1
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Todisco V, Fridolfsson E, Axén C, Dahlgren E, Ejsmond MJ, Hauber MM, Hindar K, Tibblin P, Zöttl M, Söderberg L, Hylander S. Thiamin dynamics during the adult life cycle of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). J Fish Biol 2024; 104:807-824. [PMID: 37823583 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Thiamin is an essential water-soluble B vitamin known for its wide range of metabolic functions and antioxidant properties. Over the past decades, reproductive failures induced by thiamin deficiency have been observed in several salmonid species worldwide, but it is unclear why this micronutrient deficiency arises. Few studies have compared thiamin concentrations in systems of salmonid populations with or without documented thiamin deficiency. Moreover, it is not well known whether and how thiamin concentration changes during the marine feeding phase and the spawning migration. Therefore, samples of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were collected when actively feeding in the open Baltic Sea, after the sea migration to natal rivers, after river migration, and during the spawning period. To compare populations of Baltic salmon with systems without documented thiamin deficiency, a population of landlocked salmon located in Lake Vänern (Sweden) was sampled as well as salmon from Norwegian rivers draining into the North Atlantic Ocean. Results showed the highest mean thiamin concentrations in Lake Vänern salmon, followed by North Atlantic, and the lowest in Baltic populations. Therefore, salmon in the Baltic Sea seem to be consistently more constrained by thiamin than those in other systems. Condition factor and body length had little to no effect on thiamin concentrations in all systems, suggesting that there is no relation between the body condition of salmon and thiamin deficiency. In our large spatiotemporal comparison of salmon populations, thiamin concentrations declined toward spawning in all studied systems, suggesting that the reduction in thiamin concentration arises as a natural consequence of starvation rather than to be related to thiamin deficiency in the system. These results suggest that factors affecting accumulation during the marine feeding phase are key for understanding the thiamin deficiency in salmonids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittoria Todisco
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Emil Fridolfsson
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Charlotte Axén
- Section for Fish, National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elin Dahlgren
- Institution of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maciej J Ejsmond
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
- Institute of Environmental Science, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | - Marc M Hauber
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Kjetil Hindar
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Petter Tibblin
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Linda Söderberg
- Institution of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Samuel Hylander
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
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2
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Bensch HM, Lundin D, Tolf C, Waldenström J, Zöttl M. Environmental effects rather than relatedness determine gut microbiome similarity in a social mammal. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1753-1760. [PMID: 37584218 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
In social species, group members commonly show substantial similarity in gut microbiome composition. Such similarities have been hypothesized to arise either by shared environmental effects or by host relatedness. However, disentangling these factors is difficult, because group members are often related, and social groups typically share similar environmental conditions. In this study, we conducted a cross-foster experiment under controlled laboratory conditions in group-living Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis) and used 16S amplicon sequencing to disentangle the effects of the environment and relatedness on gut microbiome similarity and diversity. Our results show that a shared environment is the main factor explaining gut microbiome similarity, overshadowing any effect of host relatedness. Together with studies in wild animal populations, our results suggest that among conspecifics environmental factors are more powerful drivers of gut microbiome composition similarity than host genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna M Bensch
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
| | - Daniel Lundin
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Conny Tolf
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Jonas Waldenström
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
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3
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Parey E, Fernandez-Aroca D, Frost S, Uribarren A, Park TJ, Zöttl M, St John Smith E, Berthelot C, Villar D. Phylogenetic modeling of enhancer shifts in African mole-rats reveals regulatory changes associated with tissue-specific traits. Genome Res 2023; 33:1513-1526. [PMID: 37625847 PMCID: PMC10620049 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277715.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Changes in gene regulation are thought to underlie most phenotypic differences between species. For subterranean rodents such as the naked mole-rat, proposed phenotypic adaptations include hypoxia tolerance, metabolic changes, and cancer resistance. However, it is largely unknown what regulatory changes may associate with these phenotypic traits, and whether these are unique to the naked mole-rat, the mole-rat clade, or are also present in other mammals. Here, we investigate regulatory evolution in the heart and liver from two African mole-rat species and two rodent outgroups using genome-wide epigenomic profiling. First, we adapted and applied a phylogenetic modeling approach to quantitatively compare epigenomic signals at orthologous regulatory elements and identified thousands of promoter and enhancer regions with differential epigenomic activity in mole-rats. These elements associate with known mole-rat adaptations in metabolic and functional pathways and suggest candidate genetic loci that may underlie mole-rat innovations. Second, we evaluated ancestral and species-specific regulatory changes in the study phylogeny and report several candidate pathways experiencing stepwise remodeling during the evolution of mole-rats, such as the insulin and hypoxia response pathways. Third, we report nonorthologous regulatory elements overlap with lineage-specific repetitive elements and appear to modify metabolic pathways by rewiring of HNF4 and RAR/RXR transcription factor binding sites in mole-rats. These comparative analyses reveal how mole-rat regulatory evolution informs previously reported phenotypic adaptations. Moreover, the phylogenetic modeling framework we propose here improves upon the state of the art by addressing known limitations of inter-species comparisons of epigenomic profiles and has broad implications in the field of comparative functional genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Parey
