scholarly journals Evolution of boldness and exploratory behavior in giant mice from Gough Island

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jered A. Stratton ◽  
Mark J. Nolte ◽  
Bret A. Payseur
Keyword(s):  
Inbred Strains ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Island Population ◽  
Behavioral Evolution ◽  
Laboratory Environment ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Island Colonization ◽  
Recessive Mutations ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Eastern Usa

Abstract Island populations are hallmarks of extreme phenotypic evolution. Radical changes in resource availability and predation risk accompanying island colonization drive changes in behavior, which Darwin likened to tameness in domesticated animals. Although many examples of animal boldness are found on islands, the heritability of observed behaviors, a requirement for evolution, remains largely unknown. To fill this gap, we profiled anxiety and exploration in island and mainland inbred strains of house mice raised in a common laboratory environment. The island strain was descended from mice on Gough Island, the largest wild house mice on record. Experiments utilizing open environments across two ages showed that Gough Island mice are bolder and more exploratory, even when a shelter is provided. Concurrently, Gough Island mice retain an avoidance response to predator urine. F1 offspring from crosses between these two strains behave more similarly to the mainland strain for most traits, suggesting recessive mutations contributed to behavioral evolution on the island. Our results provide a rare example of novel, inherited behaviors in an island population and demonstrate that behavioral evolution can be specific to different forms of perceived danger. Our discoveries pave the way for a genetic understanding of how island populations evolve unusual behaviors. Significance Organisms on islands are known to behave differently from mainland organisms. An absence of predators and a different set of natural resources are expected to make island organisms less anxious and more exploratory. We raised two groups of house mice, one from Gough Island in the South Atlantic and one from the mainland Eastern USA, in the same laboratory environment to see if behavioral differences between the two groups are heritable. Mice from both groups were placed in novel enclosures that are known to cause anxiety in rodents. We found that mice from the island are bolder and more exploratory in these enclosures but avoid predator odors in the same way as mainland mice. Our results show that boldness and exploration can evolve after island colonization.

scholarly journals Evolution of Boldness and Exploratory Behavior in Giant Mice from Gough Island

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jered A. Stratton ◽  
Mark J. Nolte ◽  
Bret A. Payseur
Keyword(s):  
Inbred Strains ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Island Population ◽  
Phenotypic Evolution ◽  
Behavioral Evolution ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Recessive Mutations ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Wild House Mice ◽  
Common Laboratory

AbstractIsland populations are hallmarks of extreme phenotypic evolution. Radical changes in resource availability and predation risk accompanying island colonization drive changes in behavior, which Darwin likened to tameness in domesticated animals. Although many examples of animal boldness are found on islands, the heritability of observed behaviors, a requirement for evolution, remains largely unknown. To fill this gap, we profiled anxiety and exploration in island and mainland inbred strains of house mice raised in a common laboratory environment. The island strain was descended from mice on Gough Island, the largest wild house mice on record. Experiments utilizing open environments across two ages showed that Gough Island mice are bolder and more exploratory, even when a shelter is provided. Concurrently, Gough Island mice retain an avoidance response to predator urine. F1 offspring from crosses between these two strains behave more similarly to the mainland strain for most traits, suggesting recessive mutations contributed to behavioral evolution on the island. Our results provide a rare example of novel, inherited behaviors in an island population and demonstrate that behavioral evolution can be specific to different forms of perceived danger. Our discoveries pave the way for a genetic understanding of how island populations evolve unusual behaviors.

scholarly journals Giant Island Mice Exhibit Widespread Gene Expression Changes in Key Metabolic Organs

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1277-1301
Author(s):  
Mark J Nolte ◽  
Peicheng Jing ◽  
Colin N Dewey ◽  
Bret A Payseur
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Differential Expression ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Functional Enrichment ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Nutrient Metabolism ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Gough Island

Abstract Island populations repeatedly evolve extreme body sizes, but the genomic basis of this pattern remains largely unknown. To understand how organisms on islands evolve gigantism, we compared genome-wide patterns of gene expression in Gough Island mice, the largest wild house mice in the world, and mainland mice from the WSB/EiJ wild-derived inbred strain. We used RNA-seq to quantify differential gene expression in three key metabolic organs: gonadal adipose depot, hypothalamus, and liver. Between 4,000 and 8,800 genes were significantly differentially expressed across the evaluated organs, representing between 20% and 50% of detected transcripts, with 20% or more of differentially expressed transcripts in each organ exhibiting expression fold changes of at least 2×. A minimum of 73 candidate genes for extreme size evolution, including Irs1 and Lrp1, were identified by considering differential expression jointly with other data sets: 1) genomic positions of published quantitative trait loci for body weight and growth rate, 2) whole-genome sequencing of 16 wild-caught Gough Island mice that revealed fixed single-nucleotide differences between the strains, and 3) publicly available tissue-specific regulatory elements. Additionally, patterns of differential expression across three time points in the liver revealed that Arid5b potentially regulates hundreds of genes. Functional enrichment analyses pointed to cell cycling, mitochondrial function, signaling pathways, inflammatory response, and nutrient metabolism as potential causes of weight accumulation in Gough Island mice. Collectively, our results indicate that extensive gene regulatory evolution in metabolic organs accompanied the rapid evolution of gigantism during the short time house mice have inhabited Gough Island.

