1
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Nunley K, McGhee KE. Detection of relatedness in chemical alarm cues by a selfing vertebrate depends on population and the life stage producing the alarm cue. Behav Processes 2024; 219:105056. [PMID: 38782306 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105056] [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: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Aquatic prey have impressive abilities to extract information from a variety of chemical cues. For example, they can use the alarm cues released by wounded individuals during a predator attack to learn about predation risk, and they can also distinguish kin from non-kin individuals during interactions. However, it remains unclear whether animals can combine this information on predation risk with kin recognition of the particular individuals under threat. To examine how the relatedness of the individuals in alarm cue affects behaviour we used the self-fertilizing hermaphroditic mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus), in which lineages produce genetically identical offspring through selfing. We explored this in two populations that differ in their level of outcrossing. We measured activity before and after exposure to alarm cue made from individuals (either adults or embryos) from their own lineage or an unrelated lineage from the same population. Fish responded weakly to embryo alarm cues, but tended to reduce their activity more when the alarm cues were from an unrelated lineage compared to alarm cues from their own lineage, particularly in fish from the outcrossing population. In contrast, there was no effect of cue relatedness on the response to adult alarm cues but there was a strong population effect. Specifically, individuals from the outcrossing population tended to react more strongly to alarm cues compared to individuals from the predominantly selfing population. We discuss the potential roles of the major histocompatibility complex in cue detection, differences between adult vs embryo alarm cues in terms of concentration and information, and underlying differences among populations and genetic lineages in their production and detection of chemical cues. Whether this kin recognition offers adaptive benefits or is simply a consequence of being able to detect relatedness in living individuals would be an exciting area for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn Nunley
- Department of Biology, The University of the South, Sewanee, TN37383, USA
| | - Katie E McGhee
- Department of Biology, The University of the South, Sewanee, TN37383, USA.
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2
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Fricker BA, Ho D, Seifert AW, Kelly AM. Biased brain and behavioral responses towards kin in males of a communally breeding species. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17040. [PMID: 37813903 PMCID: PMC10562393 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44257-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In complex social environments, individuals may interact with not only novel and familiar conspecifics but also kin and non-kin. The ability to distinguish between conspecific identities is crucial for most animals, yet how the brain processes conspecific type and how animals may alter behavior accordingly is not well known. We examined whether the communally breeding spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) responds differently to conspecifics that vary in novelty and kinship. In a group interaction test, we found that males can distinguish novel kin from novel non-kin, and preferentially spend time with novel kin over familiar kin and novel non-kin. To determine whether kinship and novelty status are differentially represented in the brain, we conducted immediate early gene tests, which revealed the dorsal, but not ventral, lateral septum differentially processes kinship. Neither region differentially processes social novelty. Further, males did not exhibit differences in prosocial behavior toward novel and familiar conspecifics but exhibited more prosocial behavior with novel kin than novel non-kin. These results suggest that communally breeding species may have evolved specialized neural circuitry to facilitate a bias to be more affiliative with kin, regardless of whether they are novel or familiar, potentially to promote prosocial behaviors, thereby facilitating group cohesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon A Fricker
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Deborah Ho
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ashley W Seifert
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, 101 Morgan Building, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA
| | - Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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3
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Charpentier MJE, Poirotte C, Roura-Torres B, Amblard-Rambert P, Willaume E, Kappeler PM, Rousset F, Renoult JP. Mandrill mothers associate with infants who look like their own offspring using phenotype matching. eLife 2022; 11:79417. [PMCID: PMC9665846 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral discrimination of kin is a key process structuring social relationships in animals. In this study, we provide evidence for discrimination towards non-kin by third-parties through a mechanism of phenotype matching. In mandrills, we recently demonstrated increased facial resemblance among paternally related juvenile and adult females indicating adaptive opportunities for paternal kin recognition. Here, we hypothesize that mandrill mothers use offspring’s facial resemblance with other infants to guide offspring’s social opportunities towards similar-looking ones. Using deep learning for face recognition in 80 wild mandrill infants, we first show that infants sired by the same father resemble each other the most, independently of their age, sex or maternal origin, extending previous results to the youngest age class. Using long-term behavioral observations on association patterns, and controlling for matrilineal origin, maternal relatedness and infant age and sex, we then show, as predicted, that mothers are spatially closer to infants that resemble their own offspring more, and that this maternal behavior leads to similar-looking infants being spatially associated. We then discuss the different scenarios explaining this result, arguing that an adaptive maternal behavior is a likely explanation. In support of this mechanism and using theoretical modeling, we finally describe a plausible evolutionary process whereby mothers gain fitness benefits by promoting nepotism among paternally related infants. This mechanism, that we call ‘second-order kin selection’, may extend beyond mother-infant interactions and has the potential to explain cooperative behaviors among non-kin in other social species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clémence Poirotte
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute of Primate Research
| | - Berta Roura-Torres
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute of Primate Research
- Projet Mandrillus, SODEPAL
| | | | | | - Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute of Primate Research
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4