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Diego Fernandez-Aroca
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Frost
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom
| | - Ainhoa Uribarren
- Cambridge Institute, Cancer Research UK and University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas J Park
- Department of Biological Sciences and Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, 44054 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PD, United Kingdom
| | - Camille Berthelot
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France;
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3525, INSERM UA12, Comparative Functional Genomics Group, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Diego Villar
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom;
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Thorley J, Bensch HM, Finn K, Clutton-Brock T, Zöttl M. Damaraland mole-rats do not rely on helpers for reproduction or survival. Evol Lett 2023; 7:203-215. [PMID: 37475748 PMCID: PMC10355180 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrad023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In eusocial invertebrates and obligate cooperative breeders, successful reproduction is dependent on assistance from non-breeding group members. Although naked (Heterocephalus glaber) and Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis) are often described as eusocial and their groups are suggested to resemble those of eusocial insects more closely than groups of any other vertebrate, the extent to which breeding individuals benefit from the assistance of non-breeding group members is unclear. Here we show that, in wild Damaraland mole-rats, prospective female breeders usually disperse and settle alone in new burrow systems where they show high survival rates and remain in good body condition-often for several years-before being joined by males. In contrast to many obligate cooperative vertebrates, pairs reproduced successfully without non-breeding helpers, and the breeding success of experimentally formed pairs was similar to that of larger, established groups. Though larger breeding groups recruited slightly more pups than smaller groups, adult survival was independent of group size and group size had mixed effects on the growth of non-breeders. Our results suggest that Damaraland mole-rats do not need groups to survive and that cooperative breeding in the species is not obligate as pairs can-and frequently do-reproduce without the assistance of helpers. While re-emphasizing the importance of ecological constraints on dispersal in social mole-rats, the mixed effects of group size in our study suggest that indirect benefits accrued through cooperative behavior may have played a less prominent role in the evolution of mole-rat group-living than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Thorley
- Corresponding author: Department of Zoology, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Kyle Finn
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
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Jungwirth A, Zöttl M, Bonfils D, Josi D, Frommen JG, Taborsky M. Philopatry yields higher fitness than dispersal in a cooperative breeder with sex-specific life history trajectories. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadd2146. [PMID: 36867697 PMCID: PMC9984175 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add2146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Social evolution is tightly linked to dispersal decisions, but the ecological and social factors selecting for philopatry or dispersal often remain obscure. Elucidating selection mechanisms underlying alternative life histories requires measurement of fitness effects in the wild. We report on a long-term field study of 496 individually marked cooperatively breeding fish, showing that philopatry is beneficial as it increases breeding tenure and lifetime reproductive success in both sexes. Dispersers predominantly join established groups and end up in smaller groups when they ascend to dominance. Life history trajectories are sex specific, with males growing faster, dying earlier, and dispersing more, whereas females more likely inherit a breeding position. Increased male dispersal does not seem to reflect an adaptive preference but rather sex-specific differences in intrasexual competition. Cooperative groups may thus be maintained because of inherent benefits of philopatry, of which females seem to get the greater share in social cichlids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Jungwirth
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1a, A-1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, SE-391 82 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Danielle Bonfils
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Dario Josi
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Eawag Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, M1 5GD Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Taborsky
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, D-78467 Konstanz, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Study (Wissenschaftskolleg) Berlin, D-14193 Berlin, Germany
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6
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Zöttl M, Schreier T, Taborsky M. Coercion promotes alloparental care in cooperative breeders. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:363-372. [PMID: 37192918 PMCID: PMC10183202 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Members of social groups may negotiate among each other about the exchange of goods and services. If this involves asymmetries between interacting partners, for instance in condition, power, or expected payoffs, coercion may be involved in the bargain. Cooperative breeders are excellent models to study such interactions, because asymmetries are inherent in the relationship between dominant breeders and subordinate helpers. Currently it is unclear whether punishment is used to enforce costly cooperation in such systems. Here we investigated experimentally in the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher whether alloparental brood care provided by subordinates is contingent on enforcement by dominant breeders. We manipulated first the brood care behavior of a subordinate group member and then the possibility of the dominant breeders to punish idle helpers. When subordinates were prevented from providing brood care, breeders increased their attacks on them, which triggered increased alloparental brood care by helpers as soon as this was again possible. In contrast, when the possibility to punish helpers was prevented, energetically costly alloparental brood care did not increase. Our results confirm predictions of the pay-to-stay mechanism causing alloparental care in this species and they suggest more generally that coercion can play an important role in the control of cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Zöttl