scholarly journals Drivers of predatory behavior and extreme size in house mice Mus musculus on Gough Island

2016 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 533-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Cuthbert ◽  
Ross M. Wanless ◽  
Andrea Angel ◽  
Marie-Helene Burle ◽  
Geoff M. Hilton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Predatory Behavior ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Mouse Population ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Island Syndrome

Abstract In comparison to the mainland, populations of rodents on islands are often characterized by a suite of life history characteristics termed the “island syndrome.” Populations of rodents introduced to islands are also well known for their impacts on native species that have evolved in the absence of mammalian predators. We studied the ecology and behavior of introduced house mice Mus musculus on Gough Island where they are the only terrestrial mammal and where their predatory behavior is having a devastating impact on the island’s burrowing petrel (order Procellariiformes ) population and the Critically Endangered Tristan albatross Diomedea dabbenena . Mice on Gough exhibit extreme features of the island syndrome, including: a body mass 50–60% greater than any other island mouse population, peak densities among the highest recorded for island populations, and low seasonal variation in numbers compared to other studied islands. Seasonal patterns of breeding and survival were linked to body condition and mass, and mice in areas with high chick predation rates were able to maintain higher mass and condition during the winter when mouse mortality rates peak. Within-site patterns of chick predation indicate that proximity to neighboring predated nests and nesting densities are important factors in determining the likelihood of predation. We conclude that selection for extreme body mass and predatory behavior of mice result from enhanced overwinter survival. Small mammal populations at temperate and high latitudes are normally limited by high mortality during the winter, but on Gough Island mice avoid that by exploiting the island’s abundant seabird chicks.

scholarly journals Insights into mammalian biology from the wild house mouse Mus musculus

eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Phifer-Rixey ◽  
Michael W Nachman
Keyword(s):  
House Mouse ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Genetic Model ◽  
Inbred Strains ◽  
Mendelian Inheritance ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Wild Mice ◽  
Wide Range

The house mouse, Mus musculus, was established in the early 1900s as one of the first genetic model organisms owing to its short generation time, comparatively large litters, ease of husbandry, and visible phenotypic variants. For these reasons and because they are mammals, house mice are well suited to serve as models for human phenotypes and disease. House mice in the wild consist of at least three distinct subspecies and harbor extensive genetic and phenotypic variation both within and between these subspecies. Wild mice have been used to study a wide range of biological processes, including immunity, cancer, male sterility, adaptive evolution, and non-Mendelian inheritance. Despite the extensive variation that exists among wild mice, classical laboratory strains are derived from a limited set of founders and thus contain only a small subset of this variation. Continued efforts to study wild house mice and to create new inbred strains from wild populations have the potential to strengthen house mice as a model system.

Potential impacts of poison baiting for introduced house mice on native animals on islands in Jurien Bay, Western Australia

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford Bennison ◽  
J. Anthony Friend ◽  
Timothy Button ◽  
Harriet Mills ◽  
Cathy Lambert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Rhodamine B ◽  
Native Species ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Mus Domesticus ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Delivery Technique ◽  
Poison Baiting ◽  
Competition For Resources

