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Míguez S, Torre I, Arrizabalaga A, Freixas L. Influences of Maternal Weight and Geographic Factors on Offspring Traits of the Edible Dormouse in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13051223. [PMID: 37240868 DOI: 10.3390/life13051223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The main goal of this study was to analyze the reproductive patterns of edible dormouse (Glis glis) populations in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula using an 18-year period of data obtained from nest boxes collected between 2004 and 2021. The average litter size in Catalonia (Spain) was 5.5 ± 1.60 (range: 2-9, n = 131), with litter sizes between 5 and 7 pups as the more frequent. The overall mean weight in pink, grey and open eyes pups was 4.8 g/pup, 11.7 g/pup and 23.6 g/pup, respectively. No differences in offspring weights between sexes were found in any of the three age groups. Maternal body weight was positively associated with mean pup weight, whereas no correlation between the weight of the mothers and litter size was found. The trade-off between offspring number and size was not detected at birth. Regarding litter size variation across the geographic gradient (and their climatic gradient associated) from the southernmost populations of the Iberian Peninsula located in Catalonia to the Pyrenees region in Andorra, no evidence to suggest that geographic variables affect litter size was found, discarding (1) an investment in larger litters to compensate shorter seasons related to higher altitudes or northern latitudes, and (2) variation in litter size related to weather changes (e.g., temperature and precipitation) along latitudinal and/or altitudinal gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ignasi Torre
- BiBio Research Group, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, C/Francesc Macià 51, E-08402 Granollers, Spain
| | - Antoni Arrizabalaga
- BiBio Research Group, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, C/Francesc Macià 51, E-08402 Granollers, Spain
| | - Lídia Freixas
- BiBio Research Group, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, C/Francesc Macià 51, E-08402 Granollers, Spain
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2
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Hecker LJ, Edwards MA, Nielsen SE. Assessing the nutritional consequences of switching foraging behavior in wood bison. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:16165-16176. [PMID: 34824819 PMCID: PMC8601871 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet is one of the most common traits used to organize species of animals into niches. For ruminant herbivores, the breadth and uniqueness of their dietary niche are placed on a spectrum from browsers that consume woody (i.e., browse) and herbaceous (i.e., forbs) plants, to grazers with graminoid-rich diets. However, seasonal changes in plant availability and quality can lead to switching of their dietary niche, even within species. In this study, we examined whether a population of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) in northeast Alberta, Canada, seasonally switched their foraging behavior, and if so, whether this was associated with changes in nutrient acquisition. We hypothesized that bison should switch foraging behaviors from grazing in the winter when standing, dead graminoids are the only foliar plants readily available to browsing during spring and summer as nutritious and digestible foliar parts of browse and forbs become available. If bison are switching foraging strategy to maximize protein consumption, then there should be a corresponding shift in the nutritional niche. Alternatively, if bison are eating different plants, but consuming similar amounts of nutrients, then bison are switching their dietary niche to maintain a particular nutrient composition. We found wood bison were grazers in the winter and spring, but switch to a browsing during summer. However, only winter nutrient consumption of consumed plants differed significantly among seasons. Between spring and summer, bison maintained a specific nutritional composition in their diet despite compositional differences in the consumed plants. Our evidence suggests that bison are selecting plants to maintain a target macronutrient composition. We posit that herbivore's can and will switch their dietary niche to maintain a target nutrient composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee J. Hecker
- University of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Royal Alberta MuseumEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Mark A. Edwards
- University of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Royal Alberta MuseumEdmontonAlbertaCanada
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3
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Lord JS, Leyland R, Haines LR, Barreaux AMG, Bonsall MB, Torr SJ, English S. Effects of maternal age and stress on offspring quality in a viviparous fly. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2113-2122. [PMID: 34265869 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Many organisms show signs of deterioration with age in terms of survival and reproduction. We tested whether intraspecific variation in such senescence patterns can be driven by resource availability or reproductive history. We did this by manipulating nutritional stress and age at first reproduction and measuring age-dependent reproductive output in tsetse (Glossina morsitans morsitans), a viviparous fly with high maternal allocation. Across all treatments, offspring weight followed a bell-shaped curve with maternal age. Nutritionally stressed females had a higher probability of abortion and produced offspring with lower starvation tolerance. There was no evidence of an increased rate of reproductive senescence in nutritionally stressed females, or a reduced rate due to delayed mating, as measured by patterns of abortion, offspring weight or offspring starvation tolerance. Therefore, although we found evidence of reproductive senescence in tsetse, our results did not indicate that resource allocation trade-offs or costs of reproduction increase the rate of senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S Lord
