1
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Arantes LS, Caccavo JA, Sullivan JK, Sparmann S, Mbedi S, Höner OP, Mazzoni CJ. Scaling-up RADseq methods for large datasets of non-invasive samples: Lessons for library construction and data preprocessing. Mol Ecol Resour 2023. [PMID: 37646753 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Genetic non-invasive sampling (gNIS) is a critical tool for population genetics studies, supporting conservation efforts while imposing minimal impacts on wildlife. However, gNIS often presents variable levels of DNA degradation and non-endogenous contamination, which can incur considerable processing costs. Furthermore, the use of restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing methods (RADseq) for assessing thousands of genetic markers introduces the challenge of obtaining large sets of shared loci with similar coverage across multiple individuals. Here, we present an approach to handling large-scale gNIS-based datasets using data from the spotted hyena population inhabiting the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. We generated 3RADseq data for more than a thousand individuals, mostly from faecal mucus samples collected non-invasively and varying in DNA degradation and contamination level. Using small-scale sequencing, we screened samples for endogenous DNA content, removed highly contaminated samples, confirmed overlap fragment length between libraries, and balanced individual representation in a sequencing pool. We evaluated the impact of (1) DNA degradation and contamination of non-invasive samples, (2) PCR duplicates and (3) different SNP filters on genotype accuracy based on Mendelian error estimated for parent-offspring trio datasets. Our results showed that when balanced for sequencing depth, contaminated samples presented similar genotype error rates to those of non-contaminated samples. We also showed that PCR duplicates and different SNP filters impact genotype accuracy. In summary, we showed the potential of using gNIS for large-scale genetic monitoring based on SNPs and demonstrated how to improve control over library preparation by using a weighted re-pooling strategy that considers the endogenous DNA content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa S Arantes
- Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research (BeGenDiv), Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz-Institut für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jilda A Caccavo
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat: Expérimentations et Approches Numériques, LOCEAN/IPSL, UPMC-CNRS-IRD-MNHN, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - James K Sullivan
- Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research (BeGenDiv), Berlin, Germany
- Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah Sparmann
- Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research (BeGenDiv), Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei (IGB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Susan Mbedi
- Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research (BeGenDiv), Berlin, Germany
- Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver P Höner
- Leibniz-Institut für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Camila J Mazzoni
- Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research (BeGenDiv), Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz-Institut für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung (IZW), Berlin, Germany
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2
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Nitsch A, Faurie C, Lummaa V. Sibling competition, dispersal and fitness outcomes in humans. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7539. [PMID: 37160936 PMCID: PMC10169773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33700-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Determining how sibling interactions alter the fitness outcomes of dispersal is pivotal for the understanding of family living, but such studies are currently scarce. Using a large demographic dataset on pre-industrial humans from Finland, we studied dispersal consequences on different indicators of lifetime reproductive success according to sex-specific birth rank (a strong determinant of dispersal in our population). Contrary to the predictions of the leading hypotheses, we found no support for differential fitness benefits of dispersal for either males or females undergoing low vs. high sibling competition. Our results are inconsistent with both hypotheses that family members could have different fitness maximizing strategies depending on birth rank, and that dispersal could be mainly driven by indirect fitness benefits for philopatric family members. Our study stresses the need for studying the relative outcomes of dispersal at the family level in order to understand the evolution of family living and dispersal behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aïda Nitsch
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Université Toulouse 1 Capitole 1, Esplanade de l'Université, 31080, Cedex 6, Toulouse, France.