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern , CH-3032 Hinterkappelen , Switzerland
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University , Kalmar , Sweden
| | - Tanja Schreier
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern , CH-3032 Hinterkappelen , Switzerland
| | - Michael Taborsky
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern , CH-3032 Hinterkappelen , Switzerland
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior , D-78467 Konstanz , Germany
- Institute for Advanced Study (Wissenschaftskolleg) Berlin , D-14193 Berlin , Germany
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Bensch HM, Tolf C, Waldenström J, Lundin D, Zöttl M. Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes: captivity changes the gut microbiota composition and diversity in a social subterranean rodent. Anim Microbiome 2023; 5:9. [PMID: 36765400 PMCID: PMC9912604 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-023-00231-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In mammals, the gut microbiota has important effects on the health of their hosts. Recent research highlights that animal populations that live in captivity often differ in microbiota diversity and composition from wild populations. However, the changes that may occur when animals move to captivity remain difficult to predict and factors generating such differences are poorly understood. Here we compare the bacterial gut microbiota of wild and captive Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis) originating from a population in the southern Kalahari Desert to characterise the changes of the gut microbiota that occur from one generation to the next generation in a long-lived, social rodent species. RESULTS We found a clear divergence in the composition of the gut microbiota of captive and wild Damaraland mole-rats. Although the dominating higher-rank bacterial taxa were the same in the two groups, captive animals had an increased ratio of relative abundance of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes compared to wild animals. The Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) that were strongly associated with wild animals were commonly members of the same bacterial families as those strongly associated with captive animals. Captive animals had much higher ASV richness compared to wild-caught animals, explained by an increased richness within the Firmicutes. CONCLUSION We found that the gut microbiota of captive hosts differs substantially from the gut microbiota composition of wild hosts. The largest differences between the two groups were found in shifts in relative abundances and diversity of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna M. Bensch
- grid.8148.50000 0001 2174 3522Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Linnaeus University, 391 82 Kalmar, Sweden ,Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
| | - Conny Tolf
- grid.8148.50000 0001 2174 3522Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Linnaeus University, 391 82 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Jonas Waldenström
- grid.8148.50000 0001 2174 3522Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Linnaeus University, 391 82 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Daniel Lundin
- grid.8148.50000 0001 2174 3522Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Linnaeus University, 391 82 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Markus Zöttl
- grid.8148.50000 0001 2174 3522Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Linnaeus University, 391 82 Kalmar, Sweden ,Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
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Zöttl M, Bensch HM, Finn KT, Hart DW, Thorley J, Bennett NC, Braude S. Capture Order Across Social Bathyergids Indicates Similarities in Division of Labour and Spatial Organisation. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.877221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The social mole-rats of the family Bathyergidae show elaborate social organisation that may include division of labour between breeders and non-breeders as well as across non-breeders within their groups. However, comparative behavioural data across the taxa are rare and contrasts and similarities between species are poorly understood. Field studies of social bathyergids usually involve capturing all group members until the entire group is captured. Because each animal is only captured once and traps are typically placed in close proximity to active foraging areas, the order in which animals are captured provides an indication of the foraging activity of different individuals and of the spatial organisation of the group within the burrow system. Here, we compare the association of capture order with breeding status, sex, and body mass in four species and subspecies of social bathyergids, which vary in group size and represent all three social genera within the family Bathyergidae. We show that in naked and Damaraland mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber and Fukomys damarensis), male and female breeders are captured later than non-breeders, whereas in two different subspecies of the genus Cryptomys only female breeders are captured later than non-breeders. The effect sizes vary largely and are 10 times larger in naked mole-rats as compared to Fukomys and 3–4 times larger than in Cryptomys. Among non-breeders, sex effects are notably absent in all species and body mass predicted capture order in both naked and Damaraland mole-rats. In naked mole-rats, larger non-breeders were captured earlier than smaller ones, whereas in Damaraland mole-rats intermediate-sized non-breeders were captured first. Our data suggest that there are similarities in behavioural structure and spatial organisation across all social bathyergid species, though the most pronounced differences within groups are found in naked mole-rats.