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Robert Leyland
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lee R Haines
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Michael B Bonsall
- Mathematical Ecology Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen J Torr
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Sinead English
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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4
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Hamann E, Wadgymar SM, Anderson JT. Costs of reproduction under experimental climate change across elevations in the perennial forb Boechera stricta. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20203134. [PMID: 33849323 PMCID: PMC8059524 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.3134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Investment in current reproduction can reduce future fitness by depleting resources needed for maintenance, particularly under environmental stress. These trade-offs influence life-history evolution. We tested whether climate change alters the future-fitness costs of current reproduction in a large-scale field experiment of Boechera stricta (Brassicaceae). Over 6 years, we simulated climate change along an elevational gradient in the Rocky Mountains through snow removal, which accelerates snowmelt and reduces soil water availability. Costs of reproduction were greatest in arid, lower elevations, where high initial reproductive effort depressed future fitness. At mid-elevations, initial reproduction augmented subsequent fitness in benign conditions, but pronounced costs emerged under snow removal. At high elevation, snow removal dampened costs of reproduction by prolonging the growing season. In most scenarios, failed reproduction in response to resource limitation depressed lifetime fecundity. Indeed, fruit abortion only benefited high-fitness individuals under benign conditions. We propose that climate change could shift life-history trade-offs in an environment-dependent fashion, possibly favouring early reproduction and short lifespans in stressful conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Hamann
- Department of Genetics and the Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | | | - Jill T. Anderson
- Department of Genetics and the Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
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5
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Seasonal patterns of bison diet across climate gradients in North America. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6829. [PMID: 33767267 PMCID: PMC7994382 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86260-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
North American plains bison (Bison bison) have been reintroduced across their former range, yet we know too little about their current diet to understand what drove their past migrations as well as observed continental-scale variation in weight gain and reproduction. In order to better understand the seasonal diets of bison at the continental scale, bison fecal material was collected monthly from April to September in 2019 across 45 sites throughout the conterminous United States. Fecal material was analyzed for dietary quality using near infrared spectroscopy and dietary composition with DNA metabarcoding. As observed in previous research, dietary quality peaked in June and was on average greatest for sites with cold, wet climates. Yet, in April, dietary quality was highest in warmer regions, likely reflecting earlier phenology of plants in southern than northern regions. Independent of climate and season, bison that consumed more warm-season grasses had lower dietary protein concentrations. Interpreting the relative abundance of sequences from different plant species as the relative intake of protein from those species, only 38% of bison protein intake came from grasses. An equal amount of dietary protein came from legumes (38%) and 22% from non-leguminous forbs. Seasonal shifts in bison diet were also clear, in part, following the phenology of functional groups. For example, cool-season grass protein intake was highest in May, while legume protein intake was highest in August. Comparing data taken in June and September 2018 in a previous study with corresponding data in 2019, on average, June [CP] was 20% higher in 2019 than 2018, while September [CP] did not differ between years. Dietary functional group composition was generally similar in amounts and relationships with climate between years, yet in September 2019, legumes contributed 20% more protein and warm-season grasses 14% less than in September 2018. In all, this research demonstrates that bison consistently rely on eudicots for protein with the functional group composition of their diet in some ways consistent across space and time, but also spatially and temporally variable. The early-season inversion of plant quality gradients would have been a strong driver of migratory behavior for large numbers of bison optimizing protein intake. As most bison currently experience protein deficiency, optimizing protein intake under current non-migratory conditions will require increasing the relative abundance of high-protein species such as N2-fixing species.