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
- University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Place Eugène Bataillon, CC 065, 34095, Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
| | - Charlotte Faurie
- University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Institute of Evolutionary Sciences, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Place Eugène Bataillon, CC 065, 34095, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Virpi Lummaa
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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3
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Spagnuolo OSB, Lemerle MA, Holekamp KE, Wiesel I. The value of individual identification in studies of free-living hyenas and aardwolves. Mamm Biol 2022; 102:1089-1112. [PMID: 36530605 PMCID: PMC9744671 DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00309-4] [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: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
From population estimates to social evolution, much of our understanding of the family Hyaenidae is drawn from studies of known individuals. The extant species in this family (spotted hyenas, Crocuta crocuta, brown hyenas, Parahyaena brunnea, striped hyenas, Hyaena hyaena, and aardwolves, Proteles cristata) are behaviorally diverse, presenting an equally diverse set of logistical constraints on capturing and marking individuals. All these species are individually identifiable by their coat patterns, providing a useful alternative to man-made markings. Many studies have demonstrated the utility of this method in answering a wide range of research questions across all four species, with some employing a creative fusion of techniques. Despite its pervasiveness in basic research on hyenas and aardwolves, individual identification has rarely been applied to the conservation and management of these species. We argue that individual identification using naturally occurring markings in applied research could prove immensely helpful, as this could further improve accuracy of density estimates, reveal characteristics of suitable habitat, identify threats to population persistence, and help to identify individual problem animals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ingrid Wiesel
- Brown Hyena Research Project, Lüderitz, 9000 Namibia
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4
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Davidian E, Höner OP. Kinship and similarity drive coordination of breeding-group choice in male spotted hyenas. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220402. [PMID: 36514956 PMCID: PMC9748768 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
When and where animals reproduce influences the social, demographic and genetic properties of the groups and populations they live in. We examined the extent to which male spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) coordinate their breeding-group choice. We tested whether their propensity to settle in the same group is shaped by passive processes driven by similarities in their socio-ecological background and genotype or by an adaptive process driven by kin selection. We compared the choices of 148 pairs of same-cohort males that varied in similarity and kinship. We found strong support for both processes. Coordination was highest (70% of pairs) for littermates, who share most cumulative similarity, lower (36%) among peers born in the same group to different mothers, and lowest (7%) among strangers originating from different groups and mothers. Consistent with the kin selection hypothesis, the propensity to choose the same group was density dependent for full siblings and close kin, but not distant kin. Coordination increased as the number of breeding females and male competitors in social groups increased, i.e. when costs of kin competition over mates decreased and benefits of kin cooperation increased. Our results contrast with the traditional view that breeding-group choice and dispersal are predominantly solitary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve Davidian
- Ngorongoro Hyena Project, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Oliver P. Höner
- Ngorongoro Hyena Project, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha, Tanzania
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin 10315, Germany
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5
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Ellis S, Johnstone RA, Cant MA, Franks DW, Weiss MN, Alberts SC, Balcomb KC, Benton CH, Brent LJN, Crockford C, Davidian E, Delahay RJ, Ellifrit DK, Höner OP, Meniri M, McDonald RA, Nichols HJ, Thompson FJ, Vigilant L, Wittig RM, Croft DP. Patterns and consequences of age-linked change in local relatedness in animal societies. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1766-1776. [PMID: 36163259 PMCID: PMC10423498 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01872-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The ultimate payoff of behaviours depends not only on their direct impact on an individual, but also on the impact on their relatives. Local relatedness-the average relatedness of an individual to their social environment-therefore has profound effects on social and life history evolution. Recent work has begun to show that local relatedness has the potential to change systematically over an individual's lifetime, a process called kinship dynamics. However, it is unclear how general these kinship dynamics are, whether they are predictable in real systems and their effects on behaviour and life history evolution. In this study, we combine modelling with data from real systems to explore the extent and impact of kinship dynamics. We use data from seven group-living mammals with diverse social and mating systems to demonstrate not only that kinship dynamics occur in animal systems, but also that the direction and magnitude of kinship dynamics can be accurately predicted using a simple model. We use a theoretical model to demonstrate that kinship dynamics can profoundly affect lifetime patterns of behaviour and can drive sex differences in helping and harming behaviour across the lifespan in social species. Taken together, this work demonstrates that kinship dynamics are likely to be a fundamental dimension of social evolution, especially when considering age-linked changes and sex differences in behaviour and life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Ellis
