1
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Agey E. Arranged and non-arranged marriages have similar reproductive outcomes in Nepal. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11080. [PMID: 38744943 PMCID: PMC11094175 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61467-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Much of the evolutionary literature on mate choice presumes that individual mate preferences function to increase individual fitness, and this assumption has been confirmed in several experimental studies with animals. However, human mate choice, in many cultures, is heavily controlled by parents via arranged marriages, rather than the selection of the marrying individuals. Several studies have demonstrated that parents and offspring do not exhibit identical preferences for an in-law or spouse, respectively. If parental choice thwarts offspring's evolved mate preferences from being expressed, then arranged marriages should reduce fitness. Using data from the Chitwan Valley Family Study, I examined whether having an arranged marriage, as compared to a non-arranged marriage, is associated with differences in total births, offspring survival to age 15, or interbirth intervals in Nepal, a culture with a rich history of arranged marriage. I find that there are no differences in any reproductive outcomes between arranged, co-selected, and self-selected marriages. These results indicate that individuals in arranged and non-arranged marriages may achieve similar fitness outcomes via different pathways, which may be unique to human mating systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Agey
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.
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2
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Cantini D, Choleris E, Kavaliers M. Neurobiology of Pathogen Avoidance and Mate Choice: Current and Future Directions. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:296. [PMID: 38254465 PMCID: PMC10812398 DOI: 10.3390/ani14020296] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals are under constant threat of parasitic infection. This has influenced the evolution of social behaviour and has strong implications for sexual selection and mate choice. Animals assess the infection status of conspecifics based on various sensory cues, with odours/chemical signals and the olfactory system playing a particularly important role. The detection of chemical cues and subsequent processing of the infection threat that they pose facilitates the expression of disgust, fear, anxiety, and adaptive avoidance behaviours. In this selective review, drawing primarily from rodent studies, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the detection and assessment of infection status and their relations to mate choice are briefly considered. Firstly, we offer a brief overview of the aspects of mate choice that are relevant to pathogen avoidance. Then, we specifically focus on the olfactory detection of and responses to conspecific cues of parasitic infection, followed by a brief overview of the neurobiological systems underlying the elicitation of disgust and the expression of avoidance of the pathogen threat. Throughout, we focus on current findings and provide suggestions for future directions and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dante Cantini
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
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3
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Khotskina AS, Zavjalov EL, Shnayder EP, Gerlinskaya LA, Maslennikova SO, Petrovskii DV, Baldin MN, Makas AL, Gruznov VM, Troshkov ML, Moshkin MP. CD-1 mice females recognize male reproductive success via volatile organic compounds in urine. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2023; 27:480-487. [PMID: 37808218 PMCID: PMC10551948 DOI: 10.18699/vjgb-23-58] [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: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection is considered as one of the leading factors of evolutionary development. In the conditions of incessant competition, specialized methods of attracting individuals of the opposite sex as well as criteria for assessing the quality of a sexual partner have been formed. In order for animals to rely on signaling from sexual partners, the signal must reflect the morpho-physiological status of animals. A high reproductive efficiency of male mice is a good advantage for mate selection and thus must be somehow demonstrated to potential mates. The aim of our study was to find out if male mice could demonstrate their reproductive efficiency through urine volatile organic compounds. The experiment implies cohabiting one male with two mature females for 6 days. The reproductive success of the male was assessed by the presence or absence of pregnant females. At the same time, naive females, who did not participate in reproduction, assessed the urine of the successful males as more attractive, which was expressed in shorter Latency time of sniffs in the Olfactory test. Using a rapid headspace GC/MS analysis, we have found volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in male urine that correlated with female behavior. It turned out that these substances are derivatives of mouse pheromone 6-hydroxy-6-methyl-3-heptanone. The amplitude of peaks corresponding to this pheromone correlated with the testosterone level in blood and the weight of preputial glands. The amplitude of peaks increased in males after mating with whom the females turned out to be pregnant. It is important to note that body weight, weight of testes, weight of seminal vesicles, weight of preputial glands, and plasma testosterone level alone are not reliable indicators of male reproductive success. Thus, the content of the pheromone 6-hydroxy-6-methyl-3-heptanone in the urine of males can serve as a good predictor of the quality of the male as a sexual partner for female CD-1 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Khotskina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - E L Zavjalov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - E P Shnayder
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - L A Gerlinskaya
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - S O Maslennikova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - D V Petrovskii
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - M N Baldin
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - A L Makas
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - V M Gruznov
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - M L Troshkov
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - M P Moshkin
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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4
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Auer KE, Primus J, Istel S, Dahlhoff M, Rülicke T. Mate genetic similarity affects mating behaviour but not maternal investment in mice. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10536. [PMID: 37386286 PMCID: PMC10310752 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37547-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal investment can affect the survival and development of offspring. Here we experimentally investigated in mice, whether females alter implantation rates and pup survival after embryo transfer depending on the genetic similarity with their vasectomised mating partner. We selected the MHC genotype and genetic background of males and paired females either with males that shared the same MHC haplotype and genetic background (CBA/J inbred males, isogenic group), that shared half of the MHC haplotype and genetic background (B6CBAF1 hybrid males, semi-isogenic group), or that had a different MHC haplotype and genetic background (C57BL/6N inbred males, allogenic group). We performed 304 pairings, resulting in 81 vaginal plugs, which confirmed mating. Plug rates were significantly higher in the semi-isogenic group (36.9%) compared to the isogenic group (19.5%), but not the allogenic group (26%). We found no difference in the number of implantation sites, the number of born or surviving pups until weaning, or litter weight or sex ratio between groups. Even though we found a mating bias, we found no difference in maternal investment under laboratory conditions. At least under pathogen-free conditions our study does not provide any evidence for differential maternal investment when females could increase offspring genetic diversity or heterozygosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin E Auer
