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Hansen KW, Ranc N, Morgan J, Jordan NR, McNutt JW, Wilson A, Wilmers CC. How territoriality and sociality influence the habitat selection and movements of a large carnivore. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11217. [PMID: 38628916 PMCID: PMC11019303 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11217] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
While territoriality is one of the key mechanisms influencing carnivore space use, most studies quantify resource selection and movement in the absence of conspecific influence or territorial structure. Our analysis incorporated social information in a resource selection framework to investigate mechanisms of territoriality and intra-specific competition on the habitat selection of a large, social carnivore. We fit integrated step selection functions to 3-h GPS data from 12 collared African wild dog packs in the Okavango Delta and estimated selection coefficients using a conditional Poisson likelihood with random effects. Packs selected for their neighbors' 30-day boundary (defined as their 95% kernel density estimate) and for their own 90-day core (defined as their 50% kernel density estimate). Neighbors' 30-day boundary had a greater influence on resource selection than any habitat feature. Habitat selection differed when they were within versus beyond their neighbors' 30-day boundary. Pack size, pack tenure, pup presence, and seasonality all mediated how packs responded to neighbors' space use, and seasonal dynamics altered the strength of residency. While newly-formed packs and packs with pups avoided their neighbors' boundary, older packs and those without pups selected for it. Packs also selected for the boundary of larger neighboring packs more strongly than that of smaller ones. Social structure within packs has implications for how they interact with conspecifics, and therefore how they are distributed across the landscape. Future research should continue to investigate how territorial processes are mediated by social dynamics and, in turn, how territorial structure mediates resource selection and movement. These results could inform the development of a human-wildlife conflict (HWC) mitigation tool by co-opting the mechanisms of conspecific interactions to manage space use of endangered carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Whitney Hansen
- Environmental Studies Department University of California Santa Cruz California USA
- Botswana Predator Conservation Maun Botswana
| | - Nathan Ranc
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS Castanet-Tolosan France
| | - John Morgan
- Environmental Studies Department University of California Santa Cruz California USA
| | - Neil R Jordan
- Botswana Predator Conservation Maun Botswana
- Center for Ecosystem Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Taronga Conservation Society Australia Dubbo New South Wales Australia
| | | | - Alan Wilson
- Structure & Motion Lab, Comparative Biomedical Sciences Royal Veterinary College London UK
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2
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SunderRaj J, Rabe JW, Cassidy KA, McIntyre R, Stahler DR, Smith DW. Breeding displacement in gray wolves (Canis lupus): Three males usurp breeding position and pup rearing from a neighboring pack in Yellowstone National Park. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0256618. [PMID: 36449452 PMCID: PMC9710779 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) are territorial, group living carnivores that live in packs typically consisting of a dominant breeding pair and their offspring. Breeding tenures are relatively short and competitive, with vacancies usually occurring following a breeder's death, and are often filled by unrelated immigrants or by relatives of the previous breeder. The frequency and conditions of active breeder displacements are poorly understood. Position changes in the dominance hierarchy are common yet rarely documented in detail. We describe a male breeding position turnover in a wolf pack by males from a neighboring pack in mid-summer 2016 in Yellowstone National Park. Over the course of two months, three males from the Mollie's pack displaced the breeding male of the neighboring Wapiti Lake pack, joined the pack's two adult females, and subsequently raised the previous male's four approximately three-month old pups. In the five years following the displacement (2017 to 2021), at least one of the intruding males has successfully bred with the dominant female and most years with a subordinate female (who was one of the pups at the time of displacement). The pack reared pups to adulthood each year. Male breeding displacements are likely influenced by male-male competition and female mate choice. These changes are the result of individuals competing to improve breeding position and may lead to increased pack stability and greater reproductive success. We report in detail on the behavior of a closely observed breeding displacement and we discuss the adaptive benefits of the change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy SunderRaj
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jack W. Rabe
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States of America
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Kira A. Cassidy
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Rick McIntyre
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States of America
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3
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Palacios V, Barber-Meyer SM, Martí-Domken B, Schmidt LJ. Assessing spontaneous howling rates in captive wolves using automatic passive recorders. BIOACOUSTICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2021.2006083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Palacios
- ARCA, People and Nature, S.l, Oviedo, Spain
- ACNHE, Association for the Conservation of Nature in Human Environments, Valencia, Spain
