scholarly journals Polyandry enhances offspring survival in an infanticidal species

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ines Klemme ◽  
Hannu Ylönen
Keyword(s):  
Mating Systems ◽  
Multiple Mating ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
Offspring Survival ◽  
Bank Voles ◽  
Female Counterstrategy ◽  
Fitness Benefits ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Genetic Fitness

The adaptive significance of polyandry is an intensely debated subject in sexual selection. For species with male infanticidal behaviour, it has been hypothesized that polyandry evolved as female counterstrategy to offspring loss: by mating with multiple males, females may conceal paternity and so prevent males from killing putative offspring. Here we present, to our knowledge, the first empirical test of this hypothesis in a combined laboratory and field study, and show that multiple mating seems to reduce the risk of infanticide in female bank voles Myodes glareolus . Our findings thus indicate that females of species with non-resource based mating systems, in which males provide nothing but sperm, but commit infanticide, can gain non-genetic fitness benefits from polyandry.

scholarly journals Does selection for behavioral and physiological performance traits alter glucocorticoid responsiveness in bank voles?

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (15) ◽  
pp. jeb219865
Author(s):  
Małgorzata M. Lipowska ◽  
Edyta T. Sadowska ◽  
Ulf Bauchinger ◽  
Wolfgang Goymann ◽  
Barbara Bober-Sowa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Response Curve ◽  
Corticosterone Level ◽  
Recovery Phase ◽  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Predatory Behavior ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
Response Level ◽  
Bank Voles ◽  
Glucocorticoid Response ◽  
Selection For

ABSTRACTOne of the key elements of an animal's Darwinian fitness is its ability to adequately respond to and cope with challenging situations. Glucocorticoid hormones, such as corticosterone, affect an organism's ability to overcome such challenges. We hypothesized that changes in the glucocorticoid response curve contribute to the evolution of increased performance during challenging conditions, and tested it on bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from a multidirectional artificial selection experiment, which involves lines selected for high aerobic exercise metabolism achieved during swimming (A – Aerobic), predatory behavior towards a cricket (P – Predatory) and ability to maintain body mass on a low-quality herbivorous diet (H – Herbivorous), as well as unselected control lines (C – Control). We elicited a glucocorticoid response either by restraining the animal or by maximum pharmacological stimulation, and measured plasma corticosterone levels at baseline, during the response and during the recovery phase. Response-level corticosterone was higher in females, and recovery from maximal level was faster than that of males. Selection did not affect baseline or stress-induced corticosterone levels, but it decreased the maximum corticosterone level in Aerobic and Predatory lines, reducing the difference between stress-induced and maximum levels. Recovery from restraint-induced corticosterone level tended to be slower in the Herbivorous than in the other lines, an effect that was stronger in females than in males. In conclusion, successful selection for increased performance in challenging conditions was not associated with changes in absolute values of the glucocorticoid response to stress, but can affect other characteristics of the glucocorticoid response curve.

scholarly journals Selection for pollen competitive ability in mixed-mating systems

Evolution ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (11) ◽  
pp. 2513-2536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeline A. E. Peters ◽  
Arthur E. Weis
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Ability ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Mixed Mating ◽  
Selection For

scholarly journals Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii among sylvatic rodents in Poland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej Grzybek ◽  
Daniela Antolová ◽  
Katarzyna Tołkacz ◽  
Mohammed Alsarraf ◽  
Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Rodent Species ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
Host Age ◽  
Bank Voles ◽  
Vole Species ◽  
Age And Sex

ABSTRACTToxoplasma gondii is a significant pathogen affecting humans and animals. We conducted seromonitoring for T. gondii in four sylvatic rodent species in Poland. We report an overall seroprevalence of 5.5% (3.6% for Myodes glareolus and 20% for other vole species). Seroprevalence in bank voles varied significantly between host age and sex.

scholarly journals Temporal and between-site variation in helminth communities of bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from N.E. Poland. 1. Regional fauna and component community levels

Parasitology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 135 (8) ◽  
pp. 985-997 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. BEHNKE ◽  
A. BAJER ◽  
P. D. HARRIS ◽  
L. NEWINGTON ◽  
E. PIDGEON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Helminth Fauna ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
Component Community ◽  
Bank Voles ◽  
Helminth Infections ◽  
Site Variation ◽  
Jaccard's Similarity Index

