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Davidović S, Marinković S, Hribšek I, Patenković A, Stamenković-Radak M, Tanasković M. Sex ratio and relatedness in the Griffon vulture ( Gyps fulvus) population of Serbia. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14477. [PMID: 36523455 PMCID: PMC9745909 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Once a widespread species across the region of Southeast Europe, the Griffon vulture is now confined to small and isolated populations across the Balkan Peninsula. The population from Serbia represents its biggest and most viable population that can serve as an important reservoir of genetic diversity from which the birds can be used for the region's reintroduction programmes. The available genetic data for this valuable population are scarce and as a protected species that belongs to the highly endangered vulture group, it needs to be well described so that it can be properly managed and used as a restocking population. Considering the serious recent bottleneck event that the Griffon vulture population from Serbia experienced we estimated the overall relatedness among the birds from this population. Sex ratio, another important parameter that shows the vitality and strength of the population was evaluated as well. Methods During the annual monitoring that was performed in the period from 2013-2021, we collected blood samples from individual birds that were marked in the nests. In total, 169 samples were collected and each was used for molecular sexing while 58 presumably unrelated birds from different nests were used for inbreeding and relatedness analyses. The relatedness was estimated using both biparentally (10 microsatellite loci) and uniparentally (Cytb and D-loop I of mitochondrial DNA) inherited markers. Results The level of inbreeding was relatively high and on average it was 8.3% while the mean number of relatives for each bird was close to three. The sex ratio was close to 1:1 and for the analysed period of 9 years, it didn't demonstrate a statistically significant deviation from the expected ratio of 1:1, suggesting that this is a stable and healthy population. Our data suggest that, even though a relatively high level of inbreeding can be detected among the individual birds, the Griffon vulture population from Serbia can be used as a source population for restocking and reintroduction programmes in the region. These data combined with previously observed genetic differentiation between the populations from the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas suggest that the introduction of foreign birds should be avoided and that local birds should be used instead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slobodan Davidović
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia,Birds of Prey Protection Foundation, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Saša Marinković
- Birds of Prey Protection Foundation, Belgrade, Serbia,Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Irena Hribšek
- Birds of Prey Protection Foundation, Belgrade, Serbia,Natural History Museum Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Patenković
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marina Stamenković-Radak
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia,Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marija Tanasković
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Davidović S, Marinković S, Kukobat M, Mihajlović M, Tanasić V, Hribšek I, Tanasković M, Stamenković-Radak M. Genetic Diversity Analysis of Mitochondrial Cytb Gene, Phylogeny and Phylogeography of Protected Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) from Serbia. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12020164. [PMID: 35207453 PMCID: PMC8880743 DOI: 10.3390/life12020164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Once a widespread and common species across the region of southeast Europe, the Griffon vulture is now confined to small and isolated populations across the Balkan Peninsula. The population from Serbia with 290 couples represents its biggest and most viable population that can serve as an important reservoir of genetic diversity from which the birds can be used for the region’s reintroduction or recolonization programs. To estimate the level of genetic diversity, the mitochondrial Cytb gene from 58 unrelated birds sampled during the marking in the nests was sequenced and compared to the homologous Griffon vulture sequences available in publicly accessible online databases. Phylogeographic analysis based on Cytb sequences showed that the most frequent haplotype is found in all Griffon vulture populations and that each population possesses private haplotypes. Our data suggest that the Griffon vulture population from Serbia should be used as a source population for restocking and reintroduction programs in the region. The observed genetic differentiation between the populations from the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas suggest that the introduction of foreign birds from remote populations should be avoided and that birds from indigenous or neighboring populations, if available, should be used instead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slobodan Davidović
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (M.T.); (M.S.-R.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Saša Marinković
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Mila Kukobat
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Milica Mihajlović
- Center for Forensic and Applied Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (M.M.); (V.T.)
| | - Vanja Tanasić
- Center for Forensic and Applied Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (M.M.); (V.T.)
| | - Irena Hribšek
- Birds of Prey Protection Foundation, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Marija Tanasković
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (M.T.); (M.S.-R.)
| | - Marina Stamenković-Radak
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (M.T.); (M.S.-R.)