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6
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Macdonald KR, Rotella JJ, Garrott RA, Link WA. Sources of variation in maternal allocation in a long-lived mammal. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1927-1940. [PMID: 32356304 PMCID: PMC7497196 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Life history theory predicts allocation of energy to reproduction varies with maternal age, but additional maternal features may be important to the allocation of energy to reproduction. We aimed to characterize age‐specific variation in maternal allocation and assess the relationship between maternal allocation and other static and dynamic maternal features. Mass measurements of 531 mothers and pups were used with Bayesian hierarchical models to explain the relationship between diverse maternal attributes and both the proportion of mass allocated by Weddell seal mothers, and the efficiency of mass transfer from mother to pup during lactation as well as the weaning mass of pups. Our results demonstrated that maternal mass was strongly and positively associated with the relative reserves allocated by a mother and a pup's weaning mass but that the efficiency of mass transfer declines with maternal parturition mass. Birthdate was positively associated with proportion mass allocation and pup weaning mass, but mass transfer efficiency was predicted to be highest at the mean birthdate. The relative allocation of maternal reserves declined with maternal age but the efficiency of mass transfer to pups increases, suggestive of selective disappearance of poor‐quality mothers. These findings highlight the importance of considering multiple maternal features when assessing variation in maternal allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay J Rotella
- Ecology Deptartment, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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7
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King KC, Caven AJ, Leung KG, Ranglack DH, Arcilla N. High society: behavioral patterns as a feedback loop to social structure in Plains bison (Bison bison bison). MAMMAL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-019-00416-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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8
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Boertje RD, Frye GG, Young DD. Lifetime, known‐age moose reproduction in a nutritionally stressed population. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rodney D. Boertje
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game1300 College RoadFairbanksAK99701‐1551USA
| | - Graham G. Frye
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game1300 College RoadFairbanksAK99701‐1551USA
| | - Donald D. Young
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game1300 College RoadFairbanksAK99701‐1551USA
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9
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Kroeger SB, Blumstein DT, Armitage KB, Reid JM, Martin JGA. Cumulative reproductive costs on current reproduction in a wild polytocous mammal. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11543-11553. [PMID: 30598755 PMCID: PMC6303762 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4597] [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: 05/19/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The cumulative cost of reproduction hypothesis predicts that reproductive costs accumulate over an individual's reproductive life span. While short-term costs have been extensively explored, the prevalence of cumulative long-term costs and the circumstances under which such costs occur alongside or instead of short-term costs, are far from clear. Indeed, few studies have simultaneously tested for both short-term and cumulative long-term reproductive costs in natural populations. Even in mammals, comparatively little is known about cumulative effects of previous reproduction, especially in species with high variation in offspring numbers, where costs could vary among successful reproductive events. Here, we quantify effects of previous short-term and cumulative long-term reproduction on current reproduction probability and litter size in wild female yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) and test how these effects vary with age and between two contrasting environments. We provide evidence for cumulative long-term effects: females that had both reproduced frequently and weaned large litters on average in previous years had decreased current reproduction probability. We found no evidence for short-term reproductive costs between reproductive bouts. However, females weaned larger litters when they had weaned larger litters on average in previous years and had lower current reproduction probability when their previous reproductive success was low. Together these results suggest that, alongside persistent among-individual variation, long-term reproductive history affects current reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja B. Kroeger
- Institute of Biological & Environmental Sciences, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCalifornia
- The Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryCrested ButteColorado
| | - Kenneth B. Armitage
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology DepartmentThe University of KansasLawrenceKansas
| | - Jane M. Reid
- Institute of Biological & Environmental Sciences, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | - Julien G. A. Martin
- Institute of Biological & Environmental Sciences, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
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10
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Douhard
- Département de Biologie; Université de Sherbrooke; 2500 boulevard de l’ Université Sherbrooke QC J1K 2R1 Canada