- Institute of in vivo and in vitro Models, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Jasmin Primus
- Institute of in vivo and in vitro Models, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sonja Istel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maik Dahlhoff
- Institute of in vivo and in vitro Models, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Rülicke
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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5
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Jing P, Shan Q. Exogenous oxytocin microinjection into the nucleus accumbens shell attenuates social dominance in group-housed male mice. Physiol Behav 2023:114253. [PMID: 37270150 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114253] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc), a part of the brain's limbic system, is involved in a variety of brain functions, including reward motivation and social hierarchy. Here, the study investigated the effect of intra-NAc different subregions microinjections of oxytocin on social hierarchy regulation. The hierarchical ranking of group-housed male mice in laboratory settings was determined through the tube test, and a new reliable and robust behavior assay-the mate competition test-was proposed. The mice were randomly divided into two groups, and the bilateral guide cannula was implanted into the shell and core of the NAc, respectively. After social dominance stabilized, changes in social hierarchy were determined through the tube test, warm spot, and mate competition tests. Intra-NAc shell microinjections of oxytocin (0.5 μg/site), but not the core (0.5 μg/site), significantly reduced the social dominance of mice. In addition, oxytocin microinjection into both the shell and core of the NAc significantly increased locomotor ability without affecting anxious behaviors. These findings are tremendously important in understanding the functions of the NAc subregions for social dominance and are more likely to indicate the potential of an oxytocin therapeutic strategy for psychiatric disorders and social impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengbo Jing
- Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China
| | - Qiang Shan
- Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China.
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6
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Agey E, Crippen S, Wells A, Upreti P. Socioeconomic benefits and limited parent-offspring disagreement in arranged marriages in Nepal. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2023; 5:e7. [PMID: 37587933 PMCID: PMC10426041 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2023.3] [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: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mate preferences probably evolved to increase fitness; however, studies using arranged and non-arranged marriage as proxies for limited and free mate choice (respectively) do not find any reproductive differences. We explore why arranged and non-arranged marriages are an imperfect proxy for limited and free-choice matings and what fitness effects different marriage types could produce. Data from focus group discussions with men and women in Nepal show that there are three spouse choice categories with differing levels of parental influence over mate choice, reinforcing that arranged and non-arranged are not dichotomous. Discussions also show that parents and offspring, especially sons, may be more aligned in in-law/mate preferences than expected, demonstrating the need to establish clear domains of parent-offspring disagreement over spouse choice in the community before investigating fitness. Several social and financial benefits that are only available to arranged couples in this community were detected, and these benefits could compensate for any costs of not choosing a spouse independently. These benefits of arranged marriage are more salient for women than for men. These discussions indicate that predictions about the effects of spouse choice on fitness outcomes may differ for men and women and depend on community-specific socioeconomic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alyx Wells
- University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
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7
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Agey E, Morris A, Chandy M, Gaulin SJC. Arranged Marriage Often Subverts Offspring Mate Choice: An HRAF‐Based Study. AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.13656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Agey
- Department of Anthropology University of California Santa Barbara USA
| | - Addison Morris
- Department of Anthropology University of California Santa Barbara USA
| | - Maya Chandy
- Department of Anthropology University of California Santa Barbara USA
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8
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Sharma R, Kumar Singh P, Onteru SK, Singh D. Faecal microbiome analysis reveals Clostridiales and Bacteroidales as signature gut microbes during estrus of buffalo. Reprod Biol 2021; 21:100509. [PMID: 33965790 DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2021.100509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The non-pathogenic intestinal microbes that conquer our intestines are not an accidental jumble of organisms, but rather a disparate community of microbes that coexist, and sustain a mutualistic and symbiotic relationship with the host. The gut microbiome has been shown to be influenced by animal physiology and vice versa. However, information is still scanty. The present study aimed to analyse the variation between faecal bacteria of three different stages (proestrus, estrus and postestrus) of the estrous cycle of Murrah buffalos. A phylogenetic study of buffalo faeces derived from three different stages of estrous cycle was conducted in order to compare the bacterial diversity among these three stages. We performed an exploratory microbiome analysis of buffalo faeces using 16S rRNA sequencing during these stages of the buffalo estrous cycle. A total of three bacterial phyla with six different bacterial orders and twenty-three different genera were identified among all the three comparative phases of the estrous cycle. Among them, the Clostridiales were found to be the most abundant, and Bacteroidales were present exclusive during the estrus phase. As faeces is a source of gut microbes and a non-invasive representative of the metabolic steroids and perceptible pheromones, the profiling of gut microbes during estrous cycle would provide clues towards the major microbes contributing to the perceptible pheromones during estrus stage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first ever report describing the faecal bacterial diversity during estrous cycle of any ruminant species. Although future studies are required to understand the role of Clostridiales and Bacteroidales in faecal pheromone metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Sharma
- Molecular Endocrinology, Functional Genomics & System Biology Lab, Animal Biochemistry Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, India
| | - Pankaj Kumar Singh
- Molecular Endocrinology, Functional Genomics & System Biology Lab, Animal Biochemistry Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, India
| | - Suneel Kumar Onteru
- Molecular Endocrinology, Functional Genomics & System Biology Lab, Animal Biochemistry Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, India
| | - Dheer Singh
- Molecular Endocrinology, Functional Genomics & System Biology Lab, Animal Biochemistry Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, India.