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Roth JD, Dobson FS, Neuhaus P, Abebe A, Barra T, Boonstra R, Edwards PD, Gonzalez MA, Hammer TL, Harscouet E, McCaw LK, Mann M, Palme R, Tissier M, Uhlrich P, Saraux C, Viblanc VA. Territorial scent-marking effects on vigilance behavior, space use, and stress in female Columbian ground squirrels. Horm Behav 2022; 139:105111. [PMID: 35063725 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Social environments can profoundly affect the behavior and stress physiology of group-living animals. In many territorial species, territory owners advertise territorial boundaries to conspecifics by scent marking. Several studies have investigated the information that scent marks convey about donors' characteristics (e.g., dominance, age, sex, reproductive status), but less is known about whether scents affect the behavior and stress of recipients. We experimentally tested the hypothesis that scent marking may be a potent source of social stress in territorial species. We tested this hypothesis for Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus) during lactation, when territorial females defend individual nest-burrows against conspecifics. We exposed lactating females, on their territory, to the scent of other lactating females. Scents were either from unfamiliar females, kin relatives (a mother, daughter, or sister), or their own scent (control condition). We expected females to react strongly to novel scents from other females on their territory, displaying increased vigilance, and higher cortisol levels, indicative of behavioral and physiological stress. We further expected females to be more sensitive to unfamiliar female scents than to kin scents, given the matrilineal social structure of this species and known fitness benefits of co-breeding in female kin groups. Females were highly sensitive to intruder (both unfamiliar and kin) scents, but not to their own scent. Surprisingly, females reacted more strongly to the scent of close kin than to the scent of unfamiliar females. Vigilance behavior increased sharply in the presence of scents; this increase was more marked for kin than unfamiliar female scents, and was mirrored by a marked 131% increase in free plasma cortisol levels in the presence of kin (but not unfamiliar female) scents. Among kin scents, lactating females were more vigilant to the scent of sisters of equal age, but showed a marked 318% increase in plasma free cortisol levels in response to the scent of older and more dominant mothers. These results suggest that scent marks convey detailed information on the identity of intruders, directly affecting the stress axis of territory holders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Roth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - F Stephen Dobson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA; Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; University of Strasbourg, Institute of Advanced Sciences (USIAS), 5 allée du Général Rouvillois, 67083 Strasbourg, France
| | - Peter Neuhaus
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Asheber Abebe
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Thibaut Barra
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Phoebe D Edwards
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Manuel A Gonzalez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Tracey L Hammer
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Erwan Harscouet
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Laura K McCaw
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Maria Mann
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mathilde Tissier
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Uhlrich
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Claire Saraux
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Vincent A Viblanc
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
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5
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Biedrzycki ML, Bais HP. Kin Recognition in Plants: Did We Learn Anything From Roots? Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.785019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Kin recognition, manifesting through various traits such as changes in root or shoot growth, has been documented in several species of plants. Identifying this phenomenon in plants has intrinsic value itself, understanding why plants recognize kin and how it might benefit them evolutionarily has been of recent interest. Here we explore studies regarding nutrient and resource allocation in regard to kin recognition as well as discuss how kin recognition is involved in multispecies interactions with an emphasis on how plant roots are involved in these processes. Future directions of this research are also discussed.
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6
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Freeman AR, Ophir AG. Sex differences in social odor discrimination by southern giant pouched rats (
Cricetomys ansorgei
). Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Angela R. Freeman
- Department of Psychology Cornell University Ithaca New York USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Salisbury University Salisbury Maryland USA
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7
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Puścian A, Bryksa A, Kondrakiewicz L, Kostecki M, Winiarski M, Knapska E. Ability to share emotions of others as a foundation of social learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:23-36. [PMID: 34838526 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The natural habitats of most species are far from static, forcing animals to adapt to continuously changing conditions. Perhaps the most efficient strategy addressing this challenge consists of obtaining and acting upon pertinent information from others through social learning. We discuss how animals transfer information via social channels and what are the benefits of such exchanges, playing out on different levels, from theperception of socially delivered information to emotional sharing, manifesting themselves across different taxa of increasing biological complexity. We also discuss how social learning is influenced by different factors including pertinence of information for survival, the complexity of the environment, sex, genetic relatedness, and most notably, the relationship between interacting partners. The results appear to form a consistent picture once we shift our focus from emotional contagion as a prerequisite for empathy onto the role of shared emotions in providing vital information about the environment. From this point of view, we can propose approaches that are the most promising for further investigation of complex social phenomena, including learning from others.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Puścian
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - A Bryksa
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - L Kondrakiewicz
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - M Kostecki
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - M Winiarski
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - E Knapska
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
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8