| | - Shannon M. Barber-Meyer
- U. S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, North Dakota, USA
| | - Bárbara Martí-Domken
- ACNHE, Association for the Conservation of Nature in Human Environments, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lori J. Schmidt
- USA and Natural Resources Program, Vermilion Community College, The International Wolf Center, Ely, Minnesota, USA
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4
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Ausband DE, Mitchell MS. The effect of group size on reproduction in cooperatively breeding gray wolves depends on density. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. E. Ausband
- U.S. Geological Survey Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit University of Montana Missoula MT USA
| | - M. S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological Survey Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit University of Montana Missoula MT USA
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5
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A metapopulation model of social group dynamics and disease applied to Yellowstone wolves. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2020023118. [PMID: 33649227 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020023118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The population structure of social species has important consequences for both their demography and transmission of their pathogens. We develop a metapopulation model that tracks two key components of a species' social system: average group size and number of groups within a population. While the model is general, we parameterize it to mimic the dynamics of the Yellowstone wolf population and two associated pathogens: sarcoptic mange and canine distemper. In the initial absence of disease, we show that group size is mainly determined by the birth and death rates and the rates at which groups fission to form new groups. The total number of groups is determined by rates of fission and fusion, as well as environmental resources and rates of intergroup aggression. Incorporating pathogens into the models reduces the size of the host population, predominantly by reducing the number of social groups. Average group size responds in more subtle ways: infected groups decrease in size, but uninfected groups may increase when disease reduces the number of groups and thereby reduces intraspecific aggression. Our modeling approach allows for easy calculation of prevalence at multiple scales (within group, across groups, and population level), illustrating that aggregate population-level prevalence can be misleading for group-living species. The model structure is general, can be applied to other social species, and allows for a dynamic assessment of how pathogens can affect social structure and vice versa.
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6
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Natoli E, Bonanni R, Cafazzo S, Mills DS, Pontier D, Pilot M. Genetic inference of the mating system of free-ranging domestic dogs. Behav Ecol 2021; 32:646-656. [PMID: 34539241 PMCID: PMC8444980 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestication has greatly changed the social and reproductive behavior of dogs relative to that of wild members of the genus Canis, which typically exhibit social monogamy and extended parental care. Unlike a typical gray wolf pack that consists of a single breeding pair and their offspring from multiple seasons, a group of free-ranging dogs (FRDs) can include multiple breeding individuals of both sexes. To understand the consequences of this shift in reproductive behavior, we reconstructed the genetic pedigree of an FRD population and assessed the kinship patterns in social groups, based on genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism genotypes. Consistent with behavioral observations, the mating system of the study population was characterized by polygynandry. Instead of the discreet family units observed in wolves, FRDs were linked by a network of kinship relationships that spread across packs. However, we also observed reproduction of the same male-female pairs in multiple seasons, retention of adult offspring in natal packs, and dispersal between neighboring packs-patterns in common with wolves. Although monogamy is the predominant mating system in wolves, polygyny and polyandry are occasionally observed in response to increased food availability. Thus, polygynandry of domestic dogs was likely influenced by the shift in ecological niche from an apex predator to a human commensal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Natoli
- Canile Sovrazonale, ASL Roma 3 (Local Health Unit Rome 3), Via della Magliana 856H, 00148 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Daniel S Mills
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Dominique Pontier
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Małgorzata Pilot
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Nadwiślańska 108, 80-680 Gdańsk, Poland
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Brandell EE, Fountain-Jones NM, Gilbertson ML, Cross PC, Hudson PJ, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Packer C, Craft ME. Group density, disease, and season shape territory size and overlap of social carnivores. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:87-101. [PMID: 32654133 PMCID: PMC9844152 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13294] [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: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The spatial organization of a population can influence the spread of information, behaviour and pathogens. Group territory size and territory overlap and components of spatial organization, provide key information as these metrics may be indicators of habitat quality, resource dispersion, contact rates and environmental risk (e.g. indirectly transmitted pathogens). Furthermore, sociality and behaviour can also shape space use, and subsequently, how space use and habitat quality together impact demography. Our study aims to identify factors shaping the spatial organization of wildlife populations and assess the impact of epizootics on space use. We further aim to explore the mechanisms by which disease perturbations could cause changes in spatial organization. Here we assessed the seasonal spatial organization of Serengeti lions and Yellowstone wolves at the group level. We use network analysis to describe spatial organization and connectivity of social groups. We then examine the factors predicting mean territory size and mean territory overlap for each population using generalized additive models. We demonstrate that lions and wolves were similar in that group-level factors, such as number of groups and shaped spatial organization more than population-level factors, such as population density. Factors shaping territory size were slightly different than factors shaping territory overlap; for example, wolf pack size was an important predictor of territory overlap, but not territory size. Lion spatial networks were more highly connected, while wolf spatial networks varied seasonally. We found that resource dispersion may be more important for driving territory size and overlap for wolves than for lions. Additionally, canine distemper epizootics may have altered lion spatial organization, highlighting the importance of including infectious disease epizootics in studies of behavioural and movement ecology. We provide insight about when we might expect to observe the impacts of resource dispersion, disease perturbations, and other ecological factors on spatial organization. Our work highlights the importance of monitoring and managing social carnivore populations at the group level. Future research should elucidate the complex relationships between demographics, social and spatial structure, abiotic and biotic conditions and pathogen infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen E. Brandell
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics & Department of Biology, Huck Institute for Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA 16802
| | | | - Marie L.J. Gilbertson
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
| | - Paul C. Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, Montana, USA 59715
| | - Peter J. Hudson
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics & Department of Biology, Huck Institute for Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA 16802
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Wolf Project, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Wolf Project, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
| | - Meggan E. Craft
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
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Rivas-Blanco D, Pohl IM, Dale R, Heberlein MTE, Range F. Wolves and Dogs May Rely on Non-numerical Cues in Quantity Discrimination Tasks When Given the Choice. Front Psychol 2020; 11:573317. [PMID: 33041945 PMCID: PMC7518719 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.573317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A wide array of species throughout the animal kingdom has shown the ability to distinguish between quantities. Aside from being important for optimal foraging decisions, this ability seems to also be of great relevance in group-living animals as it allows them to inform their decisions regarding engagement in between-group conflicts based on the size of competing groups. However, it is often unclear whether these animals rely on numerical information alone to make these decisions or whether they employ other cues that may covary with the differences in quantity. In this study, we used a touch screen paradigm to investigate the quantity discrimination abilities of two closely related group-living species, wolves and dogs, using a simultaneous visual presentation paradigm. Both species were able to successfully distinguish between stimuli of different quantities up to 32 items and ratios up to 0.80, and their results were in accordance with Weber’s law (which predicts worse performances at higher ratios). However, our controls showed that both wolves and dogs may have used continuous, non-numerical cues, such as size and shape of the stimuli, in conjunction with the numerical information to solve this task. In line with this possibility, dogs’ performance greatly exceeded that which they had shown in other numerical competence paradigms. We discuss the implications these results may have on these species’ underlying biases and numerical capabilities, as well as how our paradigm may have affected the animals’ ability to solve the task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dániel Rivas-Blanco
- Domestication Lab, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ina-Maria Pohl
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rachel Dale
- Domestication Lab, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marianne Theres Elisabeth Heberlein
- Domestication Lab, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friederike Range
- Domestication Lab, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
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9