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9
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Kavaliers M, Bishnoi IR, Ossenkopp KP, Choleris E. Differential effects of progesterone on social recognition and the avoidance of pathogen threat by female mice. Horm Behav 2021; 127:104873. [PMID: 33069752 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Although pathogen threat affects social and sexual responses across species, relatively little is known about the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms. Progesterone has been speculated to be involved in the mediation of pathogen disgust in women, though with mixed experimental support. Here we considered the effects of acute progesterone on the disgust-like avoidance responses of female mice to pathogen threat. Estrous female mice discriminated and avoided the urinary and associated odors of males subclinically infected with the murine nematode parasite, Heligmosomoides polygyrus. These avoidance responses were not significantly affected by pre-treatment with progesterone. Likewise, brief (1 min) exposure to the odors of infected males attenuated the subsequent responses of females to the odors of the normally preferred unfamiliar males and enhanced their preferences for familiar males. Neither progesterone nor allopregnanolone, a central neurosteroid metabolite of progesterone, had any significant effects on the avoidance of unfamiliar males elicited by pre-exposure to a parasitized male. Progesterone and allopregnanolone, did, however, significantly attenuate the typical preferences of estrous females for unfamiliar uninfected males, suggestive of effects on social recognition. These findings with mice indicate that progesterone may have minimal effects on the responses to specific parasite threat and the expression of pathogen disgust but may influence more general social recognition and preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
| | - Indra R Bishnoi
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Klaus-Peter Ossenkopp
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
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10
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Joye P, Kawecki TJ. Sexual selection favours good or bad genes for pathogen resistance depending on males' pathogen exposure. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20190226. [PMID: 31064300 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance to pathogens is often invoked as an indirect benefit of female choice, but experimental evidence for links between father's sexual success and offspring resistance is scarce and equivocal. Two proposed mechanisms might generate such links. Under the first, heritable resistance to diverse pathogens depends on general immunocompetence; owing to shared condition dependence, male sexual traits indicate immunocompetence independently of the male's pathogen exposure. By contrast, other hypotheses (e.g. Hamilton-Zuk) assume that sexual traits only reveal heritable resistance if the males have been exposed to the pathogen. The distinction between the two mechanisms has been neglected by experimental studies. We show that Drosophila melanogaster males that are successful in mating contests (one female with two males) sire sons that are substantially more resistant to the intestinal pathogen Pseudomonas entomophila-but only if the males have themselves been exposed to the pathogen before the mating contest. By contrast, sons of males sexually successful in the absence of pathogen exposure are less resistant than sons of unsuccessful males. We detected no differences in daughters' resistance. Thus, while sexual selection may have considerable consequences for offspring resistance, these consequences may be sex-specific. Furthermore, contrary to the 'general immunocompetence' hypothesis, these consequences can be positive or negative depending on the epidemiological context under which sexual selection operates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Joye
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne , 1015 Lausanne , Switzerland
| | - Tadeusz J Kawecki
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne , 1015 Lausanne , Switzerland
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11
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Kawecki TJ. Sexual selection reveals a cost of pathogen resistance undetected in life-history assays. Evolution 2019; 74:338-348. [PMID: 31814118 PMCID: PMC7028033 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Mechanisms of resistance to pathogens and parasites are thought to be costly and thus to lead to evolutionary trade‐offs between resistance and life‐history traits expressed in the absence of the infective agents. On the other hand, sexually selected traits are often proposed to indicate “good genes” for resistance, which implies a positive genetic correlation between resistance and success in sexual selection. Here I show that experimental evolution of improved resistance to the intestinal pathogen Pseudomonas entomophila in Drosophila melanogaster was associated with a reduction in male sexual success. Males from four resistant populations achieved lower paternity than males from four susceptible control populations in competition with males from a competitor strain, indicating an evolutionary cost of resistance in terms of mating success and/or sperm competition. In contrast, no costs were found in larval viability, larval competitive ability and population productivity assayed under nutritional limitation; together with earlier studies this suggests that the costs of P. entomophila resistance for nonsexual fitness components are negligible. Thus, rather than indicating heritable pathogen resistance, sexually selected traits expressed in the absence of pathogens may be sensitive to costs of resistance, even if no such costs are detected in other fitness traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadeusz J Kawecki
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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12
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Sun L, Zhou T, Stone GN, Wan QH, Fang SG. Seeing-good-gene-based mate choice: From genes to behavioural preferences. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1708-1719. [PMID: 31332779 PMCID: PMC6899946 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Although vertebrates have been reported to gain higher reproductive outputs by choosing mates, few studies have been conducted on threatened species. However, species recovery should benefit if natural mate choice could improve reproductive output (i.e. pair performance related to offspring number, such as increased clutch size, numbers of fertilized egg and fledglings). We assessed the evidence for major histocompatibility complex (MHC)‐based mate preference in the endangered crested ibis (Nipponia nippon) and quantified the impacts of such choice on reproductive output. We tested the hypothesis that crested ibis advertise “good genes” through external traits, by testing whether nuptial plumage characteristics and body morphology mediate mate choice for underlying genetic MHC variation. We found differences between males and females in preferred MHC genotypes, external traits used in mate choice and contributions to reproductive outputs. Females preferred MHC‐heterozygous males, which had darker [i.e. lower total reflectance and ultraviolet (UV) reflectance] nuptial plumage. Males preferred females lacking the DAB*d allele at the MHC class II DAB locus, which had higher average body mass. DAB*d‐free females yielded heavier eggs and more fledglings, while MHC‐heterozygous males contributed to more fertilized eggs and fledglings. Fledging rate was highest when both parents had the preferred MHC genotypes (i.e. MHC‐heterozygous father and DAB*d‐free mother). Comparisons showed that free‐mating wild and semi‐natural pairs yielded more fertilized eggs and more fledglings, with a higher fledging rate, than captive pairs matched artificially based on pedigree. Conservation programmes seldom apply modern research results to population management, which could hinder recovery of threatened species. Our results show that mate choice can play an important role in improving reproductive output, with an example in which an endangered bird selects mates using UV visual capability. Despite the undoubted importance of pedigree‐based matching of mates in conservation programmes, we show that free mating can be a better alternative strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Qiu-Hong Wan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Sheng-Guo Fang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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13