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Batova ON, Vasilieva NA, Titov SV, Savinetskaya LE, Tchabovsky AV. Female polyandry dilutes inbreeding in a solitary fast-living hibernator. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03086-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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9
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Leedale AE, Thorley J, Clutton-Brock T. Odour-based social recognition in Damaraland mole-rats, Fukomys damarensis. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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10
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Evans JC, Lindholm AK, König B. Long-term overlap of social and genetic structure in free-ranging house mice reveals dynamic seasonal and group size effects. Curr Zool 2020; 67:59-69. [PMID: 33654491 PMCID: PMC7901755 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Associating with relatives in social groups can bring benefits such as reduced risk of aggression and increased likelihood of cooperation. Competition among relatives over limited resources, on the other hand, can induce individuals to alter their patterns of association. Population density might further affect the costs and benefits of associating with relatives by altering resource competition or by changing the structure of social groups; preventing easy association with relatives. Consequently, the overlap between genetic and social structure is expected to decrease with increasing population size, as well as during times of increased breeding activity. Here, we use multi-layer network techniques to quantify the similarity between long-term, high resolution genetic, and behavioral data from a large population of free-ranging house mice (Mus musculus domesticus), studied over 10 years. We infer how the benefit of associating with genetically similar individuals might fluctuate in relation to breeding behavior and environmental conditions. We found a clear seasonal effect, with decreased overlap between social and genetic structure during summer months, characterized by high temperatures and high breeding activity. Though the effect of overall population size was relatively weak, we found a clear decrease in the overlap between genetic similarity and social associations within larger groups. As well as longer-term within-group changes, these results reveal population-wide short-term shifts in how individuals associate with relatives. Our study suggests that resource competition modifies the trade-off between the costs and benefits of interacting with relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian C Evans
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
- Address correspondence to Julian C. Evans. E-mail:
| | - Anna K Lindholm
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Barbara König
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
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11
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Gyuris P, Kozma L, Kisander Z, Láng A, Ferencz T, Kocsor F. Sibling Relations in Patchwork Families: Co-residence Is More Influential Than Genetic Relatedness. Front Psychol 2020; 11:993. [PMID: 32581916 PMCID: PMC7296113 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In "patchwork" families, full siblings, maternal and paternal half-siblings, and non-related children are raised together, and sometimes, genetically related children are separated. As their number is steadily growing, the investigation of the factors that influence within-family relations is becoming more important. Our aim was to explore whether people differentiate between half- and full-siblings in their social relations as implied by the theory of inclusive fitness, and to test whether co-residence or genetic relatedness improves sibling relations to a larger extent. We administered the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire to 196 individuals who were in contact with full-, half-, or step-siblings in their childhood. We built Generalized Linear Mixed Models models to test for the effects of relatedness and co-residence on sibling relations. In general, a higher degree of relatedness was associated with better sibling relations, but only among those who did not live together during childhood. Co-resident siblings' overall pattern of relation quality was not influenced by the actual level of genetic relatedness. In contrast to this, full siblings reported having experienced more conflicts during childhood than half-siblings, possibly resulting from enhanced competition for the same parental resources. The results suggest that inclusive fitness drives siblings' relations even in recent industrial societies. However, among individuals who live together, the effect of relatedness might be obscured by fitness interdependence and the subjective feeling of kinship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Gyuris
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Luca Kozma
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Kisander
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - András Láng
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tas Ferencz
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Kocsor
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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12
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Sinervo B, Chaine AS, Miles DB. Social Games and Genic Selection Drive Mammalian Mating System Evolution and Speciation. Am Nat 2019; 195:247-274. [PMID: 32017620 DOI: 10.1086/706810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Mating system theory based on economics of resource defense has been applied to describe social system diversity across taxa. Such models are generally successful but fail to account for stable mating systems across different environments or shifts in mating system without a change in ecological conditions. We propose an alternative approach to resource defense theory based on frequency-dependent competition among genetically determined alternative behavioral strategies characterizing many social systems (polygyny, monogamy, sneak). We modeled payoffs for competition, neighborhood choice, and paternal care to determine evolutionary transitions among mating systems. Our model predicts four stable outcomes driven by the balance between cooperative and agonistic behaviors: promiscuity (two or three strategies), polygyny, and monogamy. Phylogenetic analysis of 288 rodent species supports assumptions of our model and is consistent with patterns of evolutionarily stable states and mating system transitions. Support for model assumptions include that monogamy and polygyny evolve from promiscuity and that paternal care and monogamy are coadapted in rodents. As predicted by our model, monogamy and polygyny occur in sister taxa among rodents more often than by chance. Transitions to monogamy also favor higher speciation rates in subsequent lineages, relative to polygynous sister lineages. Taken together, our results suggest that genetically based neighborhood choice behavior and paternal care can drive transitions in mating system evolution. While our genic mating system theory could complement resource-based theory, it can explain mating system transitions regardless of resource distribution and provides alternative explanations, such as evolutionary inertia, when resource ecology and mating systems do not match.