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11
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Debeffe L, Poissant J, McLoughlin PD. Individual quality and age but not environmental or social conditions modulate costs of reproduction in a capital breeder. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:5580-5591. [PMID: 28811876 PMCID: PMC5552958 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3082] [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: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Costs associated with reproduction are widely known to play a role in the evolution of reproductive tactics with consequences to population and eco-evolutionary dynamics. Evaluating these costs as they pertain to species in the wild remains an important goal of evolutionary ecology. Individual heterogeneity, including differences in individual quality (i.e., among-individual differences in traits associated with survival and reproduction) or state, and variation in environmental and social conditions can modulate the costs of reproduction; however, few studies have considered effects of these factors simultaneously. Taking advantage of a detailed, long-term dataset for a population of feral horses (Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada), we address the question of how intrinsic (quality, age), environmental (winter severity, location), and social conditions (group size, composition, sex ratio, density) influence the costs of reproduction on subsequent reproduction. Individual quality was measured using a multivariate analysis on a combination of four static and dynamic traits expected to depict heterogeneity in individual performance. Female quality and age interacted with reproductive status of the previous year to determine current reproductive effort, while no effect of social or environmental covariates was found. High-quality females showed higher probabilities of giving birth and weaning their foal regardless of their reproductive status the previous year, while those of lower quality showed lower probabilities of producing foals in successive years. Middle-aged (prime) females had the highest probability of giving birth when they had not reproduced the year before, but no such relationship with age was found among females that had reproduced the previous year, indicating that prime-aged females bear higher costs of reproduction. We show that individual quality and age were key factors modulating the costs of reproduction in a capital breeder but that environmental or social conditions were not, highlighting the importance of considering multiple factors when studying costs of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Debeffe
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK Canada.,Present address: Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis Department of Biosciences University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | - Jocelyn Poissant
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Penryn UK
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12
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Ronget V, Gaillard JM, Coulson T, Garratt M, Gueyffier F, Lega JC, Lemaître JF. Causes and consequences of variation in offspring body mass: meta-analyses in birds and mammals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:1-27. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Victor Ronget
- Univ Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Univ Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Tim Coulson
- Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford OX13PS U.K
| | - Michael Garratt
- Department of Pathology; University of Michigan Medical School; Ann Arbor MI 48109 U.S.A
| | - François Gueyffier
- Univ Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Jean-Christophe Lega
- Univ Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Jean-François Lemaître
- Univ Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
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13
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Panagakis A, Hamel S, Côté SD. Influence of Early Reproductive Success on Longevity and Late Reproductive Success in an Alpine Ungulate. Am Nat 2017; 189:667-683. [PMID: 28514626 DOI: 10.1086/691388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The life-history theories of aging predict lifetime trade-offs between early reproductive allocation and late-life survival, reproduction, or both components of fitness. Recent studies in wild populations have found evidence for these early-late life trade-offs, but rarely have they been found across multiple traits while exploring the additional effects of variation in environmental conditions and individual quality. Benefiting from longitudinal data on adult female mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), we investigated the influence of age at first reproduction (AFR) and early reproductive success (ERS) on longevity, late reproductive success, and senescence rates while accounting for the influence of natal environmental conditions and individual quality. Contrary to predictions, we did not find evidence for early-late life trade-offs. Instead, an earlier AFR and a greater ERS had positive but weak direct effects on late reproductive success. Natal population density, however, was the strongest determinant of all life-history traits, having a direct negative effect on female longevity, late reproductive success, AFR, and ERS. Although natal density reduced the probability of annual reproduction and annual survival during adulthood, higher allocation to reproduction in early life and poorer natal conditions did not lead to accelerated rates of senescence during adulthood. The results of this investigation provide an integrated picture of early-late life trade-offs, underscoring the importance of accounting for environmental conditions because of their potentially strong implications for population dynamics.