SUMMARYHelminth infections were studied in bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from 3 woodland sites in N.E. Poland in the late summers of 1999 and 2002, to assess the temporal stability of derived statistics describing the regional helminth fauna and component community structure, and spatial influence on the latter. Regional helminth fauna changed dramatically between the two years, primarily due to a fall in the abundance ofSyphacia petrusewiczibut was partially compensated for by an increase inMesocestoides lineatusandCladotaenia globifera. It was dominated by nematodes overall, but more so in 1999 than in 2002 when larval cestodes were more frequent. Most derived parameters for component community structure varied considerably between sites and the two surveys, the hierarchical order for sites not being maintained between surveys. They were susceptible to the disproportionate influence of three relatively rare, unpredictable species with the greatest overall aggregated distribution among hosts. Jaccard's similarity index was less influenced by the rare species, showing greater stability between sites and across years. In conclusion, temporal variation confounded any site-specific characteristics of the summary measures quantified in this study and their usefulness is therefore restricted to the years in which the surveys were conducted.

scholarly journals Fitness costs of mating with preferred females in a scramble mating system

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 658-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Swierk ◽  
Tracy Langkilde
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Rana Sylvatica ◽  
Female Offspring ◽  
Operational Sex Ratio ◽  
Male Choice ◽  
Wood Frogs ◽  
Multiple Parameters ◽  
Fitness Benefits ◽  
Male Mate

Abstract Little is known about the operation of male mate choice in systems with perceived high costs to male choosiness. Scramble mating systems are one type of system in which male choice is often considered too costly to be selected. However, in many scramble mating systems, there are also potentially high rewards of male choosiness, as females vary dramatically in reproductive output and males typically mate once per season and/or per lifetime. Using scramble mating wood frogs (Rana sylvatica), we tested whether males gain fitness benefits by mating with preferred females. We conducted choice trials (1 male presented simultaneously with 2 females) and permitted males to mate with their preferred or nonpreferred female. Offspring of preferred and nonpreferred females were reared in the laboratory and field, and we quantified various fitness-relevant parameters, including survivorship and growth rates. Across multiple parameters measured, matings with preferred females produced fewer and lower-quality offspring than did those with nonpreferred females. Our results are inconsistent with the idea that mate choice confers benefits on the choosing sex. We instead propose that, in scramble systems, males will be more likely to amplex females that are easier to capture, which may correlate with lower quality but increases male likelihood of successfully mating. Such male choice may not favor increased fitness when the operational sex ratio is less biased toward males in scramble mating systems but is, instead, a bet-hedging tactic benefitting males when available females are limited.

scholarly journals Studies in bank voles reveal strain differences between chronic wasting disease prions from Norway and North America

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (49) ◽  
pp. 31417-31426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romolo Nonno ◽  
Michele A. Di Bari ◽  
Laura Pirisinu ◽  
Claudia D’Agostino ◽  
Ilaria Vanni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Chronic Wasting Disease ◽  
Strain Differences ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
Wasting Disease ◽  
Proximate Cause ◽  
Bank Voles ◽  
Regional Deposition

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a relentless epidemic disorder caused by infectious prions that threatens the survival of cervid populations and raises increasing public health concerns in North America. In Europe, CWD was detected for the first time in wild Norwegian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and moose (Alces alces) in 2016. In this study, we aimed at comparing the strain properties of CWD prions derived from different cervid species in Norway and North America. Using a classical strain typing approach involving transmission and adaptation to bank voles (Myodes glareolus), we found that prions causing CWD in Norway induced incubation times, neuropathology, regional deposition of misfolded prion protein aggregates in the brain, and size of their protease-resistant core, different from those that characterize North American CWD. These findings show that CWD prion strains affecting Norwegian cervids are distinct from those found in North America, implying that the highly contagious North American CWD prions are not the proximate cause of the newly discovered Norwegian CWD cases. In addition, Norwegian CWD isolates showed an unexpected strain variability, with reindeer and moose being caused by different CWD strains. Our findings shed light on the origin of emergent European CWD, have significant implications for understanding the nature and the ecology of CWD in Europe, and highlight the need to assess the zoonotic potential of the new CWD strains detected in Europe.

scholarly journals No evidence for an adaptive role of early molt into breeding plumage in a female fairy wren