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | | | - Michael A Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
| | | | - Michael N Weiss
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Center for Whale Research, Friday Harbor, WA, USA
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Claire H Benton
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Sand Hutton, York, UK
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS, Lyon, France
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifique, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Eve Davidian
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
- Ngorongoro Hyena Project, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Richard J Delahay
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Sand Hutton, York, UK
| | | | - Oliver P Höner
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
- Ngorongoro Hyena Project, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Magali Meniri
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
| | - Robbie A McDonald
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
| | | | - Faye J Thompson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
| | - Linda Vigilant
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifique, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Darren P Croft
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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6
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Kappeler PM, Huchard E, Baniel A, Canteloup C, Charpentier MJE, Cheng L, Davidian E, Duboscq J, Fichtel C, Hemelrijk CK, Höner OP, Koren L, Micheletta J, Prox L, Saccà T, Seex L, Smit N, Surbeck M, van de Waal E, Girard-Buttoz C. Sex and dominance: How to assess and interpret intersexual dominance relationships in mammalian societies. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.918773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The causes and consequences of being in a particular dominance position have been illuminated in various animal species, and new methods to assess dominance relationships and to describe the structure of dominance hierarchies have been developed in recent years. Most research has focused on same-sex relationships, however, so that intersexual dominance relationships and hierarchies including both sexes have remained much less studied. In particular, different methods continue to be employed to rank males and females along a dominance hierarchy, and sex biases in dominance are still widely regarded as simple byproducts of sexual size dimorphism. However, males and females regularly compete over similar resources when living in the same group, and sexual conflict takes a variety of forms across societies. These processes affect the fitness of both sexes, and are mitigated by intersexual hierarchies. In this study, we draw on data from free-ranging populations of nine species of mammals that vary in the degree to which members of one sex dominate members of the other sex to explore the consequences of using different criteria and procedures for describing intra- and intersexual dominance relationships in these societies. Our analyses confirmed a continuum in patterns of intersexual dominance, from strictly male-dominated species to strictly female-dominated species. All indices of the degree of female dominance were well correlated with each other. The rank order among same-sex individuals was highly correlated between the intra- and intersexual hierarchies, and such correlation was not affected by the degree of female dominance. The relative prevalence of aggression and submission was sensitive to variation in the degree of female dominance across species, with more submissive signals and fewer aggressive acts being used in societies where female dominance prevails. Thus, this study provides important insights and key methodological tools to study intersexual dominance relationships in mammals.
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7
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Bonnet T, Morrissey MB, de Villemereuil P, Alberts SC, Arcese P, Bailey LD, Boutin S, Brekke P, Brent LJN, Camenisch G, Charmantier A, Clutton-Brock TH, Cockburn A, Coltman DW, Courtiol A, Davidian E, Evans SR, Ewen JG, Festa-Bianchet M, de Franceschi C, Gustafsson L, Höner OP, Houslay TM, Keller LF, Manser M, McAdam AG, McLean E, Nietlisbach P, Osmond HL, Pemberton JM, Postma E, Reid JM, Rutschmann A, Santure AW, Sheldon BC, Slate J, Teplitsky C, Visser ME, Wachter B, Kruuk LEB. Genetic variance in fitness indicates rapid contemporary adaptive evolution in wild animals. Science 2022; 376:1012-1016. [PMID: 35617403 DOI: 10.1126/science.abk0853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The rate of adaptive evolution, the contribution of selection to genetic changes that increase mean fitness, is determined by the additive genetic variance in individual relative fitness. To date, there are few robust estimates of this parameter for natural populations, and it is therefore unclear whether adaptive evolution can play a meaningful role in short-term population dynamics. We developed and applied quantitative genetic methods to long-term datasets from 19 wild bird and mammal populations and found that, while estimates vary between populations, additive genetic variance in relative fitness is often substantial and, on average, twice that of previous estimates. We show that these rates of contemporary adaptive evolution can affect population dynamics and hence that natural selection has the potential to partly mitigate effects of current environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée Bonnet