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
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Pirastru M, Mereu P, Manca L, Bebbere D, Naitana S, Leoni GG. Anthropogenic Drivers Leading to Population Decline and Genetic Preservation of the Eurasian Griffon Vulture ( Gyps fulvus). Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11101038. [PMID: 34685409 PMCID: PMC8540517 DOI: 10.3390/life11101038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human activities are having increasingly devastating effects on the health of marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Studying the adaptive responses of animal species to changes in their habitat can be useful in mitigating this impact. Vultures represent one of the most virtuous examples of adaptation to human-induced environmental changes. Once dependent on wild ungulate populations, these birds have adapted to the epochal change resulting from the birth of agriculture and livestock domestication, maintaining their essential role as ecological scavengers. In this review, we retrace the main splitting events characterising the vultures’ evolution, with particular emphasis on the Eurasian griffon Gyps fulvus. We summarise the main ecological and behavioural traits of this species, highlighting its vulnerability to elements introduced into the habitat by humans. We collected the genetic information available to date, underlining their importance for improving the management of this species, as an essential tool to support restocking practices and to protect the genetic integrity of G. fulvus. Finally, we examine the difficulties in implementing a coordination system that allows genetic information to be effectively transferred into management programs. Until a linking network is established between scientific research and management practices, the risk of losing important wildlife resources remains high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Pirastru
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (M.P.); (L.M.)
| | - Paolo Mereu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (M.P.); (L.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Laura Manca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (M.P.); (L.M.)
| | - Daniela Bebbere
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (D.B.); (S.N.); (G.G.L.)
| | - Salvatore Naitana
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (D.B.); (S.N.); (G.G.L.)
| | - Giovanni G. Leoni
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (D.B.); (S.N.); (G.G.L.)
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Gousy-Leblanc M, Yannic G, Therrien JF, Lecomte N. Mapping our knowledge on birds of prey population genetics. CONSERV GENET 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-021-01368-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Blanco G, Morinha F. Genetic signatures of population bottlenecks, relatedness, and inbreeding highlight recent and novel conservation concerns in the Egyptian vulture. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11139. [PMID: 33828925 PMCID: PMC8005290 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The assessment of temporal variation in genetic features can be particularly informative on the factors behind demography and viability of wildlife populations and species. We used molecular methods to evaluate neutral genetic variation, relatedness, bottlenecks, and inbreeding in a declining population of Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) in central Spain. The results show that the genetic diversity remained relatively stable over a period of twelve years despite the decline in census and effective population sizes in the last decades. A relatively high proportion of nestlings from different and distant territories showed high relatedness in each study year. We also found support for an increasing impact of severe recent (contemporary) rather than distant (historical) past demographic bottlenecks, and the first evidence of inbred mating between full siblings coinciding with lethal malformations in offspring. The inbred nestling with feather malformations was positive to beak and feather disease virus recorded for the first time in this species. These results alert on recent and novel threats potentially affecting health and reducing the adaptive potential of individuals in this threatened species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Blanco
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Morinha
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Genetic diversity of the Griffon vulture population in Serbia and its importance for conservation efforts in the Balkans. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20394. [PMID: 33230239 PMCID: PMC7684298 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77342-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Griffon vulture was once a widespread species across the region of Southeast Europe, but it is now endangered and in some parts is completely extinct. In the Balkan Peninsula the largest Griffon vulture inland population inhabits the territory of Serbia. We present, for the first time, the genetic data of this valuable population that could be a source for future reintroduction programs planned in South-eastern Europe. To characterize the genetic structure of this population we used microsatellite markers from ten loci. Blood samples were collected from 57 chicks directly in the nests during the ongoing monitoring program. We performed a comparative analysis of the obtained data with the existing data from three native populations from French Pyrenees, Croatia, and Israel. We have assessed the genetic differentiation between different native populations and determined the existence of two genetic clusters that differentiate the populations from the Balkan and Iberian Peninsulas. Furthermore, we analysed whether the recent bottleneck events influenced the genetic structure of the populations studied, and we found that all native populations experienced a recent bottleneck event, and that the population of Israel was the least affected. Nevertheless, the parameters of genetic diversity suggest that all analysed populations have retained a similar level of genetic diversity and that the Griffon vulture population from Serbia exhibits the highest value for private alleles. The results of this study suggest that the Griffon vulture populations of the Balkan Peninsula are genetically differentiated from the populations of the Iberian Peninsula, which is an important information for future reintroduction strategies.