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Koren L, Weissman Y, Schnitzer I, Beukeboom R, Bar Ziv E, Demartsev V, Barocas A, Ilany A, Geffen E. Sexually opposite effects of testosterone on mating success in wild rock hyrax. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Although males and females share traits, their motivations and needs may be different, due to life-history disparities that lead to divergent selection pressures. Proximate mechanisms underlying differences between the sexes include hormones that mediate the development and activation of suites of traits. Testosterone is associated with morphological features, physiological processes, and social behaviors in both sexes. However, even if present in similar concentrations in the circulation, testosterone often affects males and females differently. We combined behavioral mating observations of the wild polygynandrous rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) with hair testosterone that represents long-term integrated levels. We found that whereas copulation success increases with the rise in testosterone in males it decreases in females. We did not find an association between testosterone and choosiness in either sex. However, we found that males with higher testosterone mate-guarded females with lower testosterone. Our findings show disassortative mating and mate-guarding in respect to testosterone and provide clues to the cost of testosterone for females, in terms of copulation success. These results open up intriguing questions relating to the role of testosterone in mediating a similar trade-off in male and female reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Koren
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Yishai Weissman
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Inbar Schnitzer
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Rosanne Beukeboom
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Einat Bar Ziv
- Mitarani Department of Desert Ecology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sde Boker, Israel
| | - Vlad Demartsev
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Biology Department, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Adi Barocas
- San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, CA, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Amiyaal Ilany
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Eli Geffen
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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14
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Kavaliers M, Choleris E. The role of social cognition in parasite and pathogen avoidance. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0206. [PMID: 29866919 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition and use of social information are integral to social behaviour and parasite/pathogen avoidance. This involves social cognition which encompasses mechanisms for acquiring, processing, retaining and acting on social information. Social cognition entails the acquisition of social information about others (i.e. social recognition) and from others (i.e. social learning). Social cognition involves assessing other individuals and their infection status and the pathogen and parasite threat they pose and deciding about when and how to interact with them. Social cognition provides a framework for examining pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours and their associated neurobiological mechanisms. Here, we briefly consider the relationships between social cognition and olfactory-mediated pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours. We briefly discuss aspects of (i) social recognition of actual and potentially infected individuals and the impact of parasite/pathogen threat on mate and social partner choice; (ii) the roles of 'out-groups' (strangers, unfamiliar individuals) and 'in-groups' (familiar individuals) in the expression of parasite/pathogen avoidance behaviours; (iii) individual and social learning, i.e. the utilization of the pathogen recognition and avoidance responses of others; and (iv) the neurobiological mechanisms, in particular the roles of the nonapeptide, oxytocin and steroid hormones (oestrogens) associated with social cognition and parasite/pathogen avoidance.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Social Science Centre, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C2 .,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
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15
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Martin-Wintle MS, Wintle NJP, Díez-León M, Swaisgood RR, Asa CS. Improving the sustainability of ex situ populations with mate choice. Zoo Biol 2018; 38:119-132. [PMID: 30474268 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Many breeding programs managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plans® (SSPs) are not meeting goals for population size and genetic diversity due to failure of recommended pairs to breed successfully. According to AZA Population Management Center analyses, as many as 80% of recommended breeding pairs fail to produce young before the next breeding and transfer plan is issued. Determining reasons for failure and ensuring that a specific pairing produces offspring can be challenging. Mate incompatibility, one possible reason for failure, might be addressed by allowing mate choice. Although many SSP® coordinators and breeding managers, who implement breeding recommendations at their institutions, recognize the potential benefits of mate choice, examples and models for presenting and assessing choice are lacking. Here we review examples from birds, rodents, lagomorphs, marsupials, carnivores, fishes, and insects where mate choice has been incorporated. These examples provide strong evidence that free mate choice and mating with preferred partners increase a variety of reproductive success measurements when compared to assigned mate pairings. We suggest innovative housing and breeding arrangements for better incorporating mate choice into the management strategies for species held ex situ. Further, we discuss the fitness consequences and welfare implications of allowing choice. We advocate for a more systematic use of behavioral research in cooperative breeding programs. Behavioral management for mating can yield more successful programs, thus ensuring SSP® genetic and demographic goals are met, while simultaneously improving welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan S Martin-Wintle
- Recovery Ecology, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, California.,PDXWildlife, Portland, Oregon
| | | | - María Díez-León
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, UK
| | - Ronald R Swaisgood