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Finn KT, Thorley J, Bensch HM, Zöttl M. Subterranean Life-Style Does Not Limit Long Distance Dispersal in African Mole-Rats. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.879014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal from the natal site to breeding sites is a crucial phase in the life history of animals and can have profound effects on the reproductive ecology and the structure of animal societies. However, few studies have assessed dispersal dynamics in subterranean mammals and it is unknown whether dispersal distances are constrained by living underground. Here we show, in social, subterranean Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), that a subterranean lifestyle does not preclude long distance dispersal and that both sexes are capable of successfully dispersing long distances (>4 km). Body condition did not predict dispersal distance, but dispersers from larger groups traveled farther than individuals from smaller groups. Subsequently we show in a phylogenetically controlled comparative analysis of dispersal distances in subterranean and surface-dwelling rodents that living underground does not constrain dispersal distances and that dispersal capacity is mainly a consequence of body size in both lifestyles.
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Resheff YS, Bensch HM, Zöttl M, Rotics S. Correcting a bias in the computation of behavioral time budgets that are based on supervised learning. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hanna M. Bensch
- EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science Linnaeus University Kalmar Sweden
| | - Markus Zöttl
- EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science Linnaeus University Kalmar Sweden
| | - Shay Rotics
- EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science Linnaeus University Kalmar Sweden
- Department of Zooloy University of Cambridge
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11
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Bensch HM, Tolf C, Waldenström J, Lundin D, Zöttl M. Freeze-drying can replace cold-chains for transport and storage of fecal microbiome samples. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13095. [PMID: 35310158 PMCID: PMC8932309 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The transport and storage of samples in temperatures of minus 80 °C is commonly considered as the gold standard for microbiome studies. However, studies conducting sample collection at remote sites without a reliable cold-chain would benefit from a sample preservation method that allows transport and storage at ambient temperature. Methods In this study we compare alpha diversity and 16S microbiome composition of 20 fecal sample replicates from Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis) preserved in a minus 80 °C freezer and transported on dry ice to freeze-dried samples that were stored and transported in ambient temperature until DNA extraction. Results We found strong correlations between relative abundances of Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) between preservation treatments of the sample, no differences in alpha diversity measures between the two preservation treatments and minor effects of the preservation treatment on beta diversity measures. Our results show that freeze-drying samples can be a useful method for cost-effective transportation and storage of microbiome samples that yields quantitatively almost indistinguishable results in 16S microbiome analyses as those stored in minus 80 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna M. Bensch
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Sweden,Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
| | - Conny Tolf
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Sweden
| | - Jonas Waldenström
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Sweden
| | - Daniel Lundin
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Sweden
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMIS), Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Sweden,Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
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12
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Finn KT, Janse van Vuuren AK, Hart DW, Süess T, Zöttl M, Bennett NC. Seasonal Changes in Locomotor Activity Patterns of Wild Social Natal Mole-Rats (Cryptomys hottentotus natalensis). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.819393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences in individual locomotor activity patterns may be linked to a number of ecological factors, such as changes in ambient temperature or photoperiod. Observations on subterranean mammals suggest that they exhibit diel rhythms despite the lack of visual cues in their underground burrows, but it is unknown how seasonality and individual characteristics affect their activity. In this study we use RFID technology to monitor daily activity patterns of wild, social Natal mole-rats (Cryptomys hottentotus natalensis) during the summer and winter to investigate how their activity varies with season and whether their activity depends on individual characteristics such as body mass, sex and reproductive status. We found that in winter, individuals were more active during the time with the highest soil temperatures, whereas in summer, they showed a bimodal activity pattern during early morning and late afternoon coinciding with cooler soil temperatures. Individual characteristics, including reproductive status, did not affect general activity indicating that reproductive and non-reproductive individuals contribute equally to cooperative behaviors. We suggest that the activity patterns may be a behavioral adaptation to avoid extreme burrow temperatures and a mechanism to maintain a stable core body temperature. We highlight the advantages of RFID technology to study wild small mammal movements.