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13
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Sheehan MJ, Campbell P, Miller CH. Evolutionary patterns of major urinary protein scent signals in house mice and relatives. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3587-3601. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Polly Campbell
- Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology University of California – Riverside Riverside CA USA
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14
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Early vocal ontogeny in a polytocous mammal: no evidence of social learning among sibling piglets, Sus scrofa. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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15
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Shuai L, Zhou Y, Yang Y, Xue Q, Xie Z, Zhang F. Ecological factors affecting flight initiation distance in Daurian ground squirrels (
Spermophilus dauricus
). Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ling‐Ying Shuai
- School of Life Sciences Huaibei Normal University Huaibei China
| | - Yang Zhou
- School of Life Sciences Huaibei Normal University Huaibei China
| | - Yu‐Xia Yang
- School of Life Sciences Huaibei Normal University Huaibei China
| | - Qi‐Qian Xue
- School of Life Sciences Huaibei Normal University Huaibei China
| | - Zi‐Yang Xie
- School of Life Sciences Huaibei Normal University Huaibei China
| | - Fu‐Shun Zhang
- Grassland Research Institute Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Hohhot China
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16
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Waterman JM, Archibald AJ. Both familiarity and kinship influence odour discrimination by females in a highly social African ground squirrel. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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17
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Pruitt JN, Berdahl A, Riehl C, Pinter-Wollman N, Moeller HV, Pringle EG, Aplin LM, Robinson EJH, Grilli J, Yeh P, Savage VM, Price MH, Garland J, Gilby IC, Crofoot MC, Doering GN, Hobson EA. Social tipping points in animal societies. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181282. [PMID: 30232162 PMCID: PMC6170811 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal social groups are complex systems that are likely to exhibit tipping points-which are defined as drastic shifts in the dynamics of systems that arise from small changes in environmental conditions-yet this concept has not been carefully applied to these systems. Here, we summarize the concepts behind tipping points and describe instances in which they are likely to occur in animal societies. We also offer ways in which the study of social tipping points can open up new lines of inquiry in behavioural ecology and generate novel questions, methods, and approaches in animal behaviour and other fields, including community and ecosystem ecology. While some behaviours of living systems are hard to predict, we argue that probing tipping points across animal societies and across tiers of biological organization-populations, communities, ecosystems-may help to reveal principles that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan N Pruitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Andrew Berdahl
- School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Christina Riehl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Holly V Moeller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | | | - Lucy M Aplin
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Ornithology, Radolfzell, 78315, Germany
| | - Elva J H Robinson
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | | | - Pamela Yeh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Van M Savage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | | | | - Ian C Gilby
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Grant N Doering
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
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18
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Pulliainen U, Bos N, d'Ettorre P, Sundström L. Caste-dependent brood retrieval by workers in the ant Formica exsecta. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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19
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Sheehan MJ, Miller C, Reeve HK. Identity Signaling and Patterns of Cooperative Behavior. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 57:580-588. [PMID: 28957515 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recognition systems play a central role in mediating cooperative behavior among individuals in a population. Despite the importance of discriminating among potential recipients of cooperation, the evolutionary forces that maintain diversity in traits used for kin recognition are poorly understood. Greenbeard-based models of kin recognition in which alleles for cooperative behavior also control recognition of those alleles in potential cooperators suggest that discrimination based on a greenbeard locus leads to positive frequency dependence, eroding diversity at the very genes responsible for recognition. As a result, the phenotypic diversity used for kin recognition has been widely assumed to be cues rather than signals of genetic identity. Diversity in identity cues is maintained by selection on other traits for reasons unrelated to recognition. A major problem with greenbeard-based models is that greenbeard recognition systems are uncommon among animals, which tend to learn kin phenotypes. We develop a simple model showing that learning a kin recognition template is sufficient to increase and maintain diversity in genetic traits used for kin recognition. Thus, our results suggest that phenotypes used for recognition may be true signals of genetic identity. As such, phenotypes are expected to evolve to facilitate recognition. Increased diversity in genetically-based recognition signals is also predicted to initiate a positive feedback loop between recognition efficiency and levels of cooperation. Finally, we discuss how the genetic architecture of recognition traits may influence kin discrimination abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Sheehan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Caitlin Miller
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - H Kern Reeve
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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21
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The effects of familiarity and reproductive status on olfactory discrimination by female Cape ground squirrels (Xerus inauris). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2410-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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22