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | - Pierre de Villemereuil
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), École Pratique des Hautes Études, PSL, MNHN, CNRS, SU, UA, Paris, France.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Departments of Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Peter Arcese
- Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Liam D Bailey
- Departments of Evolutionary Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, UK
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Glauco Camenisch
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anne Charmantier
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Tim H Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Andrew Cockburn
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - David W Coltman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alexandre Courtiol
- Departments of Evolutionary Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eve Davidian
- Departments of Evolutionary Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simon R Evans
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - John G Ewen
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, UK
| | | | - Christophe de Franceschi
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oliver P Höner
- Departments of Evolutionary Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas M Houslay
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Lukas F Keller
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Zoological Museum, University of Zurich,, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marta Manser
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Andrew G McAdam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Emily McLean
- Biology Department, Oxford College, Emory University, Oxford, GA, USA
| | - Pirmin Nietlisbach
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Helen L Osmond
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | - Erik Postma
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Jane M Reid
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Alexis Rutschmann
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Anna W Santure
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ben C Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jon Slate
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Céline Teplitsky
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Bettina Wachter
- Departments of Evolutionary Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Loeske E B Kruuk
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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8
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Pakanen V, Koivula K, Doligez B, Flodin L, Pauliny A, Rönkä N, Blomqvist D. Natal dispersal does not entail survival costs but is linked to breeding dispersal in a migratory shorebird, the southern dunlin
Calidris alpina schinzii. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Veli‐Matti Pakanen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, Univ. of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Dept of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
| | - Kari Koivula
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, Univ. of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Blandine Doligez
- CNRS, Univ. Lyon 1, Dept of Biometry and Evolutionary Biology, UMR 5558 Villeurbanne France
| | | | - Angela Pauliny
- Dept of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
| | - Nelli Rönkä
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, Univ. of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Donald Blomqvist
- Dept of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
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9
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Bose APH, Koch L, Dabernig-Heinz J, Grimm J, Sefc KM, Jordan A. Patterns of sex-biased dispersal are consistent with social and ecological constraints in a group-living cichlid fish. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:21. [PMID: 35236283 PMCID: PMC8889715 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01980-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex-biased dispersal is a common and widespread phenomenon that can fundamentally shape the genetic structure of the social environments in which animals live. For animals that live in and move between social groups, sex-biased dispersal can result in an asymmetry in the degree of relatedness among cohabiting males and females, which can have strong implications for their social evolution. In this study, we measured the relatedness structure within and across groups of a wild population of Neolamprologus multifasciatus, a highly-social, shell-dwelling cichlid fish endemic to Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. In total, we genotyped 812 fish from 128 social groups at 20 microsatellite loci. Neolamprologus multifasciatus live at high densities, and also experience strong ecological constraints on free movement throughout their habitat. At the same time, they exhibit sex differences in the degree of reproductive competition within their groups and this makes them an excellent model system for studying the factors associated with sex-biased dispersal. RESULTS Social groups of N. multifasciatus consist of multiple males and females living together. We found that cohabiting females were unrelated to one another (Lynch-Ritland estimates of relatedness = 0.045 ± 0.15, average ± SD), while males shared much higher, albeit variable, levels of relatedness to other males in their groups (0.23 ± 0.27). We uncovered a pronounced decline in relatedness between males living in separate groups as the spatial separation between them increased, a pattern that was not evident in females. Female dispersal was also markedly constrained by the distribution and availability of nearby territories to which they could emigrate. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate female-biased dispersal in N. multifasciatus. Our study also highlights how the spatial distribution of suitable dispersal destinations can influence the movement decisions of animals. We also emphasize how sex-biased dispersal can influence the relatedness structure of the social environment in which individuals interact and compete with one another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneesh P H Bose
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Lukas Koch
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Alex Jordan
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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10
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Shah SS, Rubenstein DR. Prenatal environmental conditions underlie alternative reproductive tactics that drive the formation of a mixed-kin cooperative society. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabk2220. [PMID: 35196086 PMCID: PMC8865798 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk2220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Although animal societies often evolve due to limited natal dispersal that results in kin clustering and facilitates cooperation among relatives, many species form cooperative groups with low kin structure. These groups often comprise residents and immigrants of the same sex that compete for breeding opportunities. To understand how these mixed-kin societies form, we investigated the causes and fitness consequences of dispersal decisions in male cooperatively breeding superb starlings (Lamprotornis superbus) inhabiting a climatically unpredictable environment. We show that the two alternative reproductive tactics-natal dispersal or philopatry-exhibit reproductive trade-offs resulting in equivalent lifetime inclusive fitness. Unexpectedly, an individual's tactic is related to the prenatal environment its parents experience before laying rather than the environment it experiences as a juvenile. Individuals that adopt the tactic not predicted by prenatal environmental conditions have lower fitness. Ultimately, climate-driven oscillating selection appears to stabilize mixed-kin societies despite the potential for social conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailee S. Shah
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Dustin R. Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Center for Integrative Animal Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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11
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Suh YH, Bowman R, Fitzpatrick JW. Staging to join non-kin groups in a classical cooperative breeder, the Florida scrub-jay. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:970-982. [PMID: 35085401 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13669] [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: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. Why unrelated members form groups in animal societies remains a pertinent topic in evolutionary biology because benefits for group members often are not obvious. We studied subordinates that disperse to join unrelated social groups in the Florida scrub-jay Aphelocoma coerulescens, a cooperative breeding species mainly composed of kin-based groups. 2. We evaluated potential adaptive benefits of dispersing to become an unrelated helper (staging) versus remaining home and dispersing only to pair and breed (direct dispersal) to understand why non-kin-based groups form. 3. Using 35 years of demographic data, we quantified life history aspects of staging individuals and tested associations between social and ecological factors on the natal and staging territories. We compared fitness outcomes between dispersal strategies by analyzing survival, breeding recruitment, and direct reproductive output. We tested for sexual asymmetry potentially driven by differences in territory acquisition patterns and female-biased dispersal for this species. 4. Of birds that reached one-year-old, 28% staged at a non-natal territory before breeding or disappearing. Staging dispersers departed at younger ages and moved greater distances than direct dispersers. When looking at proximate factors on the natal territory associated with staging, males left groups with many same-sex helpers, while females often left when their father disappeared. For both sexes, staging individuals more likely came from high-quality territories and joined groups with fewer same-sex helpers than in their natal group. While staging and direct dispersers did not differ in survival or likelihood of becoming a breeder, staging males became breeders later and had lower lifetime reproductive success than direct dispersers. 5. In Florida scrub-jays, staging appears to be an alternative strategy for female helpers, but a best-of-a-bad-situation for males. This sexual asymmetry is consistent with males having more options than females to achieve higher reproductive success by breeding near home. Tradeoffs in cost-benefits of departing the natal territory and joining unrelated groups as a helper seem to best explain alternative dispersal patterns, with optimal social queues primarily driving the benefits. This research highlights plasticity in dispersal behavior in response to social and environmental conditions and offers a new perspective in our understanding of non-kin-based social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Ha Suh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, 14850