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Jangjoo M, Matter SF, Roland J, Keyghobadi N. Demographic fluctuations lead to rapid and cyclic shifts in genetic structure among populations of an alpine butterfly, Parnassius smintheus. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:668-681. [PMID: 32052525 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Many populations, especially in insects, fluctuate in size, and periods of particularly low population size can have strong effects on genetic variation. Effects of demographic bottlenecks on genetic diversity of single populations are widely documented. Effects of bottlenecks on genetic structure among multiple interconnected populations are less studied, as are genetic changes across multiple cycles of demographic collapse and recovery. We take advantage of a long-term data set comprising demographic, genetic and movement data from a network of populations of the butterfly, Parnassius smintheus, to examine the effects of fluctuating population size on spatial genetic structure. We build on a previous study that documented increased genetic differentiation and loss of spatial genetic patterns (isolation by distance and by intervening forest cover) after a network-wide bottleneck event. Here, we show that genetic differentiation was reduced again and spatial patterns returned to the system extremely rapidly, within three years (i.e. generations). We also show that a second bottleneck had similar effects to the first, increasing differentiation and erasing spatial patterns. Thus, bottlenecks consistently drive random divergence of allele frequencies among populations in this system, but these effects are rapidly countered by gene flow during demographic recovery. Our results reveal a system in which the relative influence of genetic drift and gene flow continually shift as populations fluctuate in size, leading to cyclic changes in genetic structure. Our results also suggest caution in the interpretation of patterns of spatial genetic structure, and its association with landscape variables, when measured at only a single point in time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Jangjoo
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen F Matter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jens Roland
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Mitochondrial D-loop Sequence Variability in Three Native Insular Griffon Vulture ( Gyps fulvus) Populations from the Mediterranean Basin. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:2073919. [PMID: 31886178 PMCID: PMC6925705 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2073919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The islands of Sardinia, Crete, and Cyprus are hosting the last native insular griffon populations in the Mediterranean basin. Their states have been evaluated from “vulnerable” to “critically endangered”. The sequence analysis of molecular markers, particularly the mtDNA D-loop region, provides useful information in studying the evolution of closely related taxa and the conservation of endangered species. Therefore, a study of D-loop region sequence was carried out to estimate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship within and among these three populations. Among 84 griffon specimens (44 Sardinian, 33 Cretan, and 7 Cypriot), we detected four haplotypes including a novel haplotype (HPT-D) that was exclusively found in the Cretan population with a frequency of 6.1%. When considered as a unique population, haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide diversity (π) were high at 0.474 and 0.00176, respectively. A similar level of Hd and π was found in Sardinian and Cretan populations, both showing three haplotypes. The different haplotype frequencies and exclusivity detected were in accordance with the limited matrilineal gene flow (FST = 0.07097), probably related to the species reluctance to fly over sea masses. The genetic variability we observe today would therefore be the result of an evolutionary process strongly influenced by isolation leading to the appearance of island variants which deserve to be protected. Furthermore, since nesting sites and food availability are essential elements for colony settlement, we may infer that the island's colonization began when the first domestic animals were transferred by humans during the Neolithic. In conclusion, our research presents a first contribution to the genetic characterization of the griffon vulture populations in the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia, Crete and Cyprus and lays the foundation for conservation and restocking programs.
