and proximate causation by adding a potential developmental mechanism linking maternal stress and filial masculinization, and outline an evolutionary scenario for its canalization. CONCLUSIONS We propose a new hypothesis linking ecological, physiological, developmental and evolutionary processes to adumbrate a comprehensive explanation for the evolution of the lemur syndrome, whose assumptions and predictions can guide diverse future research on lemurs. This hypothesis should also encourage students of other behavioral phenomena to consider the potential role of developmental plasticity in evolutionary innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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22
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Furness AI, Morrison KR, Orr TJ, Arendt JD, Reznick DN. Reproductive mode and the shifting arenas of evolutionary conflict. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2015; 1360:75-100. [PMID: 26284738 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In sexually reproducing organisms, the genetic interests of individuals are not perfectly aligned. Conflicts among family members are prevalent since interactions involve the transfer of limited resources between interdependent players. Intrafamilial conflict has traditionally been considered along three major axes: between the sexes, between parents and offspring, and between siblings. In these interactions, conflict is expected over traits in which the resulting phenotypic value is determined by multiple family members who have only partially overlapping fitness optima. We focus on four major categories of animal reproductive mode (broadcast spawning, egg laying, live bearing, and live bearing with matrotrophy) and identify the shared phenotypes or traits over which conflict is expected, and then review the empirical literature for evidence of their occurrence. Major transitions among reproductive mode, such as a shift from external to internal fertilization, an increase in egg-retention time, modifications of embryos and mothers for nutrient transfer, the evolution of postnatal parental care, and increased interaction with the kin network, mark key shifts that both change and expand the arenas in which conflict is played out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew I Furness
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, California.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - Keenan R Morrison
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, California
| | - Teri J Orr
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, California.,Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Jeff D Arendt
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, California
| | - David N Reznick
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, California
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23
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Rovelli V, Randi E, Davoli F, Macale D, Bologna MA, Vignoli L. She gets many and she chooses the best: polygynandry inSalamandrina perspicillata(Amphibia: Salamandridae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Rovelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze; Università Roma Tre; Viale Marconi 446 Rome 00146 Italy
| | - Ettore Randi
- Laboratorio di Genetica; ISPRA; Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale; Via Cà Fornacetta 9 Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO) 40064 Italy
- Section of Biology and Environmental Science; Department of Biotechnology; Chemistry and Environmental Engineering; Aalborg University; Sohngaardsholmsvej 57 DK-9000 Aalborg Denmark
| | - Francesca Davoli
- Laboratorio di Genetica; ISPRA; Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale; Via Cà Fornacetta 9 Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO) 40064 Italy
| | - Daniele Macale
- Fondazione Bioparco di Roma; Viale del Giardino Zoologico 20; Rome 00197 Italy
| | | | - Leonardo Vignoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze; Università Roma Tre; Viale Marconi 446 Rome 00146 Italy
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24
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Stanton DWG, Hart J, Kümpel NF, Vosper A, Nixon S, Bruford MW, Ewen JG, Wang J. Enhancing knowledge of an endangered and elusive species, the okapi, using non-invasive genetic techniques. J Zool (1987) 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - J. Hart
- Projet Tshuapa-Lomami-Lualaba (TL2); Lukuru Foundation; Kinshasa DRC
| | - N. F. Kümpel
- Conservation Programmes; Zoological Society of London; London UK
| | - A. Vosper
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS); Great Ape and Human Impact Monitoring; Okapi Faunal Reserve; Ituri DRC
| | - S. Nixon
- Conservation Programmes; Zoological Society of London; London UK
| | - M. W. Bruford
- School of Biosciences; Cardiff University; Cardiff UK
| | - J. G. Ewen
- Institute of Zoology; Zoological Society of London; London UK
| | - J. Wang
- Institute of Zoology; Zoological Society of London; London UK
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25
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26
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Kappeler PM, Barrett L, Blumstein DT, Clutton-Brock TH. Constraints and flexibility in mammalian social behaviour: introduction and synthesis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20120337. [PMID: 23569286 PMCID: PMC3638441 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper introduces a Theme Issue presenting the latest developments in research on the interplay between flexibility and constraint in social behaviour, using comparative datasets, long-term field studies and experimental data from both field and laboratory studies of mammals. We first explain our focus on mammals and outline the main components of their social systems, focusing on variation within- and among-species in numerous aspects of social organization, mating system and social structure. We then review the current state of primarily ultimate explanations of this diversity in social behaviour. We approach the question of how and why the balance between behavioural flexibility and continuity is achieved by discussing the genetic, developmental, ecological and social constraints on hypothetically unlimited behavioural flexibility. We introduce the other contributions to this Theme Issue against this background and conclude that constraints are often crucial to the evolution and expression of behavioural flexibility. In exploring these issues, the enduring relevance of Tinbergen's seminal paper 'On aims and methods in ethology', with its advocacy of an integrative, four-pronged approach to studying behaviour becomes apparent: an exceptionally fitting tribute on the 50th anniversary of its publication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Kappeler
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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27
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Korstian JM, Hale AM, Bennett VJ, Williams DA. Advances in sex determination in bats and its utility in wind-wildlife studies. Mol Ecol Resour 2013; 13:776-80. [PMID: 23647806 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
We developed a simple and reliable genetic method to determine sex in bats from the Vespertilionidae and Molossidae families. Polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify a portion of the introns within the zinc-finger-X (Zfx) and zinc-finger-Y (Zfy) genes. We designed primers to produce size variation between the Zfx and Zfy products that could be visualized using gel electrophoresis. Using an example from our wind-wildlife research, we show how sex data generated using this method are superior to sex data based on external morphology. Our method allows for the generation of sex data across a wide range of bats that can be used to address key questions in wildlife forensics, behavioural ecology, conservation and evolutionary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Korstian
- Biology Department, Texas Christian University, 2800 S. University Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA.
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