| | - Reed Bowman
- Avian Ecology Program, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, 33960
| | - John W Fitzpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, 14850
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12
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O’Brien KA, Waterman JM, Bennett NC. Alternative tactics in male African ground squirrels: the impact of variable rainfall on condition and physiology. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Alternative reproductive tactics occur when conspecifics of the same sex use different behavioral processes to maximize reproductive success. Resource availability can have significant impacts on the proximate factors impacting the success and persistence of alternative tactics, such as an individual’s physiology, immunity, and body condition. Male Cape ground squirrels (Xerus inauris) display two alternative tactics, with some mature males dispersing from their natal groups and joining bands of nonrelated males (band males), whereas others do not disperse and remain philopatric in their natal groups past sexual maturation (natal males). Despite differences in metabolism, home ranges, and behavior, there is no difference in reproductive success between the two tactics, allowing us to test if rainfall (as a measure of primary productivity) influences body condition and physiological indices in tactics when fitness is equal. Over a period of 6 years, rainfall was positively related to body condition (mass–spine length residuals) in band males (N = 76), but not in natal males (N = 75). When we followed 18 males prior to and after dispersal, we also found a positive relationship between body condition and age following dispersal, but not prior to dispersal, and natal males maintained a better body condition in low rainfall years. During 2 years of low rainfall, band males (N = 39) had higher total ectoparasite abundance, and white blood cell differentials, implying they are less able to tolerate parasitic infection than natal males (N = 31). We found no difference in bacterial growth inhibition between tactics, suggesting that band and natal males both are equally resistant to parasites. The poorer body condition of band males during lower rainfall suggests they are less tolerant to parasites in these years. Dispersal during years of low rainfall thus may increase the costs to body condition and parasite infection, but the reproductive benefit of overlapping with more females may contribute to maintaining equal fitness between tactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey A O’Brien
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Jane M Waterman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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13
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Davidian E, Wachter B, Heckmann I, Dehnhard M, Hofer H, Höner OP. The interplay between social rank, physiological constraints and investment in courtship in male spotted hyenas. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eve Davidian
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Bettina Wachter
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Ilja Heckmann
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Martin Dehnhard
- Department of Reproduction Biology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Oliver P. Höner
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
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14
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Dispersal and reproductive careers of male mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. Primates 2019; 60:133-142. [PMID: 30847670 PMCID: PMC6428796 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00718-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Dispersal is a key event in the life of an animal and it influences individual reproductive success. Male mountain gorillas exhibit both philopatry and dispersal, resulting in a mixed one-male and multimale social organization. However, little is known about the relationship between male dispersal or philopatry and reproductive careers in Bwindi mountain gorillas. Here we analyze data spanning from 1993 to 2017 on social groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda to examine the proportion of males that disperse, age of dispersal, pathways to attaining alpha status, fate of dispersing males and philopatric males, and male tenure length as well as make comparisons of these variables to the Virunga mountain gorilla population. We report previously undocumented cases of dispersal by immature males and old males and we also observed the only known case of a fully mature male immigrating into a breeding group. We used genetic tracking of known individuals to estimate that a minimum of 25% of males that disperse to become solitary males eventually form new groups. No differences were found between the Bwindi and Virunga population in the age of male dispersal, the proportion of males that disperse, the age of alpha male acquisition, and dominance tenure length. The lack of differences may be due to small sample sizes or because the observed ecological variability does not lead to life history differences between the populations. Males in both populations follow variable strategies to attain alpha status leading to the variable one-male and multimale social organization, including dispersal to become solitary and eventually form a group, via group fissioning, usurping another alpha male, or inheriting the alpha position when a previous group leader dies.