- Recovery Ecology, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, California
| | - Cheryl S Asa
- AZA Reproductive Management Center, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri
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16
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Wu Q, Wen L, Chen J, Li D, Jiao X. Experimental evidence for the genetic benefits of female mate choice in the monandrous wolf spider Pardosa astrigera. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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17
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Yu L, Nie Y, Yan L, Hu Y, Wei F. No evidence for MHC-based mate choice in wild giant pandas. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8642-8651. [PMID: 30271533 PMCID: PMC6157678 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex genes (MHC), a gene cluster that controls the immune response to parasites, are regarded as an important determinant of mate choice. However, MHC-based mate choice studies are especially rare for endangered animals. The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), a flagship species, has suffered habitat loss and fragmentation. We investigated the genetic variation of three MHC class II loci, including DRB1, DQA1, and DQA2, for 19 mating-pairs and 11 parent-pairs of wild giant pandas based on long-term field behavior observations and genetic samples. We tested four hypotheses of mate choice based on this MHC variation. We found no supporting evidence for the MHC-based heterosis, genetic diversity, genetic compatibility and "good gene" hypotheses. These results suggest that giant pandas may not use MHC-based signals to select mating partners, probably because limited mating opportunities or female-biased natal dispersal restricts selection for MHC-based mate choice, acknowledging the caveat of the small sample size often encountered in endangered animal studies. Our study provides insight into the mate choice mechanisms of wild giant pandas and highlights the need to increase the connectivity and facilitate dispersal among fragmented populations and habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yonggang Nie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and GeneticsChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Li Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yibo Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and GeneticsChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Fuwen Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and GeneticsChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
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18
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Kavaliers M, Ossenkopp KP, Choleris E. Social neuroscience of disgust. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 18:e12508. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - Klaus-Peter Ossenkopp
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario Canada
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19
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Free mate choice does not influence reproductive success in humans. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10127. [PMID: 28860640 PMCID: PMC5578983 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10484-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of free mate choice on the relative magnitude of fitness benefits has been examined among various species. The majority of the data show significant fitness benefits of mating with partners of an individual’s own choice, highlighting elevated behavioral compatibility between partners with free mate choice. Similarities between humans and other species that benefit from free mate choice led us to hypothesize that it also confers reproductive benefits in Homo sapiens. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a study among three indigenous societies—the Tsimane’, Yali, and Bhotiya—who employ natural birth control. In all three samples, we compared the marriages arranged by parents with the non-arranged ones in terms of number of offspring. Here, we show that there were no significant relationships between type of marriage and the total number of alive children and number of dead children among the three sampled groups. The presented study is the first to date to examine the fitness benefits of free mate choice in humans. In discussion we present limitations of our research and discuss the possibility of love having a beneficial influence in terms of the number of offspring.
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20
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Bertram SM, Harrison SJ, Ferguson GL, Thomson IR, Loranger MJ, Reifer ML, Corlett DH, Gowaty PA. What is driving male mate preference evolution in Jamaican field crickets? Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ian R. Thomson
- Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa ON Canada
| | | | | | | | - Patricia Adair Gowaty
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Institute of Environment and Sustainability; University of California Los Angeles; Los Angeles CA USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Panamá; República de Panamá
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21
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Linnenbrink M, von Merten S. No speed dating please! Patterns of social preference in male and female house mice. Front Zool 2017; 14:38. [PMID: 28747988 PMCID: PMC5525247 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0224-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In many animal species, interactions between individuals of different sex often occur in the context of courtship and mating. During these interactions, a specific mating partner can be chosen. By discriminating potential mates according to specific characteristics, individuals can increase their evolutionary fitness in terms of reproduction and offspring survival. In this study, we monitored the partner preference behaviour of female and male wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) from populations in Germany (G) and France (F) in a controlled cage setup for 5 days and six nights. We analysed the effects of individual factors (e.g. population origin and sex) on the strength of preference (selectivity), as well as dyadic factors (e.g. neutral genetic distance and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) dissimilarity) that direct partner preferences. RESULTS Selectivity was stronger in mice with a pure population background than mixed individuals. Furthermore, female mice with a father from the German population had stronger selectivity than other mice. In this group, we found a preference for partners with a larger dissimilarity of their father's and their partner's MHC, as assessed by sequencing the H2-Eß locus. In all mice, selectivity followed a clear temporal pattern: it was low in the beginning and reached its maximum only after a whole day in the experiment. After two days, mice seemed to have chosen their preferred partner, as this choice was stable for the remaining four days in the experiment. CONCLUSIONS Our study supports earlier findings that mate choice behaviour in wild mice can be paternally influenced. In our study, preference seems to be potentially associated with paternal MHC distance. To explain this, we propose familial imprinting as the most probable process for information transfer from father to offspring during the offspring's early phase of life, which possibly influences its future partner preferences. Furthermore, our experiments show that preferences can change after the first day of encounter, which implies that extended observation times might be required to obtain results that allow a valid ecological interpretation.