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14
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McMahon CR, Harcourt RG, Burton HR, Daniel O, Hindell MA. Seal mothers expend more on offspring under favourable conditions and less when resources are limited. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:359-370. [PMID: 27859273 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, maternal expenditure on offspring is a complex mix of several factors including the species' mating system, offspring sex and the condition and age of the mother. While theory suggests that in polygynous species mothers should wean larger male offspring than females when resources and maternal conditions allow, the evidence for this remains equivocal. Southern elephant seals are highly dimorphic, polygynous capital breeders existing in an environment with highly variable resources and should therefore provide clear evidence to support the theoretical expectations of differential maternal expenditure in male and female pups. We quantified maternal size (mass and length) and pup size at birth and weaning for 342 elephant seal mothers at Macquarie Island. The study was conducted over 11 years of contrasting sea-ice and Southern Annular Mode values, both indices of maternal prey resources. Overall, large females weaned male pups that weighed 17 kg (15·5%) more than female pups. Maternal condition varied by as much as 59 kg among years, and was positively related to Southern Annular Mode, and negatively to maximum sea-ice extent. Smaller mothers weaned relatively larger male pups under favourable conditions, this effect was less apparent for larger mothers. We developed a simple model linking environmental variation to maternal masses post-partum, followed by maternal masses post-partum to weaning masses and then weaning masses to pup survival and demonstrated that environmental conditions affected predicted survival so that the pups of small mothers had an estimated 7% increase in first year survival in 'good' vs. 'bad' years compared to 1% for female pups of large mothers. Co-occurrence of environmental quality and conservative reproductive tactics suggests that mothers retain substantial plasticity in maternal care, enhancing their lifetime reproductive success by adjusting reproductive expenditure relative to both prevailing environmental conditions and their own capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clive R McMahon
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia.,Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia.,Marine Predator Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Robert G Harcourt
- Marine Predator Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Harry R Burton
- Australian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS, 7050, Australia
| | - Owen Daniel
- Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Mark A Hindell
- Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia.,Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
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15
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Factors influencing and consequences of breeding dispersal and habitat choice in female grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) on Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Oecologia 2016; 183:367-378. [PMID: 27864645 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3764-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Selection of breeding location can influence reproductive success and fitness. Breeding dispersal links habitat use and reproduction. This study investigated factors affecting breeding dispersal and its reproductive consequences in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) on Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Breeding dispersal distance was determined in 692 individually marked, known-age female grey seals observed from 2004 to 2014. We used generalized linear mixed-effects models to test hypotheses concerning environmental and demographic factors influencing breeding dispersal distance and the consequences of dispersal distance on offspring weaning mass. Grey seal females rarely exhibited fidelity to previous breeding sites. Median dispersal distance between years was 5.1 km. Only 2.9% of females returned to a previous breeding site. Breeding dispersal distance was affected by parity and density, but effects were small and are presumably of no biological significance. Variation in dispersal distance among adult females was large. Dispersal distance had no significant influence on offspring weaning mass; however, as previously found, pup sex and maternal age did. Although breeding location was not important, heavier pups were born in habitats with no tidal or storm-surge influence indicating that breeding habitat type did influence offspring size at weaning. The lack of site fidelity in grey seals on Sable Island is associated with an unpredictable and changing landscape (sand dunes) that could make it difficult for females to locate previous breeding locations. Although breeding location within habitat type had small consequences on offspring weaning mass, we detected no evidence that breeding site selection within the habitat had consequences to females.