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vonHoldt BM, DeCandia AL, Heppenheimer E, Janowitz-Koch I, Shi R, Zhou H, German CA, Brzeski KE, Cassidy KA, Stahler DR, Sinsheimer JS. Heritability of interpack aggression in a wild pedigreed population of North American grey wolves. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1764-1775. [PMID: 31905256 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is a quantitative trait deeply entwined with individual fitness. Mapping the genomic architecture underlying such traits is complicated by complex inheritance patterns, social structure, pedigree information and gene pleiotropy. Here, we leveraged the pedigree of a reintroduced population of grey wolves (Canis lupus) in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, to examine the heritability of and the genetic variation associated with aggression. Since their reintroduction, many ecological and behavioural aspects have been documented, providing unmatched records of aggressive behaviour across multiple generations of a wild population of wolves. Using a linear mixed model, a robust genetic relationship matrix, 12,288 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 111 wolves, we estimated the SNP-based heritability of aggression to be 37% and an additional 14% of the phenotypic variation explained by shared environmental exposures. We identified 598 SNP genotypes from 425 grey wolves to resolve a consensus pedigree that was included in a heritability analysis of 141 individuals with SNP genotype, metadata and aggression data. The pedigree-based heritability estimate for aggression is 14%, and an additional 16% of the phenotypic variation was explained by shared environmental exposures. We find strong effects of breeding status and relative pack size on aggression. Through an integrative approach, these results provide a framework for understanding the genetic architecture of a complex trait that influences individual fitness, with linkages to reproduction, in a social carnivore. Along with a few other studies, we show here the incredible utility of a pedigreed natural population for dissecting a complex, fitness-related behavioural trait.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ruoyao Shi
- BioKnow Health Informatics Lab, College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hua Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher A German
- Department of Biostatistics, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kristin E Brzeski
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA
| | - Kira A Cassidy
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA
| | - Janet S Sinsheimer
- Department of Biostatistics, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Human Genetics and Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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10
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Wolves in space: locations of individuals and their effect on pup survival in groups of a cooperatively breeding canid. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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12
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Hanrahan AT, Rutter AU, Nielsen CK, Schauber EM. Spatial ecology of river otters in a human-modified landscape. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractRiver otter populations have expanded across much of their historical range, including in Illinois where they were reintroduced from 1994 to 1997. These expanding populations are recolonizing a wide range of landscapes with different levels of human modification, which could influence how river otters use space in relation to habitat characteristics and each other. Our objectives were to quantify 1) home ranges and core areas, 2) sociality, and 3) habitat selection across all available habitats and within home ranges (second- and third-order selection, respectively) of 22 radiomarked river otters (Lontra canadensis) in southern Illinois during 2014–2016. Our study area contained a diverse mix of forest, agriculture, aquatic and wetland habitats, and a range of urban development intensity. We examined sociality using the frequency at which individuals were located < 25 m from a conspecific and compared home-range overlap among individuals based on sex. Habitat selection at the second and third order was analyzed using an eigen-analysis of selection ratios based on landcover categories. Similar to other studies, male river otters had > 2-fold larger home ranges and core areas than females in southern Illinois. Several lines of evidence indicated males were more social than females. Males were located close to a conspecific more frequently than were females, and overlap of home ranges and core areas among males was greater than it was among females or between sexes. As observed in other landscapes, river otters strongly selected herbaceous and wooded wetlands at both second- and third-order scales. River otters selected terrestrial cover types with vegetative cover potentially due to shelter or prey availability. Forests were selected over crop fields at the third-order scale, which was consistent with studies using sign surveys. River otters in our study had home ranges containing 0–40% developed land cover, but we found no evidence that otters living in more developed areas used their home ranges more selectively. River otters in this landscape were plastic in regard to social behavior and habitat selection, highlighting their generalist nature and providing insight into their ability to successfully recolonize areas of the Midwest with sufficient vegetative cover and aquatic habitat, among other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T Hanrahan
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 251 Life Science II, Carbondale, IL USA
| | - Andrew U Rutter
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Forestry, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 251 Life Science II, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Clayton K Nielsen
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Forestry, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 251 Life Science II, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Eric M Schauber
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 251 Life Science II, Carbondale, IL USA
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13
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Král P, Bukovský J, Pluháček J, Voldřichová M, Robovský J. A case of female-perpetrated infanticide in captive white-lipped deer (Cervus albirostris). J ETHOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-019-00603-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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14