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Kleinhans C, Willows-Munro S. Low genetic diversity and shallow population structure in the endangered vulture, Gyps coprotheres. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5536. [PMID: 30940898 PMCID: PMC6445149 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41755-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, vulture species are experiencing major population declines. The southern African Cape vulture (Gyps coprotheres) has undergone severe population collapse which has led to a listing of Endangered by the IUCN. Here, a comprehensive genetic survey of G. coprotheres is conducted using microsatellite markers. Analyses revealed an overall reduction in heterozygosity compared to other vulture species that occur in South Africa (Gypaetus barbatus, Necrosyrtes monachus, and Gyps africanus). Bayesian clustering analysis and principal coordinate analysis identified shallow, subtle population structuring across South Africa. This provides some support for regional natal philopatry in this species. Despite recent reductions in population size, a genetic bottleneck was not detected by the genetic data. The G. coprotheres, however, did show a significant deficiency of overall heterozygosity. This, coupled with the elevated levels of inbreeding and reduced effective population size, suggests that G. coprotheres is genetically depauperate. Given that genetic variation is considered a prerequisite for adaptation and population health, the low genetic diversity within G. coprotheres populations is of concern and has implications for the future management and conservation of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtneë Kleinhans
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Sandi Willows-Munro
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
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Padró J, Lambertucci SA, Perrig PL, Pauli JN. Evidence of genetic structure in a wide-ranging and highly mobile soaring scavenger, the Andean condor. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Julian Padró
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación; Laboratorio Ecotono; INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue-CONICET); Bariloche Argentina
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology; University of Wisconsin-Madison; USA
| | - Sergio A. Lambertucci
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación; Laboratorio Ecotono; INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue-CONICET); Bariloche Argentina
| | - Paula L. Perrig
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology; University of Wisconsin-Madison; USA
| | - Jonathan N. Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology; University of Wisconsin-Madison; USA
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Harel R, Duriez O, Spiegel O, Fluhr J, Horvitz N, Getz WM, Bouten W, Sarrazin F, Hatzofe O, Nathan R. Decision-making by a soaring bird: time, energy and risk considerations at different spatio-temporal scales. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0397. [PMID: 27528787 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural selection theory suggests that mobile animals trade off time, energy and risk costs with food, safety and other pay-offs obtained by movement. We examined how birds make movement decisions by integrating aspects of flight biomechanics, movement ecology and behaviour in a hierarchical framework investigating flight track variation across several spatio-temporal scales. Using extensive global positioning system and accelerometer data from Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in Israel and France, we examined soaring-gliding decision-making by comparing inbound versus outbound flights (to or from a central roost, respectively), and these (and other) home-range foraging movements (up to 300 km) versus long-range movements (longer than 300 km). We found that long-range movements and inbound flights have similar features compared with their counterparts: individuals reduced journey time by performing more efficient soaring-gliding flight, reduced energy expenditure by flapping less and were more risk-prone by gliding more steeply between thermals. Age, breeding status, wind conditions and flight altitude (but not sex) affected time and energy prioritization during flights. We therefore suggest that individuals facing time, energy and risk trade-offs during movements make similar decisions across a broad range of ecological contexts and spatial scales, presumably owing to similarity in the uncertainty about movement outcomes.This article is part of the themed issue 'Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roi Harel
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Olivier Duriez
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Cedex 05, Montpellier, France
| | - Orr Spiegel
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Julie Fluhr
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Cedex 05, Montpellier, France
| | - Nir Horvitz
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Wayne M Getz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Willem Bouten
- Computational Geo-Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1094 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ohad Hatzofe