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-420
Author(s):  
Sergio Nolazco ◽  
Michelle L Hall ◽  
Sjouke A Kingma ◽  
Kaspar Delhey ◽  
Anne Peters
Keyword(s):  
Mating Systems ◽  
Reproductive Effort ◽  
Adaptive Function ◽  
Female Ornamentation ◽  
Extrapair Mating ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Breeding Plumage ◽  
Adaptive Role

Abstract The evolution of ornaments as sexually selected signals is well understood in males, but female ornamentation remains understudied. Fairy wrens offer an excellent model system, given their complex social structure and mating systems, and the diversity of female ornamentation. We investigated whether early molt into ornamental breeding plumage plays an adaptive role in females of the monogamous purple-crowned fairy wren Malurus coronatus, the only fairy wren known to have female seasonal plumage. Using 6 years of monitoring, we found that the timing of female molt was similar to males, but there was no evidence for assortative mating. Like males (previous study), older and dominant individuals acquired their breeding plumage earlier; however, in contrast to males, early molt did not seem to be costly since unfavorable environmental conditions or previous reproductive effort did not delay molt. Early female molt was not associated with any indicator of reproductive quality nor did it attract additional offspring care by their partners. We also found no association between early molt and the likelihood of acquiring a dominant (breeding) position or with the presence or proximity to same-sex rivals. Our study results, which are similar to previous findings in conspecific males, suggest that directional selection for early molt might be relaxed in this species, in contrast to other genetically polygamous fairy wrens in which early molt predicts extrapair mating success in males. However, the finding that molt timing is status dependent raises the possibility that other attributes of the ornament may fulfill an adaptive function in females.

scholarly journals Bank vole immunoheterogeneity may limit Nephropatia Epidemica emergence in a French non-endemic region

Parasitology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. DUBOIS ◽  
G. CASTEL ◽  
S. MURRI ◽  
C. PULIDO ◽  
J.-B. PONS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bank Vole ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Endemic Region ◽  
Natural Reservoir ◽  
Bank Voles ◽  
Free Region ◽  
Limited Dispersal ◽  
Antiviral Gene ◽  
French Region

SUMMARYEcoevolutionary processes affecting hosts, vectors and pathogens are important drivers of zoonotic disease emergence. In this study, we focused on nephropathia epidemica (NE), which is caused by Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) whose natural reservoir is the bank vole,Myodes glareolus. We questioned the possibility of NE emergence in a French region that is considered to be NE-free but that is adjacent to a NE-endemic region. We first confirmed the epidemiology of these two regions and we demonstrated the absence of spatial barriers that could have limited dispersal, and consequently, the spread of PUUV into the NE-free region. We next tested whether regional immunoheterogeneity could impact PUUV chances to circulate and persist in the NE-free region. We showed that bank voles from the NE-free region were sensitive to experimental PUUV infection. We observed high levels of immunoheterogeneity between individuals and also between regions. Antiviral gene expression (TnfandMx2) reached higher levels in bank voles from the NE-free region. During experimental infections, anti-PUUV antibody production was higher in bank voles from the NE-endemic region. These results indicated a lower susceptibility to PUUV for bank voles from this NE-free region, which might limit PUUV persistence and therefore, the risk of NE.

High Levels of Genetic Variability in an Isolated Colony of Rock-wallabies (Petrogale assimilis): Evidence from Three Classes of Molecular Markers

1997 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter B. S. Spencer ◽  
Mark Adams ◽  
Helene Marsh ◽  
David J. Miller ◽  
Mark D. B. Eldridge
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Molecular Markers ◽  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Multiple Mating ◽  
Dna Fingerprints ◽  
Average Heterozygosity ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
High Level

Estimates of genetic variation for a small (Ne = 39) colony of allied rock-wallabies (Petrogale assimilis) were calculated with three different categories of molecular marker. Average heterozygosity was estimated at 3·8% for allozymes, 47·3% for multilocus ‘DNA fingerprints’ and 85·5% for microsatellite markers. Overall these values indicate that this small isolated colony of rock-wallabies maintains a high level of genetic variation despite its relative isolation and the apparently low levels of migration between colonies. It is likely that mechanisms exist (such as kin avoidance, multiple mating systems, high and variable selective pressure in extreme and fluctuating environmental conditions) that promote the maintenance of high levels of genetic variation in isolated colonies of P. assimilis. These mechanisms are discussed in the context of the results obtained from the molecular markers.

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