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Boland MR, Kraus MS, Dziuk E, Gelzer AR. Cardiovascular Disease Risk Varies by Birth Month in Canines. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7130. [PMID: 29773810 PMCID: PMC5958072 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25199-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The canine heart is a robust physiological model for the human heart. Recently, birth month associations have been reported and replicated in humans using clinical health records. While animals respond readily to their environment in the wild, a systematic investigation of birth season dependencies among pets and specifically canines remains lacking. We obtained data from the Orthopedic Foundation of Animals on 129,778 canines representing 253 distinct breeds. Among canines that were not predisposed to cardiovascular disease, a clear birth season relationship is observed with peak risk occurring in June-August. Our findings indicate that acquired cardiovascular disease among canines, especially those that are not predisposed to cardiovascular disease, appears birth season dependent. The relative risk of cardiovascular disease for canines not predisposed to cardiovascular disease was as high as 1.47 among July pups. The overall adjusted odds ratio, when mixed breeds were excluded, for the birth season effect was 1.02 (95% CI: 1.002, 1.047, p = 0.032) after adjusting for breed and genetic cardiovascular predisposition effects. Studying birth season effects in model organisms can help to elucidate potential mechanisms behind the reported associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Regina Boland
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. .,Institute for Biomedical Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. .,Center for Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. .,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Marc S Kraus
- Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Eddie Dziuk
- Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Anna R Gelzer
- Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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16
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17
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McIntyre R, Theberge JB, Theberge MT, Smith DW. Behavioral and ecological implications of seasonal variation in the frequency of daytime howling by Yellowstone wolves. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyx034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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18
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Uboni A, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Vucetich JA. Selecting habitat to what purpose? The advantage of exploring the habitat–fitness relationship. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Uboni
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University 1400 Townsend Dr. Houghton Michigan 49931 USA
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Wolf Project PO Box 168 Yellowstone National Park Wyoming 82190 USA
| | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources Wolf Project PO Box 168 Yellowstone National Park Wyoming 82190 USA
| | - John A. Vucetich
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University 1400 Townsend Dr. Houghton Michigan 49931 USA
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19
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Cassidy KA, Mech LD, MacNulty DR, Stahler DR, Smith DW. Sexually dimorphic aggression indicates male gray wolves specialize in pack defense against conspecific groups. Behav Processes 2017; 136:64-72. [PMID: 28143722 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Aggression directed at conspecific groups is common among gregarious, territorial species, and for some species such as gray wolves (Canis lupus) intraspecific strife is the leading cause of natural mortality. Each individual in a group likely has different measures of the costs and benefits associated with a group task, such as an aggressive attack on another group, which can alter motivation and behavior. We observed 292 inter-pack aggressive interactions in Yellowstone National Park between 1 April 1995 and 1 April 2011 (>5300days of observation) in order to determine the role of both sexes, and the influence of pack, age, and other traits on aggression. We recorded the behaviors and characteristics of all individuals present during the interactions (n=534 individuals) and which individuals participated in each step (i.e. chase, attack, kill, flight) of the interaction. Overall, all wolves were more likely to chase rivals if they outnumbered their opponent, suggesting packs accurately assess their opponent's size during encounters and individuals adjust their behavior based on relative pack size. Males were more likely than females to chase rival packs and gray-colored wolves were more aggressive than black-colored wolves. Male wolves and gray-colored wolves also recorded higher cortisol levels than females and black-colored wolves, indicating hormonal support for more intense aggressive behavior. Further, we found a positive correlation between male age and probability of chasing, while age-specific participation for females remained constant. Chasing behavior was influenced by the sex of lone intruders, with males more likely to chase male intruders. This difference in behavior suggests male and female wolves may have different strategies and motivations during inter-pack aggressive interactions related to gray wolf mating systems. A division of labor between pack members concerning resource and territory defense suggests selection for specific traits related to aggression is an adaptive response to intense competition between groups of conspecifics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira A Cassidy
- Natural Resource Science and Management, 115 Green Hall, 1530 Cleveland Avenue N, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA; Yellowstone Wolf Project, PO Box 168, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA.