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13
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Siegmann S, Feitsch R, Hart DW, Bennett NC, Penn DJ, Zöttl M. Naked mole‐rats (
Heterocephalus glaber
) do not specialise in cooperative tasks. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Siegmann
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Austria
| | - Romana Feitsch
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Austria
| | - Daniel W. Hart
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Mammal Research Institute University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Mammal Research Institute University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
| | - Dustin J. Penn
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Austria
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems EEMiS Department of Biology and Environmental Science Linnaeus University Kalmar Sweden
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14
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Vullioud P, Mendonça R, Glauser G, Bennett N, Zöttl M, Katlein N, Leal R, Fuerst R, Clutton-Brock T. Increases in glucocorticoids are sufficient but not necessary to increase cooperative burrowing in Damaraland mole-rats. Horm Behav 2021; 135:105034. [PMID: 34320418 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite widespread interest in the evolution of cooperative behaviour, the physiological mechanisms shaping their expression remain elusive. We tested the hypothesis that glucocorticoid (GC) hormones affect cooperative behaviour using captive Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), a cooperatively breeding mammal. Within groups, individuals routinely contribute to public goods that include foraging tunnels, which provide all group members access to the tubers of desert plants they feed on, communal food stores and nests. We found that experimental increases in glucocorticoid concentration (GCc) in non-breeding female helpers led them to be active for longer and to burrow more while active, raising their daily contributions to burrowing, but not food carrying or nest building. However, experimentally induced increases in burrowing did not lead to elevated GCc in helpers of both sexes. These results suggest that heightened GCc may stimulate some cooperative behaviours that are energetically demanding (a characteristic shared by many types of cooperative activities across species) but that the cooperative behaviours affected by GCc can also be regulated by other mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rute Mendonça
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland; Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Gaëtan Glauser
- Neuchatel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Nigel Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Nathan Katlein
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Rita Leal
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Romain Fuerst
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
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15
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Francioli Y, Thorley J, Finn K, Clutton-Brock T, Zöttl M. Breeders are less active foragers than non-breeders in wild Damaraland mole-rats. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200475. [PMID: 33023382 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Eusocial societies are characterized by a clear division of labour between non-breeding workers and breeding queens, and queens often do not contribute to foraging, defence and other maintenance tasks. It has been suggested that the structure and organization of social mole-rat groups resembles that of eusocial insect societies. However, the division of labour has rarely been investigated in wild mole-rats, and it is unknown whether breeders show decreased foraging activity compared with non-breeding helpers in natural groups. Here, we show that, in wild Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), breeders show lower activity in foraging areas than non-breeding group members. Both breeders and non-breeders displayed variation in activity across the different seasons. Our results suggest that group living allows social mole-rat breeders to reduce their investment in energetically costly behaviour, or alternatively, that the high cost of reproduction in this species forces a behavioural trade-off against foraging investment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Francioli
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Jack Thorley
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kyle Finn
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
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16
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Abstract
AbstractAlthough the social mole-rats are commonly classified as eusocial breeders on the grounds that groups include a single breeding female (the “queen”) and a number of nonbreeding individuals (“helpers”) of both sexes, alloparental care is not highly developed in these species and there is no direct evidence that the presence or number of nonbreeders is associated with reductions in the workload of the “queen.” An alternative interpretation of mole-rat groups is that the social mole-rats are cooperative foragers rather than cooperative or eusocial breeders. Here, in captive colonies of Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), we provide the first evidence that increases in the number of nonbreeding subordinates in mole-rat groups are associated with reductions in the workload of “queens” and with increases in their fecundity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Tim H Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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17
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Bennett NC, Ganswindt A, Ganswindt SB, Jarvis JUM, Zöttl M, Faulkes CG. Evidence for contrasting roles for prolactin in eusocial naked mole-rats, Heterocephalus glaber and Damaraland mole-rats, Fukomys damarensis. Biol Lett 2019; 14:rsbl.2018.0150. [PMID: 29794008 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated prolactin (PRL) has been associated with the expression of social and cooperative behaviours in a number of vertebrate species, as well as suppression of reproduction. As social mole-rats exhibit both of these traits, PRL is a prime candidate in mediating their social phenotype. While naked and Damaraland mole-rats (NMRs and DMRs) have evolved eusociality independently within their family, both species exhibit an extreme skew in lifetime reproductive success, with breeding restricted to a single female and one or two males. Non-breeding NMRs of both sexes are physiologically inhibited from reproducing, while in DMRs only the non-breeding females are physiologically suppressed. Newly emerging work has implicated the dopamine system and PRL as a component in socially induced reproductive suppression and eusociality in NMR, but the DMR remains unstudied in this context. To investigate evolutionary convergence in the role of PRL in shaping African mole-rat eusociality, we determined plasma PRL concentrations in breeders and non-breeders of both sexes, comparing DMRs with NMRs. Among samples from non-breeding NMRs 80% had detectable plasma PRL concentrations. As a benchmark, these often (37%) exceeding those considered clinically hyperprolactinaemic (25 ng ml-1) in humans: mean ± s.e.m.: 34.81 ± 5.87 ngml-1; range 0.00-330.30 ng ml-1 Conversely, 85% of non-breeding DMR samples had undetectable values and none had concentrations above 25 ng ml-1: 0.71 ± 0.38 ng ml-1; 0.00-23.87 ngml-1 Breeders in both species had the expected variance in plasma PRL concentrations as part of normal reproductive function, with lactating queens having significantly higher values. These results suggest that while elevated PRL in non-breeders is implicated in NMR eusociality, this may not be the case in DMRs, and suggests a lack of evolutionary convergence in the proximate control of the social phenotype in these mole-rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- N C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - A Ganswindt