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Mateo JM. The ontogeny of kin-recognition mechanisms in Belding's ground squirrels. Physiol Behav 2017; 173:279-284. [PMID: 28242467 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite extensive research on the functions and mechanisms of kin recognition, little is known about developmental changes in the abilities mediating such recognition. Belding's ground squirrels, Urocitellus beldingi, use at least two mechanisms of kin recognition in nepotistic contexts: familiarity and phenotype matching. Because recognition templates develop from early associations with familiar kin (and/or with self), familiarity-based recognition should precede phenotype-matching recognition even though one template is thought to be used for both mechanisms. I used a cross-fostering design to produce individuals that differed in relatedness and familiarity. Two pups (one female and one male) were exchanged reciprocally between two litters within 48-h of birth. Every five days, from 15 to 30-d of age, young were exposed to bedding and oral-gland odors from their familiar foster mother and an unfamiliar unrelated female (familiarity test) and from their unfamiliar genetic mother and another unfamiliar unrelated female (phenotype-matching test). As expected, discrimination of odors based on familiarity was evident at all ages tested, whereas discrimination based on relatedness was not evident until 30-d. My results provide a first estimate for when phenotype-matching mechanisms are used by young Belding's ground squirrels, and thus when they can recognize unfamiliar kin such as older sisters or grandmothers. Belding's ground squirrels are the first species for which the development of the production, perception and action components is well understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill M Mateo
- Department of Psychology, Uris Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7601, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Ann Atherton
- College of Science and Engineering, and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ.; Townsville, 4811 Australia
| | - Mark Ian McCormick
- College of Science and Engineering, and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ.; Townsville, 4811 Australia
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24
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Wells SJ, Ji W, Gleeson D, Jones B, Dale J. Population Social Structure Facilitates Indirect Fitness Benefits from Extra-Pair Mating. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Charpentier MJE, Harté M, Ngoubangoye B, Herbert A, Kappeler PM. Visual Discrimination of Kin in Mandrills. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Barthélémy Ngoubangoye
- Centre de Primatologie; Centre International de Recherche Médicale de Franceville (CIRMF); Franceville Gabon
| | - Anais Herbert
- Centre de Primatologie; Centre International de Recherche Médicale de Franceville (CIRMF); Franceville Gabon
| | - Peter M. Kappeler
- Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology Unit; German Primate Center; Göttingen Germany
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26
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Mitchell J, Cant MA, Vitikainen EIK, Nichols HJ. Smelling fit: scent marking exposes parasitic infection status in the banded mongoose. Curr Zool 2017; 63:237-247. [PMID: 29491982 PMCID: PMC5804179 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Preference for uninfected mates is presumed beneficial as it minimizes one’s risk of contracting an infection and infecting one’s offspring. In avian systems, visual ornaments are often used to indicate parasite burdens and facilitate mate choice. However, in mammals, olfactory cues have been proposed to act as a mechanism allowing potential mates to be discriminated by infection status. The effect of infection upon mammalian mate choice is mainly studied in captive rodents where experimental trials support preference for the odors of uninfected mates and some data suggest scent marking is reduced in individuals with high infection burdens. Nevertheless, whether such effects occur in nonmodel and wild systems remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the interplay between parasite load (estimated using fecal egg counts) and scent marking behavior in a wild population of banded mongooses Mungos mungo. Focusing on a costly protozoan parasite of the genus Isospora and the nematode worm Toxocara, we first show that banded mongooses that engage in frequent, intensive scent marking have lower Isospora loads, suggesting marking behavior may be an indicator trait regarding infection status. We then use odor presentations to demonstrate that banded mongooses mark less in response to odors of opposite sexed individuals with high Isospora and Toxocara loads. As both of these parasites are known to have detrimental effects upon the health of preweaned young in other species, they would appear key targets to avoid during mate choice. Results provide support for scent as an important ornament and mechanism for advertising parasitic infection within wild mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Mitchell
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Michael A Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Emma I K Vitikainen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Hazel J Nichols
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
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Scheiber IBR, Weiß BM, Kingma SA, Komdeur J. The importance of the altricial - precocial spectrum for social complexity in mammals and birds - a review. Front Zool 2017; 14:3. [PMID: 28115975 PMCID: PMC5242088 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0185-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Various types of long-term stable relationships that individuals uphold, including cooperation and competition between group members, define social complexity in vertebrates. Numerous life history, physiological and cognitive traits have been shown to affect, or to be affected by, such social relationships. As such, differences in developmental modes, i.e. the ‘altricial-precocial’ spectrum, may play an important role in understanding the interspecific variation in occurrence of social interactions, but to what extent this is the case is unclear because the role of the developmental mode has not been studied directly in across-species studies of sociality. In other words, although there are studies on the effects of developmental mode on brain size, on the effects of brain size on cognition, and on the effects of cognition on social complexity, there are no studies directly investigating the link between developmental mode and social complexity. This is surprising because developmental differences play a significant role in the evolution of, for example, brain size, which is in turn considered an essential building block with respect to social complexity. Here, we compiled an overview of studies on various aspects of the complexity of social systems in altricial and precocial mammals and birds. Although systematic studies are scarce and do not allow for a quantitative comparison, we show that several forms of social relationships and cognitive abilities occur in species along the entire developmental spectrum. Based on the existing evidence it seems that differences in developmental modes play a minor role in whether or not individuals or species are able to meet the cognitive capabilities and requirements for maintaining complex social relationships. Given the scarcity of comparative studies and potential subtle differences, however, we suggest that future studies should consider developmental differences to determine whether our finding is general or whether some of the vast variation in social complexity across species can be explained by developmental mode. This would allow a more detailed assessment of the relative importance of developmental mode in the evolution of vertebrate social systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella B R Scheiber