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15
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Maag N, Cozzi G, Bateman A, Heistermann M, Ganswindt A, Manser M, Clutton-Brock T, Ozgul A. Cost of dispersal in a social mammal: body mass loss and increased stress. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190033. [PMID: 30963932 PMCID: PMC6408599 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Dispersal is a key process influencing the dynamics of socially and spatially structured populations. Dispersal success is determined by the state of individuals at emigration and the costs incurred after emigration. However, quantification of such costs is often difficult, due to logistical constraints of following wide-ranging individuals. We investigated the effects of dispersal on individual body mass and stress hormone levels in a cooperative breeder, the meerkat ( Suricata suricatta). We measured body mass and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations from 95 dispersing females in 65 coalitions through the entire dispersal process. Females that successfully settled lost body mass, while females that did not settle but returned to their natal group after a short period of time did not. Furthermore, dispersing females had higher fGCM levels than resident females, and this was especially pronounced during the later stages of dispersal. By adding information on the transient stage of dispersal and by comparing dispersers that successfully settled to dispersers that returned to their natal group, we expand on previous studies focusing on the earlier stages of dispersal. We propose that body mass and stress hormone levels are good indicators to investigate dispersal costs, as these traits often play an important role in mediating the effects of the environment on other life-history events and individual fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nino Maag
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus 8467, South Africa
| | - Gabriele Cozzi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus 8467, South Africa
| | - Andrew Bateman
- Department of Geography, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, CanadaV8P 5C2
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - André Ganswindt
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, cnr Lynnwood Road and Roper Street, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Marta Manser
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus 8467, South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus 8467, South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, cnr Lynnwood Road and Roper Street, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus 8467, South Africa
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16
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Byrne AW, O'Keeffe J, Buesching CD, Newman C. Push and pull factors driving movement in a social mammal: context dependent behavioral plasticity at the landscape scale. Curr Zool 2018; 65:517-525. [PMID: 31616482 PMCID: PMC6784507 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how key parameters (e.g., density, range-size, and configuration) can affect animal movement remains a major goal of population ecology. This is particularly important for wildlife disease hosts, such as the European badger Meles meles, a reservoir of Mycobacterium bovis. Here we show how movements of 463 individuals among 223 inferred group territories across 755 km2 in Ireland were affected by sex, age, past-movement history, group composition, and group size index from 2009 to 2012. Females exhibited a greater probability of moving into groups with a male-biased composition, but male movements into groups were not associated with group composition. Male badgers were, however, more likely to make visits into territories than females. Animals that had immigrated into a territory previously were more likely to emigrate in the future. Animals exhibiting such “itinerant” movement patterns were more likely to belong to younger age classes. Inter-territorial movement propensity was negatively associated with group size, indicating that larger groups were more stable and less attractive (or permeable) to immigrants. Across the landscape, there was substantial variation in inferred territory-size and movement dynamics, which was related to group size. This represents behavioral plasticity previously only reported at the scale of the species’ biogeographical range. Our results highlight how a “one-size-fits-all” explanation of badger movement is likely to fail under varying ecological contexts and scales, with implications for bovine tuberculosis management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Byrne
- Agri-food and Biosciences Institute, Veterinary Science Division, Stormont, Belfast, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.,Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis (CVERA), School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - James O'Keeffe
- Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis (CVERA), School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.,Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Agriculture House, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
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17
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Social support drives female dominance in the spotted hyaena. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 3:71-76. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0718-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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18
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Maag N, Cozzi G, Clutton-Brock T, Ozgul A. Density-dependent dispersal strategies in a cooperative breeder. Ecology 2018; 99:1932-1941. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nino Maag
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 Zurich CH-8057 Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre; Kuruman River Reserve Van Zylsrus 8467 South Africa
| | - Gabriele Cozzi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 Zurich CH-8057 Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre; Kuruman River Reserve Van Zylsrus 8467 South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Kalahari Research Centre; Kuruman River Reserve Van Zylsrus 8467 South Africa
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ United Kingdom
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 Zurich CH-8057 Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre; Kuruman River Reserve Van Zylsrus 8467 South Africa
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19