Context House mice (Mus domesticus) are present on Boullanger and Whitlock islands, Western Australia, and could potentially threaten populations of the dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis) and grey-bellied dunnart (Sminthopsis griseoventer) through competition for resources. A workshop in 2007 recommended a study to assess the feasibility of eradicating house mice from the islands by using poison baits and of the risk posed to non-target native species. Aim We aimed to assess the risk to non-target native species if poison baiting was used to eradicate house mice on Boullanger and Whitlock islands. Methods Non-toxic baits containing the bait marker rhodamine B were distributed on Boullanger Island and on the mouse free Escape Island to determine the potential for primary poisoning. Acceptance of baits by mammals was measured through sampling and analysis of whiskers, and by reptiles through observations of dye in faeces. To determine the potential for secondary exposure to poison, the response of dibblers to mouse carcasses was observed using motion-activated cameras. Bait acceptance was compared using two methods of delivery, namely, scattering in the open and delivery in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubes. A cafeteria experiment of bait consumption by dibblers was also undertaken using captive animals held at the Perth Zoo. Ten dibblers were offered non-toxic baits containing rhodamine B in addition to their normal meals; consumption of bait and the presence of dye in whiskers were measured. Key results Bait acceptance on the islands was high for house mice (92% of individuals) and dibblers (48%) and it was independent of bait-delivery technique. There was no evidence of bait acceptance by grey-bellied dunnarts. Dibblers may consume mice carcasses if available; however, no direct consumption of mice carcasses was observed with movement sensor cameras but one dibbler was observed removing a mouse carcass and taking it away. During the cafeteria experiment, 9 of 10 captive dibblers consumed baits. Conclusions This investigation demonstrated that dibblers consume baits readily and island populations would experience high mortality if exposed to poison baits. Poison baiting could effectively eradicate mice from Boullanger and Whitlock islands but not without mortality for dibblers. Implications Toxic baits could be used to eradicate mice from Boullanger and Whitlock islands, provided that non-target species such as dibblers were temporarily removed from the islands before the application of baits.

Confirmation of Aedes koreicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Belgium and description of morphological differences between Korean and Belgian specimens validated by molecular identification

Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3191 (1) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
VEERLE VERSTEIRT ◽  
JAMES E. PECOR ◽  
DINA M. FONSECA ◽  
MARC COOSEMANS ◽  
WIM VAN BORTEL
Keyword(s):  
Korean Peninsula ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Rapid Identification ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Island Population ◽  
Morphological Comparison ◽  
Aedes Koreicus ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Molecular Comparison ◽  
Morphological Differences

In 2008, specimens resembling Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus (Edwards) (also Ochlerotatus koreicus or Hulecoeteomyia kore-ica) were found in Belgium during a national mosquito survey (MODIRISK). Small but consistent differences were, how-ever, observed between the specimens described from Peninsula Korea and those found in Belgian. To achieve the correctidentification a detailed morphological comparison was made between the Belgian specimens and reference material fromKorean mainland and island populations housed at the Smithsonian Institution (Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WR-BU), Washington, USA). The identification was furthermore supported by molecular evidence based on the ND4 region(mtDNA) of available Korean and Belgian mosquito specimens. Morphological and molecular comparison confirmed theinitial identification of Aedes koreicus. Based on morphological characteristics, the species collected in Belgium mostlikely originated from Jeju-do, an island south of the Korean Peninsula. The observed dissimilarities between Korean andBelgian specimens resembled a number of morphological differences mentioned previously between female adults col-lected on the Korean Peninsula and Jeju-do. This is the first report of Aedes koreicus outside its natural distribution range.A correct and rapid identification of new invading and spreading vector species is crucial for the implementation of effec-tive control measurements. Hence a correct and easy accessible description of all possible variations of species arrivingin new areas is highly recommended. Therefore, a comparative morphological study on the Smithsonian material of thespecies from Korean mainland, island population and from Belgium is given, pictures of the main aberrant characteristicsand scanning electron microscope images of all stages of the species are included and molecular confirmation of the identification based on the mtDNA ND4 region is provided.

Factors influencing population dynamics in island and mainland populations of the swamp antechinus (Antechinus minimus)

2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Sale ◽  
Barbara A. Wilson ◽  
John P. Y. Arnould
Keyword(s):  
Island Population ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Demographic Differences ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Juvenile Recruitment ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Demographic Processes ◽  
Island Habitats ◽  
Individual Body

Simultaneously analysing demographic processes of small mammals living in different ecological contexts may help to understand mechanisms that influence the growth and decline of these populations. The size and demography of swamp antechinus (Antechinus minimus) populations located in a coastal mainland habitat and on a small offshore island in south-eastern Australia were investigated. Large demographic differences occurred between the two ecosystems, with the island population density often 100 times greater than that on the mainland. The swamp antechinus in the mainland habitat was influenced by extrinsic climatic forces, with juvenile recruitment, individual body mass and overall population size being affected by rainfall, a factor likely to influence food availability for the species. However, the island population did not appear to be affected by drought to the same degree where allochthonous marine nutrient inputs may have offset any drought-induced reduction in primary production. Significantly greater juvenile recruitment in the island habitats combined with restricted emigration and potentially reduced predation and interspecific competition are likely to be responsible for the high population densities on the island. Although island populations appear robust, future conservation efforts should focus on mainland populations given the genetic deficiencies in the island populations.