- The University of Groningen, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Brigitte M Weiß
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, University of Leipzig, Faculty of Bioscience, Pharmacy and Psychology, Institute of Biology, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- The University of Groningen, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Komdeur
- The University of Groningen, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Müller L, Weinert D. Individual recognition of social rank and social memory performance depends on a functional circadian system. Behav Processes 2016; 132:85-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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29
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Krause ET, Schrader L, Caspers BA. Olfaction in Chicken (Gallus gallus): A Neglected Mode of Social Communication? Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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30
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Makowicz AM, Tiedemann R, Steele RN, Schlupp I. Kin Recognition in a Clonal Fish, Poecilia formosa. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158442. [PMID: 27483372 PMCID: PMC4970819 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Relatedness strongly influences social behaviors in a wide variety of species. For most species, the highest typical degree of relatedness is between full siblings with 50% shared genes. However, this is poorly understood in species with unusually high relatedness between individuals: clonal organisms. Although there has been some investigation into clonal invertebrates and yeast, nothing is known about kin selection in clonal vertebrates. We show that a clonal fish, the Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa), can distinguish between different clonal lineages, associating with genetically identical, sister clones, and use multiple sensory modalities. Also, they scale their aggressive behaviors according to the relatedness to other females: they are more aggressive to non-related clones. Our results demonstrate that even in species with very small genetic differences between individuals, kin recognition can be adaptive. Their discriminatory abilities and regulation of costly behaviors provides a powerful example of natural selection in species with limited genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber M. Makowicz
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Lehrstuhl für Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, University Konstanz, Universitätsstraβe 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Ralph Tiedemann
- Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24–25, 14476 Golm, Germany
| | - Rachel N. Steele
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019, United States of America
| | - Ingo Schlupp
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019, United States of America
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31
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Gilad O, Swaisgood RR, Owen MA, Zhou X. Giant pandas use odor cues to discriminate kin from nonkin. Curr Zool 2016; 62:333-336. [PMID: 29491921 PMCID: PMC5804277 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sociality is an important factor in both the mechanism and function of kin recognition, yet it is little explored in solitary species. While there may be future opportunities for nepotistic functions of kin discrimination among solitary species, the ability to discriminate kin from nonkin may still have important roles in social regulation. The solitary giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca offers a good model system to explore kin discrimination in a solitary mammal. As kin discrimination in many other mammals is olfactorily mediated, we investigated whether giant pandas are able to discriminate odor cues from daughters even after months and years of separation. Our results indicate that giant pandas are capable of discriminating between kin and nonkin using odor cues available in urine and body odor. Daughters preferentially investigated the odors of unrelated adult female pandas over the odors of their mothers, and mothers spent more time investigating the odors of unrelated age-matched female pandas over those from their daughters. Because these studies were conducted months or years after the mother–daughter period of dependency ended, it is still unclear what mechanism is used for recognition. Long-term olfactory memories and phenotype matching should both be considered, and further studies are required for such determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oranit Gilad
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Ronald R Swaisgood
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA 92027, USA, and
| | - Megan A Owen
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA 92027, USA, and
| | - Xiaoping Zhou
- China Research and Conservation Center for the Giant Panda, Wolong, Sichuan, 623006, China
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Social Structure and Genetic Distance Mediate Nestmate Recognition and Aggressiveness in the Facultative Polygynous Ant Pheidole pallidula. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156440. [PMID: 27243627 PMCID: PMC4886963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In social insects, the evolutionary stability of cooperation depends on the privileged relationships between individuals of the social group, which is facilitated by the recognition of relatives. Nestmate recognition is based on genetically determined cues and/or environmentally derived chemical components present on the cuticle of individuals. Here, we studied nestmate recognition in the ant Pheidole pallidula, a species where both single-queen (monogyne) and multiple-queen (polygyne) colonies co-occur in the same population. We combined geographical, genetic and chemical analyses to disentangle the factors influencing the level of intraspecific aggressiveness. We show that encounters between workers from neighbouring colonies (i.e., nests less than 5 m away) are on average less aggressive than those between workers from more distant colonies. Aggressive behaviour is associated with the level of genetic difference: workers from monogyne colonies are more aggressive than workers from polygyne colonies, and the intensity of aggressiveness is positively associated with the genetic distance between colonies. Since the genetic distance is correlated with the spatial distance between pairs of colonies, the lower level of aggression toward neighbours may result from their higher relatedness. In contrast, the analysis of overall cuticular hydrocarbon profiles shows that aggressive behaviour is associated neither with the chemical diversity of colonies, nor with the chemical distances between them. When considering methyl-branched alkanes only, however, chemical distances differed between monogyne and polygyne colonies and were significantly associated with aggressiveness. Altogether, these results show that the social structure of colonies and the genetic distances between colonies are two major factors influencing the intensity of agonistic behaviours in the ant P. pallidula.