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16
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Hamel S, Gaillard JM, Yoccoz NG, Albon S, Côté SD, Craine JM, Festa-Bianchet M, Garel M, Lee P, Moss C, Nussey DH, Pelletier F, Stien A, Tveraa T. Cohort variation in individual body mass dissipates with age in large herbivores. ECOL MONOGR 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Hamel
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics; UiT The Arctic University of Norway; 9037 Tromsø Norway
| | - J.-M. Gaillard
- CNRS, UMR 5558 “Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive”; Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - N. G. Yoccoz
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics; UiT The Arctic University of Norway; 9037 Tromsø Norway
| | - S. Albon
- The James Hutton Institute; Craigiebuckler Aberdeen AB15 8QH United Kingdom
| | - S. D. Côté
- Département de biologie and Centre d’études nordiques; Université Laval; Québec Québec G1V 0A6 Canada
| | | | - M. Festa-Bianchet
- Département de biologie and Centre d’études nordiques; Université de Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke Québec J1K 2R1 Canada
| | - M. Garel
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage; Unité Faune de Montagne; 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin 38610 Gières France
| | - P. Lee
- Behaviour and Evolution Research Group; School of Natural Sciences; University of Stirling; Stirling FK9 4LA United Kingdom
- Amboseli Trust for Elephants; P.O. Box 15135, Langata Nairobi 00509 Kenya
| | - C. Moss
- Amboseli Trust for Elephants; P.O. Box 15135, Langata Nairobi 00509 Kenya
| | - D. H. Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; University of Edinburgh; The Kings Buildings, Ashworth Labs Charlotte Auerbach Road Edinburgh EH 3FL United Kingdom
| | - F. Pelletier
- Département de biologie and Centre d’études nordiques; Université de Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke Québec J1K 2R1 Canada
| | - A. Stien
- Norwegian Institute of Nature Research; Fram Centre NO-9296 Tromsø Norway
| | - T. Tveraa
- Norwegian Institute of Nature Research; Fram Centre NO-9296 Tromsø Norway
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17
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Paterson JT, Rotella JJ, Mannas JM, Garrott RA. Patterns of age‐related change in reproductive effort differ in the pre‐natal and post‐natal periods in a long‐lived mammal. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:1540-1551. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John T. Paterson
- Ecology Department Montana State University Bozeman MT 59717 USA
| | - Jay J. Rotella
- Ecology Department Montana State University Bozeman MT 59717 USA
| | - Jennifer M. Mannas
- Ecology Department Montana State University Bozeman MT 59717 USA
- Progressive Animal Welfare Society Lynnwood WA 98046 USA
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18
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Douhard M, Festa-Bianchet M, Coltman DW, Pelletier F. Paternal reproductive success drives sex allocation in a wild mammal. Evolution 2016; 70:358-68. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Douhard
- Département de biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques; Université de Sherbrooke; 2500 boulevard de l'Université Sherbrooke Québec J1K 2R1 Canada
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- Département de biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques; Université de Sherbrooke; 2500 boulevard de l'Université Sherbrooke Québec J1K 2R1 Canada
| | - David W. Coltman
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie and Centre d’Études Nordiques; Université de Sherbrooke; 2500 boulevard de l'Université Sherbrooke Québec J1K 2R1 Canada
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19
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Rauset GR, Low M, Persson J. Reproductive patterns result from age-related sensitivity to resources and reproductive costs in a mammalian carnivore. Ecology 2015; 96:3153-64. [DOI: 10.1890/15-0262.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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20
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Craine JM, Towne EG, Elmore A. Intra-annual bison body mass trajectories in a tallgrass prairie. MAMMAL RES 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-015-0227-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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21
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The role of maternal behavior and offspring development in the survival of mountain goat kids. Oecologia 2015; 178:175-86. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3198-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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22
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Zhang H, Vedder O, Becker PH, Bouwhuis S. Contrasting between‐ and within‐individual trait effects on mortality risk in a long‐lived seabird. Ecology 2015; 96:71-9. [DOI: 10.1890/14-0064.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- He Zhang
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland,” An der Vogelwarte 21, D-26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Oscar Vedder
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland,” An der Vogelwarte 21, D-26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Peter H. Becker
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland,” An der Vogelwarte 21, D-26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Sandra Bouwhuis
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland,” An der Vogelwarte 21, D-26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