- Science Division, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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Doxa A, Theodorou K, Hatzilacou D, Crivelli A, Robert A. Joint effects of inverse density-dependence and extreme environmental variation on the viability of a social bird species. ECOSCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.2980/17-2-3304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Spiegel O, Harel R, Centeno-Cuadros A, Hatzofe O, Getz WM, Nathan R. Moving beyond Curve Fitting: Using Complementary Data to Assess Alternative Explanations for Long Movements of Three Vulture Species. Am Nat 2015. [DOI: 10.1086/679314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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14
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Spiegel O, Harel R, Getz WM, Nathan R. Mixed strategies of griffon vultures' (Gyps fulvus) response to food deprivation lead to a hump-shaped movement pattern. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2013; 1:5. [PMID: 25709819 PMCID: PMC4337378 DOI: 10.1186/2051-3933-1-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The need to obtain food is a critical proximate driver of an organism's movement that shapes the foraging and survival of individual animals. Consequently, the relationship between hunger and foraging has received considerable attention, leading to the common conception that hunger primarily enhances a "food-intake maximization" (FIMax) strategy and intensive search. A complementary explanation, however, suggests a trade-off with precautions taken to reduce the risk of physiological collapse from starvation, under a strategy we denote as "energy-expenditure minimization" (EEMin). The FImax-EEmin trade-off may interact with the forager's hunger level to shape a complex (non-monotonic) response pattern to increasing hunger. Yet, this important trade-off has rarely been investigated, particularly in free-ranging wild animals. We explored how hunger affects the movements of adult griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in southern Israel. Transmitters combining GPS and accelerometers provided high-resolution data on vultures' movements and behavior, enabling the identification of feeding events and the estimation of food deprivation periods (FDPs, measured in days), which is used as a proxy for hunger. RESULTS Data from 47 vultures, tracked for 339 ± 36 days, reveal high variability in FDPs. While flight speed, flight straightness and the proportion of active flights were invariant in relation to food deprivation, a clear hump-shaped response was found for daily flight distances, maximal displacements and flight elevation. These movement characteristics increased during the first five days of the FDP sequence and decreased during the following five days. These characteristics also differed between short FDPs of up to four days, and the first four days of longer FDP sequences. These results suggest a switch from FIMax to EEMin strategies along the FDP sequence. They also indicate that vultures' response to hunger affected the eventual duration of the FDP. During winter (the vultures' incubation period characterized by unfavorable soaring meteorological conditions), the vultures' FIMax response was less intensive and resulted in longer starvation periods, while, in summer, more intensive FIMax response to hunger resulted in shorter FDPs. CONCLUSIONS Our results show a flexible, non-monotonic response of free-ranging wild animals to increasing hunger levels, reflecting a trade-off between increasing motivation to find food and the risk of starvation. The proposed trade-off offers a unifying perspective to apparently contradictory or case-specific empirical findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orr Spiegel
- />Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem, 91904 Israel
| | - Roi Harel
- />Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem, 91904 Israel
| | - Wayne M Getz
- />Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114 USA
- />School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Ran Nathan
- />Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem, 91904 Israel
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Duriez O, Eliotout B, Sarrazin F. Age identification of Eurasian Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus in the field. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/03078698.2011.585912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Duriez
- a Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle , UMR 7204 MNHN-CNRS-UPMC , “Conservation des Espèces, Restauration et Suivi des Populations”, 61 rue Buffon, F-75005, Paris, France
- b Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE - UMR 5175) , team ecology and biogeography of vertebrates, Campus du CNRS, 1919 Route de Mende
| | - Bertrand Eliotout
- c LPO, Mission rapaces Grands Causses, le Bourg, F-12720, Peyreleau, France
| | - François Sarrazin
- a Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle , UMR 7204 MNHN-CNRS-UPMC , “Conservation des Espèces, Restauration et Suivi des Populations”, 61 rue Buffon, F-75005, Paris, France
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Agudo R, Rico C, Hiraldo F, Donázar JA. Evidence of connectivity between continental and differentiated insular populations in a highly mobile species. DIVERS DISTRIB 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2010.00724.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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WILLIAMS BRONWYNW, SCRIBNER KIMT. Effects of multiple founder populations on spatial genetic structure of reintroduced American martens. Mol Ecol 2010; 19:227-40. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2009.04455.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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