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22
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Kavaliers M, Choleris E. Social Cognition and the Neurobiology of Rodent Mate Choice. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:846-856. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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23
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Santos PSC, Michler FU, Sommer S. Can MHC-assortative partner choice promote offspring diversity? A new combination of MHC-dependent behaviours among sexes in a highly successful invasive mammal. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:2392-2404. [PMID: 28141891 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Sexual selection involving genetically disassortative mate choice is one of several evolutionary processes that can maintain or enhance population genetic variability. Examples of reproductive systems in which choosers (generally females) select mates depending on their major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes have been reported for several vertebrate species. Notably, the role of MHC-dependent choice not in mating contexts, but in other kinds of social interactions such as in the establishment of complex social systems, has not yet drawn significant scientific interest and is virtually absent from the literature. We have investigated male and female MHC-dependent choice in an invasive population of North American raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Germany. Both male and female raccoons rely on olfaction for individual recognition. Males have an unusually complex social system in which older individuals choose unrelated younger ones to form stable male coalitions that defend territories and a monopoly over females. We have confirmed that females perform MHC-disassortative mate choice and that this behaviour fosters genetic diversity of offspring. We have also observed that males build coalitions by choosing male partners depending on their MHC, but in an assortative manner. This is the first observation of antagonistic MHC-dependent behaviours among sexes. We show that this is the only combination of MHC-dependent partner choice that leads to outbreeding. In the case of introduced raccoons, such behaviours can act together to promote the invasive potential of the species by increasing its adaptive genetic divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo S C Santos
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany
| | - Frank-Uwe Michler
- Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technical University of Dresden, Pienner Straße 7, 01737, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Simone Sommer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany
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24
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Santos PSC, Courtiol A, Heidel AJ, Höner OP, Heckmann I, Nagy M, Mayer F, Platzer M, Voigt CC, Sommer S. MHC-dependent mate choice is linked to a trace-amine-associated receptor gene in a mammal. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38490. [PMID: 27941813 PMCID: PMC5150237 DOI: 10.1038/srep38490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes play a pivotal role in vertebrate self/nonself recognition, parasite resistance and life history decisions. In evolutionary terms, the MHC’s exceptional diversity is likely maintained by sexual and pathogen-driven selection. Even though MHC-dependent mating preferences have been confirmed for many species, the sensory and genetic mechanisms underlying mate recognition remain cryptic. Since olfaction is crucial for social communication in vertebrates, variation in chemosensory receptor genes could explain MHC-dependent mating patterns. Here, we investigated whether female mate choice is based on MHC alleles and linked to variation in chemosensory trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) in the greater sac-winged bat (Saccopteryx bilineata). We sequenced several MHC and TAAR genes and related their variation to mating and paternity data. We found strong evidence for MHC class I-dependent female choice for genetically diverse and dissimilar males. We also detected a significant interaction between mate choice and the female TAAR3 genotype, with TAAR3-heterozygous females being more likely to choose MHC-diverse males. These results suggest that TAARs and olfactory cues may be key mediators in mammalian MHC-dependent mate choice. Our study may help identify the ligands involved in the chemical communication between potential mates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo S C Santos
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexandre Courtiol
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research (BeGenDiv), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrew J Heidel
- Leibniz Institute on Age - Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Oliver P Höner
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilja Heckmann
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin, Germany
| | - Martina Nagy
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frieder Mayer
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Platzer
- Leibniz Institute on Age - Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian C Voigt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Sommer
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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25
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Mate-choice copying, social information processing, and the roles of oxytocin. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 72:232-242. [PMID: 27923732 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Social and sexual behaviors, including that of mate choice, are dependent on social information. Mate choice can be modified by prior and ongoing social factors and experience. The mate choice decisions of one individual can be influenced by either the actual or potential mate choice of another female or male. Such non-independent mate choice, where individuals gain social information and socially learn about and recognizes potential mates by observing the choices of another female or male, has been termed "mate-choice copying". Here we first briefly review how, why, and under what circumstances individuals engage in mate-choice copying. Secondly, we review the neurobiological mechanisms underlying mate-choice copying. In particular, we consider the roles of the nonapeptide, oxytocin, in the processing of social information and the expression of mate-choice copying.