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23
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Maternal aging affects life performance of progeny in a Holstein dairy cow model. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2014; 5:374-84. [DOI: 10.1017/s2040174414000361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The development and life performance of 404 high-producing Holstein dairy cows was studied from birth onwards and during two lactations. The management, environment and parental genetics of the cows were known in detail. Cluster analysis identified four performance ‘types’: high-yielding (HY) cows and persistently high-yielding (PHY) cows, which accounted for 33% of the animals; medium-yielding (MY) cows, 41%; and low-yielding (LY) cows, 26%. Prenatal determinants of the life performance of the progeny were analyzed. Developmental and environmental factors were excluded as determinants of performance (including birth weight, level of passive immunity transfer, growth rate, age at first parturition and reproductive efficiency). Life performance did show minor seasonal effects, with more HY cows but less PHY being born during the cold season (90.1% in HY; 58.3% in PHY v. 81.5%). Instead, the single most important factor influencing life performance of daughters was maternal age. HY cows were born from the youngest mothers (1.89±1.14 parturitions, 3.12±1.42-year old), whereas LY cows were born from the oldest (2.72±1.80 parturitions, 3.97±2.01-year old; P<0.001). Life performance of the dams did not differ among clusters. In addition, metabolic parameters (fat and protein yield) were found to correlate significantly with yields between the first and second lactations (milk yield: r=0.357; fat yield: r=0.211; protein yield: r=0.277; P<0.0001), suggesting the influence of the individual. These results suggest that under optimal health, nutritional and environmental conditions, maternal aging is an important determinant of the life performance of progeny and argue for the need to identify conditions that contribute to health and disease in progeny according to the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease or DOHaD concept. Our findings may help the development of novel management guidelines for dairy farms.
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24
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Gélin U, Wilson ME, Coulson G, Festa-Bianchet M. Experimental manipulation of female reproduction demonstrates its fitness costs in kangaroos. J Anim Ecol 2014; 84:239-48. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Uriel Gélin
- Département de biologie; Université de Sherbrooke; 2500 boulevard de l'université; Sherbrooke QC J1K 2R1 Canada
| | - Michelle E. Wilson
- Department of Zoology; The University of Melbourne; Melbourne Vic. 3010 Australia
| | - Graeme Coulson
- Department of Zoology; The University of Melbourne; Melbourne Vic. 3010 Australia
| | - Marco Festa-Bianchet
- Département de biologie; Université de Sherbrooke; 2500 boulevard de l'université; Sherbrooke QC J1K 2R1 Canada
- Department of Zoology; The University of Melbourne; Melbourne Vic. 3010 Australia
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25
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Yellow-bellied marmots do not compensate for a late start: the role of maternal allocation in shaping life-history trajectories. Evol Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-014-9705-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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26
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Chambert T, Rotella JJ, Higgs MD, Garrott RA. Individual heterogeneity in reproductive rates and cost of reproduction in a long-lived vertebrate. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:2047-60. [PMID: 23919151 PMCID: PMC3728946 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Revised: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual variation in reproductive success is a key feature of evolution, but also has important implications for predicting population responses to variable environments. Although such individual variation in reproductive outcomes has been reported in numerous studies, most analyses to date have not considered whether these realized differences were due to latent individual heterogeneity in reproduction or merely random chance causing different outcomes among like individuals. Furthermore, latent heterogeneity in fitness components might be expressed differently in contrasted environmental conditions, an issue that has only rarely been investigated. Here, we assessed (i) the potential existence of latent individual heterogeneity and (ii) the nature of its expression (fixed vs. variable) in a population of female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), using a hierarchical modeling approach on a 30-year mark–recapture data set consisting of 954 individual encounter histories. We found strong support for the existence of latent individual heterogeneity in the population, with “robust” individuals expected to produce twice as many pups as “frail” individuals. Moreover, the expression of individual heterogeneity appeared consistent, with only mild evidence that it might be amplified when environmental conditions are severe. Finally, the explicit modeling of individual heterogeneity allowed us to detect a substantial cost of reproduction that was not evidenced when the heterogeneity was ignored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Chambert
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University Bozeman, Montana, 59717
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