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Moreira X, Petry WK, Hernández-Cumplido J, Morelon S, Benrey B. Plant defence responses to volatile alert signals are population-specific. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xoaquín Moreira
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC); Apdo. 28 ES-36080 Pontevedra Galicia Spain
| | - William K. Petry
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Univ. of California; Irvine CA 92697-2525 USA
| | - Johnattan Hernández-Cumplido
- Inst. of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology, Univ. of Neuchâtel; Rue Emile-Argand 11 CH-2000 Neuchâtel Switzerland
| | - Stéphanie Morelon
- Inst. of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology, Univ. of Neuchâtel; Rue Emile-Argand 11 CH-2000 Neuchâtel Switzerland
| | - Betty Benrey
- Inst. of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology, Univ. of Neuchâtel; Rue Emile-Argand 11 CH-2000 Neuchâtel Switzerland
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34
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Elgar MA. Integrating insights across diverse taxa: challenges for understanding social evolution. Front Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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35
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Wilson DR, Goble AR, Boutin S, Humphries MM, Coltman DW, Gorrell JC, Shonfield J, McAdam AG. Red squirrels use territorial vocalizations for kin discrimination. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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36
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Hamilton J, Vonk J. Do dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) prefer family? Behav Processes 2015; 119:123-34. [PMID: 26277060 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 07/25/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Kin recognition requires the ability to discriminate between one's own genetic relatives and non-relatives. There are two mechanisms that aid in kin discrimination: phenotype matching and familiarity. Dogs may be a good model for assessing these mechanisms as dogs are a promiscuous social species with a keen sense of smell. Domestic dogs of both sexes were presented with two scents (close kin, distant-kin) and preference was assessed through three measures (latency to approach, number of visits, time spent). Experiment 1 explored the possibility of phenotype matching as subjects had no contact with sires, whose scent was presented alongside a control male's scent. Experiment 2 explored recognition of siblings raised with the subjects and then separated at seven weeks of age. Whereas female dogs in this experiment did not show a statistically significant preference, male dogs showed a preference for distant-kin when presented with sire and female sibling samples.
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37
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Daniel MJ, Rodd FH. Female guppies can recognize kin but only avoid incest when previously mated. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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38
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Social shaping of voices does not impair phenotype matching of kinship in mandrills. Nat Commun 2015; 6:7609. [PMID: 26139329 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Kin selection theory provides a strong theoretical framework to explain the evolution of altruism and cooperative behaviour among genetically related individuals. However, the proximate mechanisms underlying kin discrimination, a necessary process to express kin-related behaviour, remain poorly known. In particular, no study has yet unambiguously disentangled mechanisms based on learned familiarity from true phenotype matching in kin discrimination based on vocal signals. Here we show that in addition to genetic background, social accommodation also shapes individual voices in an Old World monkey (Mandrillus sphinx), even though primate vocalizations were thought to be innate and little flexible. Nonetheless, social shaping of voice parameters does not impair kin discrimination through phenotype-matching of unknown relatives, revealing unexpected discriminatory versatility despite signal complexity. Accurate signal production and perception, therefore, provide a basis for kin identification and kin-biased behaviour in an Old World primate.
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Parreira BR, Chikhi L. On some genetic consequences of social structure, mating systems, dispersal, and sampling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E3318-26. [PMID: 26080393 PMCID: PMC4491764 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1414463112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Many species are spatially and socially organized, with complex social organizations and dispersal patterns that are increasingly documented. Social species typically consist of small age-structured units, where a limited number of individuals monopolize reproduction and exhibit complex mating strategies. Here, we model social groups as age-structured units and investigate the genetic consequences of social structure under distinct mating strategies commonly found in mammals. Our results show that sociality maximizes genotypic diversity, which contradicts the belief that social groups are necessarily subject to strong genetic drift and at high risk of inbreeding depression. Social structure generates an excess of genotypic diversity. This is commonly observed in ecological studies but rarely reported in population genetic studies that ignore social structure. This heterozygosity excess, when detected, is often interpreted as a consequence of inbreeding avoidance mechanisms, but we show that it can occur even in the absence of such mechanisms. Many seemly contradictory results from ecology and population genetics can be reconciled by genetic models that include the complexities of social species. We find that such discrepancies can be explained by the intrinsic properties of social groups and by the sampling strategies of real populations. In particular, the number of social groups and the nature of the individuals that compose samples (e.g., nonreproductive and reproductive individuals) are key factors in generating outbreeding signatures. Sociality is an important component of population structure that needs to be revisited by ecologists and population geneticists alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara R Parreira
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Lounès Chikhi
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal; CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, Ecole Nationale de Formation Agronomique, UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), F-31062 Toulouse, France
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40
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Crane JM, Pick JL, Tribe AJ, Vincze E, Hatchwell BJ, Russell AF. Chestnut-crowned babblers show affinity for calls of removed group members: a dual playback without expectancy violation. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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41