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26
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Linking mating preferences to sexually selected traits and offspring viability: good versus complementary genes hypotheses. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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27
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Sutter A, Lindholm AK. No evidence for female discrimination against male house mice carrying a selfish genetic element. Curr Zool 2016; 62:675-685. [PMID: 29491955 PMCID: PMC5804255 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiotic drivers distort transmission to the next generation in their favor, with detrimental effects on the fitness of their homologues and the rest of the genome. Male carriers of meiotic drivers commonly inflict costs on their mates through genetic incompatibility, reduced fecundity, or biased brood sex ratios. Given these costs, evidence for female discrimination against male carriers is surprisingly rare. One of few examples is the t haplotype in house mice, a meiotic driver that shows strong transmission distortion in males and is typically homozygote lethal. As a consequence, mating between 2 t heterozygous (+/t) mice leads to high embryo mortality. Previous experiments showing that +/t females avoid this incompatibility cost by preferring +/+ versus +/t males have inferred preference based on olfactory cues or brief social interactions. Evidence from mating contexts in laboratory settings and semi-natural populations has been inconclusive. Here, we investigated female choice from a large number of no-choice mating trials. We found no evidence for discrimination against +/t males based on mating, remating, and copulatory behavior. Further, we found no evidence for avoidance of incompatibility through selective interactions between gametes. The likelihood of mating showed significant effects of female weight and genotype, suggesting that our test paradigm enabled females to exhibit mate choice. We discuss the strengths and limitations of our approach. By explicitly considering selection at both the individual and gene level, we argue why precopulatory female discrimination by +/t females may be less evolutionarily stable than discrimination by all females based on postcopulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Sutter
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Anna K Lindholm
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
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28
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce E. Byers
- Department of Biology University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA USA
| | - Michael E. Akresh
- Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA USA
| | - David I. King
- U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA USA
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29
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Thonhauser KE, Raveh S, Thoß M, Penn DJ. Does multiple paternity influence offspring disease resistance? J Evol Biol 2016; 29:1142-50. [PMID: 26949230 PMCID: PMC4949575 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that polyandry allows females to increase offspring genetic diversity and reduce the prevalence and susceptibility of their offspring to infectious diseases. We tested this hypothesis in wild‐derived house mice (Mus musculus) by experimentally infecting the offspring from 15 single‐ and 15 multiple‐sired litters with two different strains of a mouse pathogen (Salmonella Typhimurium) and compared their ability to control infection. We found a high variation in individual infection resistance (measured with pathogen loads) and significant differences among families, suggesting genetic effects on Salmonella resistance, but we found no difference in prevalence or infection resistance between single‐ vs. multiple‐sired litters. We found a significant sex difference in infection resistance, but surprisingly, males were more resistant to infection than females. Also, infection resistance was correlated with weight loss during infection, although only for females, indicating that susceptibility to infection had more harmful health consequences for females than for males. To our knowledge, our findings provide the first evidence for sex‐dependent resistance to Salmonella infection in house mice. Our results do not support the hypothesis that multiple‐sired litters are more likely to survive infection than single‐sired litters; however, as we explain, additional studies are required before ruling out this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- K E Thonhauser
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - S Raveh
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - M Thoß
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - D J Penn
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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30
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Ihle M, Kempenaers B, Forstmeier W. Fitness Benefits of Mate Choice for Compatibility in a Socially Monogamous Species. PLoS Biol 2015; 13:e1002248. [PMID: 26366558 PMCID: PMC4569426 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on mate choice has primarily focused on preferences for quality indicators, assuming that all individuals show consensus about who is the most attractive. However, in some species, mating preferences seem largely individual-specific, suggesting that they might target genetic or behavioral compatibility. Few studies have quantified the fitness consequences of allowing versus preventing such idiosyncratic mate choice. Here, we report on an experiment that controls for variation in overall partner quality and show that zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) pairs that resulted from free mate choice achieved a 37% higher reproductive success than pairs that were forced to mate. Cross-fostering of freshly laid eggs showed that embryo mortality (before hatching) primarily depended on the identity of the genetic parents, whereas offspring mortality during the rearing period depended on foster-parent identity. Therefore, preventing mate choice should lead to an increase in embryo mortality if mate choice targets genetic compatibility (for embryo viability), and to an increase in offspring mortality if mate choice targets behavioral compatibility (for better rearing). We found that pairs from both treatments showed equal rates of embryo mortality, but chosen pairs were better at raising offspring. These results thus support the behavioral, but not the genetic, compatibility hypothesis. Further exploratory analyses reveal several differences in behavior and fitness components between "free-choice" and "forced" pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malika Ihle
- Department of Behavioral Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioral Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioral Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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31
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Arnocky S, Pearson M, Vaillancourt T. Health, Anticipated Partner Infidelity, and Jealousy in Men and Women. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2015; 13:1474704915593666. [PMID: 37924190 PMCID: PMC10426870 DOI: 10.1177/1474704915593666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Health has been identified as an important variable involved in mate choice. Unhealthy organisms are generally less able to provide reproductively important resources to partners and offspring and are more likely to pass on communicable disease. Research on human mate preferences has shown that both men and women prefer healthy mates. Yet to date, little research has examined how health relates to one's own mating experiences. In the present study, 164 participants (87 women) who were currently in heterosexual romantic relationships completed measures of frequency and severity of health problems, anticipated partner infidelity, and intensity of jealousy felt in their current relationship. Mediation analyses showed that health problems predicted greater anticipated partner infidelity and jealousy scores and that anticipated partner infidelity mediated the links between health and jealousy for both frequency and severity of health problems, controlling for both sex and relationship duration. These findings suggest that unhealthy people perceive themselves to be at a mating disadvantage, experiencing associated differences in perceptions and emotions surrounding their romantic partners' fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Arnocky