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - S B Ganswindt
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - J U M Jarvis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - M Zöttl
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, 39182 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - C G Faulkes
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, UK
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18
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Jungwirth A, Balzarini V, Zöttl M, Salzmann A, Taborsky M, Frommen JG. Long-term individual marking of small freshwater fish: the utility of Visual Implant Elastomer tags. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2659-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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19
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Torrents-Ticó M, Bennett NC, Jarvis JUM, Zöttl M. Growth affects dispersal success in social mole-rats, but not the duration of philopatry. Biol Lett 2018; 14:rsbl.2018.0005. [PMID: 29467175 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber), some non-breeding males show faster growth and are more likely to disperse than others. These differences have been suggested to be the result of a specialized developmental strategy leading to shorter philopatry and independent breeding, as opposed to extended philopatry as non-reproductive helpers. However, it is unclear whether fast-growing males disperse sooner than slow-growing males. An alternative explanation is that variation in quality between individuals causes high-quality individuals to grow quickly and maximize dispersal success without reducing philopatry. Here we show that in Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), males that subsequently disperse successfully grow faster than other non-reproductive males. This pattern is predicted by both hypotheses and does not discriminate between them. However, contrary to the suggestion that faster growth represents a developmental specialization for early dispersal, fast-growing and slow-growing males remained equally long in their natal groups. Our study provides no evidence for adaptive divergence in male development leading either to early dispersal or extended philopatry. Instead of representing specialized dispersers, fast-growing males of this species may be high-quality individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Torrents-Ticó
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Department of Zoology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | | | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK .,Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, SE-391 82 Kalmar, Sweden
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20
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Zöttl M, Vullioud P, Goddard K, Torrents-Ticó M, Gaynor D, Bennett NC, Clutton-Brock T. Allo-parental care in Damaraland mole-rats is female biased and age dependent, though independent of testosterone levels. Physiol Behav 2018; 193:149-153. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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21
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Torrents‐Ticó M, Bennett NC, Jarvis JUM, Zöttl M. Sex differences in timing and context of dispersal in Damaraland mole‐rats (Fukomys damarensis). J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Torrents‐Ticó
- Global Change and Conservation Lab (GCC) Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - N. C. Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute Department of Zoology University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
| | - J. U. M. Jarvis
- Biological Sciences University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
| | - M. Zöttl
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS Department of Biology and Environmental Science Linnaeus University Kalmar Sweden
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22
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Finn K, Parker D, Bennett N, Zöttl M. Contrasts in body size and growth suggest that high population density results in faster pace of life in Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis). CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We studied the correlates of population density and body size, growth rates, litter size, and group size in Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis (Ogilby, 1838)) at two study sites with contrasting population densities. Group size, litter size, and the probability of recapture were independent of study site. However, body size differed between the two study sites, suggesting that population density may affect life-history traits in social mole-rats. At the low-density site (0.13 groups/ha), individuals were significantly larger and subordinate males showed higher growth rates than at the high-density site (0.41 groups/ha), which may indicate that high population density in subterranean rodents enhances pace of life. The larger size of nonreproductive individuals at the low-density site could adapt individuals at lower population densities to larger dispersal distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- K.T. Finn
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
- Kalahari Mole-rat Project, Kalahari Research Centre, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape 8467, South Africa
| | - D.M. Parker
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Private Bag X 11283, Mbombela 1200, South Africa
| | - N.C. Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - M. Zöttl
- Kalahari Mole-rat Project, Kalahari Research Centre, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape 8467, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB23EJ, United Kingdom
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, SE-391 82 Kalmar, Sweden
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23
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Thorley J, Katlein N, Goddard K, Zöttl M, Clutton-Brock T. Correction to 'Reproduction triggers adaptive increases in body size in female mole-rats'. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1284. [PMID: 30051858 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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24