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Rodgers TW, Giacalone J, Heske EJ, Janečka JE, Jansen PA, Phillips CA, Schooley RL. Socio-spatial organization and kin structure in ocelots from integration of camera trapping and noninvasive genetics. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyu012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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42
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Early olfactory environment influences social behaviour in adult Octodon degus. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118018. [PMID: 25671542 PMCID: PMC4324768 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the extent to which manipulation of early olfactory environment can influence social behaviours in the South American Hystricognath rodent Octodon degus. The early olfactory environment of newborn degus was manipulated by scenting all litter members with eucalyptol during the first month of life. The social behaviour of sexually mature animals (5–7 months old) towards conspecifics was then assessed using a y-maze to compare the response of control (naïve) and treated animals to two different olfactory configurations (experiment 1): (i) a non-familiarized conspecific impregnated with eucalyptol (eucalyptol arm) presented against (ii) a non-familiarized unscented conspecific (control arm). In addition, in dyadic encounters, we assessed the behaviour of control and eucalyptol treated animals towards a non-familiarized conspecific scented with eucalyptol (experiment 2). We found that control subjects explored and spent significantly less time in the eucalyptol arm, indicating neophobic behaviours towards the artificially scented conspecific. Treated subjects explored and spent similar time in both arms of the maze, showing the same interest for both olfactory stimuli presented. During dyadic encounters in experiment 2, an interaction effect between early experience and sex was observed. Control males escaped and avoided their scented partner more frequently than eucalyptol treated male subjects and than females. Both groups did not differ in the exploration of their scented partners, suggesting that avoidance within agonistic context does not relate to neophobic behaviours. Our results suggest that the exposure to eucalyptol during early ontogeny decreases evasive behaviours within an agonistic context as a result of olfactory learning. Altogether, these results indicate that olfactory cues learned in early ontogeny can influence olfactory-guided behaviours in adult degus.
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43
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill M. Mateo
- Department of Comparative Human Development; Institute for Mind and Biology; The University of Chicago; Chicago IL USA
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Nunes S, Weidenbach JN, Lafler MR, Dever JA. Sibling relatedness and social play in juvenile ground squirrels. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1848-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Auclair Y, König B, Lindholm AK. Socially mediated polyandry: a new benefit of communal nesting in mammals. Behav Ecol 2014; 25:1467-1473. [PMID: 25419087 PMCID: PMC4235584 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In many species, females have evolved behavioral strategies to reduce the risk of infanticide. For instance, polyandry can create paternity confusion that inhibits males from killing offspring they could have sired. Here, the authors propose that females could socially obtain the same benefits by nesting communally. Singly sired litters could be perceived as a large multiply sired litter once pooled together in a single nest. Long-term data from a wild house mouse population showed that monandrous litters (singly sired) were more common in communal than in solitary nests and 85% of them were raised with litters sired by different males hence becoming effectively polyandrous (multiply sired). These socially polyandrous litters had significantly higher offspring survival than genetically or socially monandrous litters and reached a similar survival to that of multiply sired litters raised in solitary or communal nests. Furthermore, the number of sires within nests significantly improved offspring survival whereas the number of mothers did not. These results suggest that the survival benefits associated with communal nesting are driven by polyandry and not communal defense. This socially mediated polyandry was as efficient as multiple paternity in preventing infanticide, and may also occur in other infanticidal and polytocous species where the caring parent exhibits social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Auclair
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Barbara König
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Anna K Lindholm
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland
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Stewart JE. The direction of evolution: The rise of cooperative organization. Biosystems 2014; 123:27-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2014.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Revised: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Klemme I, Ala-Honkola O. Relatedness Does not Affect Competitive Behavior of Rival Males or Offspring Growth in Multiply Sired Litters of Bank Voles (Myodes glareolus). Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ines Klemme
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science; University of Jyväskylä; Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Outi Ala-Honkola
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science; University of Jyväskylä; Jyväskylä Finland
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Abstract
Behavioral, hormonal, and genetic processes interact reciprocally, and differentially affect behavior depending on ecological and social contexts. When individual differences are favored either between or within environments, developmental plasticity would be expected. Parental effects provide a rich source for phenotypic plasticity, including anatomical, physiological, and behavioral traits, because parents respond to dynamic cues in their environment and can, in turn, influence offspring accordingly. Because these inter-generational changes are plastic, parents can respond rapidly to changing environments and produce offspring whose phenotypes are well suited for current conditions more quickly than occurs with changes based on evolution through natural selection. I review studies on developmental plasticity and resulting phenotypes in Belding's ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi), an ideal species, given the competing demands to avoid predation while gaining sufficient weight to survive an upcoming hibernation, and the need for young to learn their survival behaviors. I will show how local environments and perceived risk of predation influence not only foraging, vigilance, and anti-predator behaviors, but also adrenal functioning, which may be especially important for obligate hibernators that face competing demands on the storage and mobilization of glucose. Mammalian behavioral development is sensitive to the social and physical environments provided by mothers during gestation and lactation. Therefore, maternal effects on offspring's phenotypes, both positive and negative, can be particularly strong.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill M Mateo
- Department of Comparative Human Development, 5730 South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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