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marlena Pearson
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tracy Vaillancourt
- Faculty of Education and School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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32
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Ervin KSJ, Lymer JM, Matta R, Clipperton-Allen AE, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. Estrogen involvement in social behavior in rodents: Rapid and long-term actions. Horm Behav 2015; 74:53-76. [PMID: 26122289 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue ("Estradiol and cognition"). Estrogens have repeatedly been shown to influence a wide array of social behaviors, which in rodents are predominantly olfactory-mediated. Estrogens are involved in social behavior at multiple levels of processing, from the detection and integration of socially relevant olfactory information to more complex social behaviors, including social preferences, aggression and dominance, and learning and memory for social stimuli (e.g. social recognition and social learning). Three estrogen receptors (ERs), ERα, ERβ, and the G protein-coupled ER 1 (GPER1), differently affect these behaviors. Social recognition, territorial aggression, and sexual preferences and mate choice, all requiring the integration of socially related olfactory information, seem to primarily involve ERα, with ERβ playing a lesser, modulatory role. In contrast, social learning consistently responds differently to estrogen manipulations than other social behaviors. This suggests differential ER involvement in brain regions important for specific social behaviors, such as the ventromedial and medial preoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus in social preferences and aggression, the medial amygdala and hippocampus in social recognition, and the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in social learning. While the long-term effects of ERα and ERβ on social behavior have been extensively investigated, our knowledge of the rapid, non-genomic, effects of estrogens is more limited and suggests that they may mediate some social behaviors (e.g. social learning) differently from long-term effects. Further research is required to compare ER involvement in regulating social behavior in male and female animals, and to further elucidate the roles of the more recently described G protein-coupled ERs, both the GPER1 and the Gq-mER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsy S J Ervin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer M Lymer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Matta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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DuVal E, Kapoor J. Causes and consequences of variation in female mate search investment in a lekking bird. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Schulte-Hostedde AI, Mastromonaco GF. Integrating evolution in the management of captive zoo populations. Evol Appl 2015; 8:413-22. [PMID: 26029256 PMCID: PMC4430766 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Both natural animal populations and those in captivity are subject to evolutionary forces. Evolutionary changes to captive populations may be an important, but poorly understood, factor that can affect the sustainability of these populations. The importance of maintaining the evolutionary integrity of zoo populations, especially those that are used for conservation efforts including reintroductions, is critical for the conservation of biodiversity. Here, we propose that a greater appreciation for an evolutionary perspective may offer important insights that can enhance the reproductive success and health for the sustainability of captive populations. We provide four examples and associated strategies that highlight this approach, including minimizing domestication (i.e., genetic adaptation to captivity), integrating natural mating systems into captive breeding protocols, minimizing the effects of translocation on variation in photoperiodism, and understanding the interplay of parasites/pathogens and inflammation. There are a myriad of other issues that may be important for captive populations, and we conclude that these may often be species specific. Nonetheless, an evolutionary perspective may mitigate some of the challenges currently facing captive populations that are important from a conservation perspective, including their sustainability.
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Neuman H, Debelius JW, Knight R, Koren O. Microbial endocrinology: the interplay between the microbiota and the endocrine system. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2015; 39:509-21. [PMID: 25701044 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuu010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 361] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The new field of microbiome research studies the microbes within multicellular hosts and the many effects of these microbes on the host's health and well-being. We now know that microbes influence metabolism, immunity and even behavior. Essential questions, which are just starting to be answered, are what are the mechanisms by which these bacteria affect specific host characteristics. One important but understudied mechanism appears to involve hormones. Although the precise pathways of microbiota-hormonal signaling have not yet been deciphered, specific changes in hormone levels correlate with the presence of the gut microbiota. The microbiota produces and secretes hormones, responds to host hormones and regulates expression levels of host hormones. Here, we summarize the links between the endocrine system and the gut microbiota. We categorize these interactions by the different functions of the hormones, including those affecting behavior, sexual attraction, appetite and metabolism, gender and immunity. Future research in this area will reveal additional connections, and elucidate the pathways and consequences of bacterial interactions with the host endocrine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadar Neuman
- Faculty of medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 1311502 Safed, Israel
| | - Justine W Debelius
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Omry Koren
- Faculty of medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 1311502 Safed, Israel
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Female house mice initially shun infected males, but do not avoid mating with them. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1884-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Kavaliers M, Colwell DD, Cloutier CJ, Ossenkopp KP, Choleris E. Pathogen threat and unfamiliar males rapidly bias the social responses of female mice. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Firman RC. Female social preference for males that have evolved via monogamy: evidence of a trade-off between pre- and post-copulatory sexually selected traits? Biol Lett 2014; 10:20140659. [PMID: 25296931 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
When females mate with multiple males both pre- and post-copulatory sexual selections occur. It has been suggested that females benefit from polyandry when better-quality males are successful in sperm competition and sire high-quality offspring. Indeed, studies of experimental evolution have confirmed that sperm competition selects for both increased ejaculate quality and elevated offspring viability. Fewer investigations have explored whether these fitness benefits are evident beyond early life-history stages. Here, I used house mice (Mus domesticus) from selection lines that had been evolving for 25 generations under either polygamy or monogamy to test whether females preferred males from lines that had evolved with sperm competition. Males from the polygamous lines had previously been shown to achieve a fitness advantage under semi-natural conditions, deeming them to be of high genetic quality and leading to the a priori expectation that females would prefer males that had evolved with sperm competition compared with males that had not. Contrary to expectation, the data showed that sexually receptive females spent more time associating with males from the monogamous lines. This unexpected but interesting result is discussed in relation to sperm competition theory that predicts a trade-off between male investment in pre- and post-copulatory sexually selected traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée C Firman
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology (M092), University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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