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Thorley J, Katlein N, Goddard K, Zöttl M, Clutton-Brock T. Reproduction triggers adaptive increases in body size in female mole-rats. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20180897. [PMID: 29875307 PMCID: PMC6015866 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In social mole-rats, breeding females are larger and more elongated than non-breeding female helpers. This status-related morphological divergence is thought to arise from modifications of skeletal growth following the death or removal of the previous breeder and the transition of their successors from a non-breeding to a breeding role. However, it is not clear what changes in growth are involved, whether they are stimulated by the relaxation of reproductive suppression or by changes in breeding status, or whether they are associated with fecundity increases. Here, we show that, in captive Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), where breeding was experimentally controlled in age-matched siblings, individuals changed in size and shape through a lengthening of the lumbar vertebrae when they began breeding. This skeletal remodelling results from changes in breeding status because (i) females removed from a group setting and placed solitarily showed no increases in growth and (ii) females dispersing from natural groups that have not yet bred do not differ in size and shape from helpers in established groups. Growth patterns consequently resemble other social vertebrates where contrasts in size and shape follow the acquisition of the breeding role. Our results also suggest that the increases in female body size provide fecundity benefits. Similar forms of socially responsive growth might be more prevalent in vertebrates than is currently recognized, but the extent to which this is the case, and the implications for the structuring of mammalian dominance hierarchies, are as yet poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Thorley
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, PO Box 64, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
| | - Nathan Katlein
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, PO Box 64, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
| | - Katy Goddard
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, PO Box 64, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, PO Box 64, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, 391 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, PO Box 64, Van Zylsrus, South Africa
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, 0028 Pretoria, South Africa
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25
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Zöttl M, Thorley J, Gaynor D, Bennett NC, Clutton-Brock T. Variation in growth of Damaraland mole-rats is explained by competition rather than by functional specialization for different tasks. Biol Lett 2016; 12:20160820. [PMID: 27974493 PMCID: PMC5206592 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In some eusocial insect societies, adaptation to the division of labour results in multimodal size variation among workers. It has been suggested that variation in size and growth among non-breeders in naked and Damaraland mole-rats may similarly reflect functional divergence associated with different cooperative tasks. However, it is unclear whether individual growth rates are multimodally distributed (as would be expected if variation in growth is associated with specialization for different tasks) or whether variation in growth is unimodally distributed, and is related to differences in the social and physical environment (as would be predicted if there are individual differences in growth but no discrete differences in developmental pathways). Here, we show that growth trajectories of non-breeding Damaraland mole-rats vary widely, and that their distribution is unimodal, contrary to the suggestion that variation in growth is the result of differentiation into discrete castes. Though there is no evidence of discrete variation in growth, social factors appear to exert important effects on growth rates and age-specific size, which are both reduced in large social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Zöttl
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jack Thorley
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David Gaynor
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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26
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Cimadom A, Ulloa A, Meidl P, Zöttl M, Zöttl E, Fessl B, Nemeth E, Dvorak M, Cunninghame F, Tebbich S. Invasive parasites, habitat change and heavy rainfall reduce breeding success in Darwin's finches. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107518. [PMID: 25248092 PMCID: PMC4172424 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive alien parasites and pathogens are a growing threat to biodiversity worldwide, which can contribute to the extinction of endemic species. On the Galápagos Islands, the invasive parasitic fly Philornis downsi poses a major threat to the endemic avifauna. Here, we investigated the influence of this parasite on the breeding success of two Darwin's finch species, the warbler finch (Certhidea olivacea) and the sympatric small tree finch (Camarhynchus parvulus), on Santa Cruz Island in 2010 and 2012. While the population of the small tree finch appeared to be stable, the warbler finch has experienced a dramatic decline in population size on Santa Cruz Island since 1997. We aimed to identify whether warbler finches are particularly vulnerable during different stages of the breeding cycle. Contrary to our prediction, breeding success was lower in the small tree finch than in the warbler finch. In both species P. downsi had a strong negative impact on breeding success and our data suggest that heavy rain events also lowered the fledging success. On the one hand parents might be less efficient in compensating their chicks' energy loss due to parasitism as they might be less efficient in foraging on days of heavy rain. On the other hand, intense rainfalls might lead to increased humidity and more rapid cooling of the nests. In the case of the warbler finch we found that the control of invasive plant species with herbicides had a significant additive negative impact on the breeding success. It is very likely that the availability of insects (i.e. food abundance)is lower in such controlled areas, as herbicide usage led to the removal of the entire understory. Predation seems to be a minor factor in brood loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arno Cimadom
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angel Ulloa
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Patrick Meidl
- Institute for Science and Technology, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabet Zöttl
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Birgit Fessl
- Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | | | | | | | - Sabine Tebbich
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail:
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27