| | - L David Mech
- U. S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711-37th St., S.E., Jamestown, ND, 58401-7317, USA
| | - Daniel R MacNulty
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, PO Box 168, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA
| | - Douglas W Smith
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, PO Box 168, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA
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Ausband DE, Mitchell MS, Bassing SB, Morehouse A, Smith DW, Stahler D, Struthers J. Individual, Group, and Environmental Influences on Helping Behavior in a Social Carnivore. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David E. Ausband
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; Missoula MT USA
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- US Geological Survey; Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; Missoula MT USA
| | - Sarah B. Bassing
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; Missoula MT USA
| | - Andrea Morehouse
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton AB Canada
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources; Yellowstone National Park; WY USA
| | - Daniel Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources; Yellowstone National Park; WY USA
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21
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Ausband DE, Mitchell MS, Bassing SB, Nordhagen M, Smith DW, Stahler DR. Dog days of summer: influences on decision of wolves to move pups. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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22
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Do gray wolves (Canis lupus) support pack mates during aggressive inter-pack interactions? Anim Cogn 2016; 19:939-47. [PMID: 27193460 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-0994-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
For group-living mammals, social coordination increases success in everything from hunting and foraging (Crofoot and Wrangham in Mind the Gap, Springer, Berlin, 2010; Bailey et al. in Behav Ecol Sociobiol 67:1-17, 2013) to agonism (Mosser and Packer in Anim Behav 78:359-370, 2009; Wilson et al. in Anim Behav 83:277-291, 2012; Cassidy et al. in Behav Ecol 26:1352-1360, 2015). Cooperation is found in many species and, due to its low costs, likely is a determining factor in the evolution of living in social groups (Smith in Anim Behav 92:291-304, 2014). Beyond cooperation, many mammals perform costly behaviors for the benefit of group mates (e.g., parental care, food sharing, grooming). Altruism is considered the most extreme case of cooperation where the altruist increases the fitness of the recipient while decreasing its own fitness (Bell in Selection: the mechanism of evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2008). Gray wolf life history requires intra-pack familiarity, communication, and cooperation in order to succeed in hunting (MacNulty et al. in Behav Ecol doi: 10.1093/beheco/arr159 2011) and protecting group resources (Stahler et al. in J Anim Ecol 82: 222-234, 2013; Cassidy et al. in Behav Ecol 26:1352-1360, 2015). Here, we report 121 territorial aggressive inter-pack interactions in Yellowstone National Park between 1 April 1995 and 1 April 2011 (>5300 days of observation) and examine each interaction where one wolf interferes when its pack mate is being attacked by a rival group. This behavior was recorded six times (17.6 % of interactions involving an attack) and often occurred between dyads of closely related individuals. We discuss this behavior as it relates to the evolution of cooperation, sociality, and altruism.
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Barber-Meyer SM, Mech LD, Newton WE, Borg BL. Differential wolf-pack-size persistence and the role of risk when hunting dangerous prey. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Risk to predators hunting dangerous prey is an emerging area of research and could account for possible persistent differences in gray wolf (Canis lupus) pack sizes. We documented significant differences in long-term wolf-pack-size averages and variation in the Superior National Forest (SNF), Denali National Park and Preserve, Yellowstone National Park, and Yukon, Canada (). The SNF differences could be related to the wolves’ risk when hunting primary prey, for those packs () hunting moose (Alces americanus) were significantly larger than those () hunting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (, ). Our data support the hypothesis that differential pack-size persistence may be perpetuated by differences in primary prey riskiness to wolves, and we highlight two important extensions of this idea: (1) the potential for wolves to provision and defend injured packmates from other wolves and (2) the importance of less-risky, buffer prey to pack-size persistence and year-to-year variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M. Barber-Meyer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th Street, SE, Jamestown, ND 58401-7317, USA
- Present address: U.S. Geological Survey, 1393 Highway 169, Ely, MN 55731, USA
| | - L. David Mech
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th Street, SE, Jamestown, ND 58401-7317, USA
- Present address: The Raptor Center, University of Minnesota, 1920 Fitch Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Wesley E. Newton
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th Street, SE, Jamestown, ND 58401-7317, USA
| | - Bridget L. Borg
- Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali, AK 99755-0009, USA
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