Observations of mice predation on dark-mantled sooty albatross and Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross chicks at Gough Island

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 763-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.J. Cuthbert ◽  
H. Louw ◽  
G. Parker ◽  
K. Rexer-Huber ◽  
P. Visser
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Marion Island ◽  
Predatory Behaviour ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ongoing Monitoring

AbstractIntroduced house miceMus musculusL. have been discovered to be major predators of chicks of the Tristan albatrossDiomedea dabbenenaL. and Atlantic petrelPterodroma incertaSchlegel and to also predate great shearwaterPuffinus gravisO'Reilly chicks at Gough Island, and similar predatory behaviour has been reported for house mice on Marion Island. Observations on Gough Island over three breeding seasons of nesting Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrossesThalassarche chlororhynchosGmelin and dark-mantled sooty albatrossPhoebetria fuscaHilsenberg indicate that house mice are also preying on these two species: the first records of mice preying upon summer-breeding albatross species on Gough Island. Predation on these two albatross species appears to be relatively rare (∼2% for the Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrosses) and ongoing monitoring is required to ascertain if the impact of mice is increasing. Conservation actions to eradicate mice from Gough Island will be of benefit to these species and other species that are being impacted by this invasive species.

Genetic diversity in natural and introduced island populations of koalas in Queensland

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen E. Lee ◽  
Jennifer M. Seddon ◽  
Stephen Johnston ◽  
Sean I. FitzGibbon ◽  
Frank Carrick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Allelic Richness ◽  
Island Population ◽  
Founder Effects ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
The North ◽  
Mitochondrial Haplotypes ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Microsatellite Alleles

Island populations of animals are expected to show reduced genetic variation and increased incidence of inbreeding because of founder effects and the susceptibility of small populations to the effects of genetic drift. Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) occur naturally in a patchy distribution across much of the eastern Australian mainland and on a small number of islands near the Australian coast. We compared the genetic diversity of the naturally occurring population of koalas on North Stradbroke Island in south-east Queensland with other island populations including the introduced group on St Bees Island in central Queensland. The population on St Bees Island shows higher diversity (allelic richness 4.1, He = 0.67) than the North Stradbroke Island population (allelic richness 3.2, He = 0.55). Koalas on Brampton, Newry and Rabbit Islands possessed microsatellite alleles that were not identified from St Bees Island koalas, indicating that it is most unlikely that these populations were established by a sole secondary introduction from St Bees Island. Mitochondrial haplotypes on the central Queensland islands were more similar to a haplotype found at Springsure in central Queensland and the inland clades in south-east Queensland, rather than the coastal clade in south-east Queensland.

scholarly journals Mouse eradication is required to prevent local extinction of an endangered seabird on an oceanic island

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher W. Jones ◽  
Michelle M. Risi ◽  
Alexis M. Osborne ◽  
Peter G. Ryan ◽  
Steffen Oppel
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Success ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Invasive Mammals ◽  
Population Trajectory ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPetrels (Procellariidae) are a highly diverse family of seabirds, many of which are globally threatened due to the impact of invasive species on breeding populations. While predation by invasive cats and rats has led to the extinction of petrel populations, the impact of invasive house mice Mus musculus is slower and less well documented. However, mice impact small burrow-nesting species such as MacGillivray’s prion Pachyptila macgillivrayi, a species classified as endangered because it has been extirpated on islands in the Indian Ocean by introduced rodents. We use historic abundance data and demographic monitoring data from 2014 to 2020 to predict the population trajectory of MacGillivray’s prion on Gough Island with and without a mouse eradication using a stochastic integrated population model. Given very low annual breeding success (0.01 fledglings per breeding pair in ‘poor’ years (83%) or 0.38 in ‘good’ years (17%), n = 320 nests over 6 years) mainly due to mouse predation, our model predicted that the population collapsed from ~3.5 million pairs in 1956 to an estimated 175,000 pairs in 2020 despite reasonably high adult survival probability (ϕ = 0.901). Based on these parameters, the population is predicted to decline at a rate of 9% per year over the next 36 years without a mouse eradication, with a 31% probability that by 2057 the MacGillivray’ prion population would become extremely vulnerable to extinction. Our models predict population stability (λ = 1.01) and a lower extinction risk (<10%) if mouse eradication on Gough Island restores annual breeding success to 0.519, which is in line with that of closely-related species on predator-free islands. This study demonstrates the devastating impacts that introduced house mice can have on small burrowing petrels and highlights the urgency to eradicate invasive mammals from oceanic islands.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document