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Fischer S, Zöttl M, Groenewoud F, Taborsky B. Group-size-dependent punishment of idle subordinates in a cooperative breeder where helpers pay to stay. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20140184. [PMID: 24990673 PMCID: PMC4100499 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In cooperative breeding systems, dominant breeders sometimes tolerate unrelated individuals even if they inflict costs on the dominants. According to the 'pay-to-stay' hypothesis, (i) subordinates can outweigh these costs by providing help and (ii) dominants should be able to enforce help by punishing subordinates that provide insufficient help. This requires that dominants can monitor helping and can recognize group members individually. In a field experiment, we tested whether cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher subordinates increase their help after a forced 'idle' period, how other group members respond to a previously idle helper, and how helper behaviour and group responses depend on group size. Previously, idle helpers increased their submissiveness and received more aggression than control helpers, suggesting that punishment occurred to enforce help. Subordinates in small groups increased their help more than those in large groups, despite receiving less aggression. When subordinates were temporarily removed, dominants in small groups were more likely to evict returning subordinates. Our results suggest that only in small groups do helpers face a latent threat of punishment by breeders as predicted by the pay-to-stay hypothesis. In large groups, cognitive constraints may prevent breeders from tracking the behaviour of a large number of helpers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Fischer
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Frank Groenewoud
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland Behavioural Ecology and Self-Organization, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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Zöttl M, Fischer S, Taborsky M. Partial brood care compensation by female breeders in response to experimental manipulation of alloparental care. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.03.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Abstract
Environmental factors can determine which group size will maximize the fitness of group members. This is particularly important in cooperative breeders, where group members often serve different purposes. Experimental studies are yet lacking to check whether ecologically mediated need for help will change the propensity of dominant group members to accept immigrants. Here, we manipulated the perceived risk of predation for dominant breeders of the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher to test their response to unrelated and previously unknown immigrants. Potential immigrants were more readily accepted if groups were exposed to fish predators or egg predators than to herbivorous fish or control situations lacking predation risk. Our data are consistent with both risk dilution and helping effects. Egg predators were presented before spawning, which might suggest that the fish adjust acceptance rates also to a potential future threat. Dominant group members of N. pulcher apparently consider both present and future need of help based on ecological demand. This suggests that acceptance of immigrants and, more generally, tolerance of group members on demand could be a widespread response to ecological conditions in cooperatively breeding animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Zöttl
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.
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Zöttl M, Heg D, Chervet N, Taborsky M. Kinship reduces alloparental care in cooperative cichlids where helpers pay-to-stay. Nat Commun 2013; 4:1341. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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Abstract
In cooperative breeders, sexually mature subordinates can either queue for chances to inherit the breeding position in their natal group, or disperse to reproduce independently. The choice of one or the other option may be flexible, as when individuals respond to attractive dispersal options, or they may reflect fixed life-history trajectories. Here, we show in a permanently marked, natural population of the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher that subordinate helpers reduce investment in territory defence shortly before dispersing. Such reduction of effort is not shown by subordinates who stay and inherit the breeding position. This difference suggests that subordinates ready to leave reduce their investment in the natal territory strategically in favour of future life-history perspectives. It seems to be part of a conditional choice of the dispersal tactic, as this reduction in effort appears only shortly before dispersal, whereas philopatric and dispersing helpers do not differ in defence effort earlier in life. Hence, cooperative territory defence is state-dependent and plastic rather than a consistent part of a fixed life-history trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Zöttl
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.
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Zöttl M, Lienert R, Clutton-Brock T, Millesi E, Manser MB. The effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Townsend SW, Zöttl M, Manser MB. All clear? Meerkats attend to contextual information in close calls to coordinate vigilance. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1202-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Chervet N, Zöttl M, Schürch R, Taborsky M, Heg D. Repeatability and heritability of behavioural types in a social cichlid. Int J Evol Biol 2011; 2011:321729. [PMID: 21716729 PMCID: PMC3119426 DOI: 10.4061/2011/321729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2010] [Accepted: 02/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Aim. The quantitative genetics underlying correlated behavioural traits (''animal personality") have hitherto been studied mainly in domesticated animals. Here we report the repeatability (R) and heritability (h(2)) of behavioural types in the highly social cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher. Methods. We tested 1779 individuals repeatedly and calculated the h(2) of behavioural types by variance components estimation (GLMM REML), using 1327 offspring from 162 broods from 74 pairs. Results. Repeatability of behavioural types was significant and considerable (0.546), but declined from 0.83 between tests conducted on the same day, to 0.19 on tests conducted up to 1201 days apart. All h(2) estimates were significant but low (e.g., pair identity h(2) = 0.15 ± 0.03 SE). Additionally, we found significant variation between broods nested within the parent(s), but these were not related to several environmental factors tested. Conclusions. We conclude that despite a considerable R, h(2) in this cichlid species is low, and variability in behavioural type appears to be strongly affected by other (non)genetic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie Chervet
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Roger Schürch
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Michael Taborsky
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Dik Heg
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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