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Cozzi G, Maag N, Börger L, Clutton-Brock TH, Ozgul A. Socially informed dispersal in a territorial cooperative breeder. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:838-849. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Cozzi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Zurich University; Zürich Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre; Kuruman River Reserve; Northern Cape South Africa
| | - Nino Maag
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Zurich University; Zürich Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre; Kuruman River Reserve; Northern Cape South Africa
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences; College of Science; Swansea University; Swansea UK
| | - Tim H. Clutton-Brock
- Kalahari Research Centre; Kuruman River Reserve; Northern Cape South Africa
- Department of Zoology; Cambridge University; Cambridge UK
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Zurich University; Zürich Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre; Kuruman River Reserve; Northern Cape South Africa
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20
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Foote I, Godfrey SS, Robertson BC. Mate choice explains high genetic diversity in a small founding population of the New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri). AUST J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/zo19023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Founder populations are susceptible to reduced genetic diversity, which can hinder successful population establishment. A new genetic lineage of the New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) has recently colonised the historical range of the New Zealand mainland (Otago Peninsula). Despite a small founding population, previous research indicated that nuclear genetic diversity in the Otago Peninsula population is similar to that of the larger source population (Sandy Bay, Auckland Islands). Our research aimed to identify whether mechanisms of female mate choice could help to explain the unexpectedly high level of genetic diversity in the founder population. We used genetic data at 12 microsatellite loci for mother–pup pairs from both populations, and the software COLONY to identify putative paternal genotypes inferred from allele sharing between known mother–pup pairs. We found that mating pairs were, on average, more related at the Otago Peninsula location. However, Sandy Bay females were mating with males more related to themselves than expected by chance, while the Otago Peninsula females were not. These findings suggest that female choice in this otariid species appears important, although may be constrained in some situations. Our findings also help to explain how the recently founded population is able to maintain a viable, growing population.
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21
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D'Urban Jackson J, Dos Remedios N, Maher KH, Zefania S, Haig S, Oyler-McCance S, Blomqvist D, Burke T, Bruford MW, Székely T, Küpper C. Polygamy slows down population divergence in shorebirds. Evolution 2017; 71:1313-1326. [PMID: 28233288 PMCID: PMC5484996 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection may act as a promotor of speciation since divergent mate choice and competition for mates can rapidly lead to reproductive isolation. Alternatively, sexual selection may also retard speciation since polygamous individuals can access additional mates by increased breeding dispersal. High breeding dispersal should hence increase gene flow and reduce diversification in polygamous species. Here, we test how polygamy predicts diversification in shorebirds using genetic differentiation and subspecies richness as proxies for population divergence. Examining microsatellite data from 79 populations in 10 plover species (Genus: Charadrius) we found that polygamous species display significantly less genetic structure and weaker isolation-by-distance effects than monogamous species. Consistent with this result, a comparative analysis including 136 shorebird species showed significantly fewer subspecies for polygamous than for monogamous species. By contrast, migratory behavior neither predicted genetic differentiation nor subspecies richness. Taken together, our results suggest that dispersal associated with polygamy may facilitate gene flow and limit population divergence. Therefore, intense sexual selection, as occurs in polygamous species, may act as a brake rather than an engine of speciation in shorebirds. We discuss alternative explanations for these results and call for further studies to understand the relationships between sexual selection, dispersal, and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine D'Urban Jackson
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.,Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie Dos Remedios
- NERC-Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn H Maher
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Sama Zefania
- Institut Supérieur de technologie de Menabe Morondava, Faculty of Sciences, University of Toliara, Madagascar
| | - Susan Haig
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
| | - Sara Oyler-McCance
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - Donald Blomqvist
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, 40530, Sweden
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC-Biomolecular Analysis Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Michael W Bruford
- Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Clemens Küpper
- Institute of Zoology, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard Gwinner Str., 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
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22
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Lewin N, Swanson EM, Williams BL, Holekamp KE. Juvenile concentrations of
IGF
‐1 predict life‐history trade‐offs in a wild mammal. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nora Lewin
- Department of Integrative Biology Michigan State University East Lansing MI48824 USA
- Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program Michigan State University East Lansing MI48824 USA
| | - Eli M. Swanson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul MN55108 USA
| | - Barry L. Williams
- Department of Integrative Biology Michigan State University East Lansing MI48824 USA
- Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program Michigan State University East Lansing MI48824 USA
| | - Kay E. Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology Michigan State University East Lansing MI48824 USA
- Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program Michigan State University East Lansing MI48824 USA
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