Blubber fatty acids of gray seals reveal sex differences in the diet of a size-dimorphic marine carnivore

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie A Beck ◽  
Sara J Iverson ◽  
W Don Bowen
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Halichoerus Grypus ◽  
Ocean Bottom ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Temporal Scales ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Dimorphic Species ◽  
Gray Seals

Sex differences in foraging behaviour have been attributed to size dimorphism, niche divergence, and sex-specific fitness-maximizing strategies. Although sex differences in diving behaviour of marine carnivores are thought to result in sex differences in diet, this is not known for any species over temporal scales relevant to life-history characteristics. We examined blubber fatty acid (FA) profiles of gray seals, Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius, 1791), a sexually size-dimorphic species in which sex differences in foraging behaviour have been observed. FA profiles reflect prey consumed over a period of weeks or months. FA profiles of adult males and females varied significantly by season but there was a season by sex interaction, indicating that seasonal changes in diet differed by sex. FA profiles of adults also varied interannually, with a significant sex by year interaction. Interannual variability may have been a response to changes in ocean-bottom temperatures affecting prey availability or changes in prey abundance. Adult FA profiles differed from those of 6-month-old juveniles; however, there was no evidence of sex differences in the diet of younger animals. Our results indicate that sex differences in the foraging behaviour of adults are reflected in differences in diet at multiple temporal scales.

scholarly journals Sex Difference in Self-Reported Sexual Functioning Among Frail Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 313-313
Author(s):  
Brianne Olivieri-Mui ◽  
Sandra Shi ◽  
Ellen McCarthy ◽  
Dae Kim
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sexual Function ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Sexual Functioning ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Males And Females

Abstract Frailty may differentially impact how older adult males and females perceive sexual functioning, an important part of well-being. We assessed the level of frailty (robust, pre-frail, frail) for anyone with data on 11 sexual functioning questions asked in wave 2 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, 2010-2011 (n=2060). Questions covered five domains: overall sexual function (OSF), sexual function anxiety (SFA), changes in sexual function (CSF), erectile/vaginal dysfunction (EVD), and masturbation. Logistic regression identified sex differences in frailty and reporting worse sexual functioning. Linear regression predicted the number of domains reported as worse. Among males (n=1057), pre-frailty meant higher odds of reporting SFA (OR 1.8 95%CI 1.2-6.6), CSF (OR 1.7 95%CI 1.1-2.7), and EVD (OR 1.5 95%CI 1.0-2.2). Among females (n=1003), there was no difference in reporting by frailty. Females were more likely to report worse OSF (Robust: OR 7.4, 95%CI 4.8-11.4; Pre-frail: OR 6.2, 95%CI 3.9-9.9; Frail: OR 3.4 95%CI 1.7-6.6), but less likely to report SFA (Robust OR .3, 95%CI .2-.5; Pre-frail OR .2, 95%CI .1-.3; Frail OR .2 95%CI .1-.3). Pre-frail and frail females reported fewer domains as worse (Pre-frail coefficient -0.21 SE 0.09, Frail -0.43 SE 0.14). As frailty worsened, males reported more domains as worse (Pre-frail 0.24 SE 0.07, Frail 0.29 SE 0.08). Self-reported sexual functioning differs by sex at all levels of frailty, and reporting by males, but not females, changes with frailty. Providers should be aware that sexual functioning is of importance to both sexes despite varying degrees of frailty.

Parental Bonding and Hostility: Examining the Links Between Sex Differences, Hostility, Anger, and Aggression

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 568-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Ingram ◽  
Jessica Balderas ◽  
Kelsey Hagan ◽  
Kendall Kohnle
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Physical Aggression ◽  
Paternal Care ◽  
Mood State ◽  
Parental Bonding ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Parental Overprotection ◽  
Emotional Responding ◽  
Males And Females

Introduction: Although parental bonding that is characterized by overprotection and low care is associated with adult depression and anxiety, less is known about its association with other mood states. Additionally, few studies differentiate between maternal and paternal bonding or evaluate sex differences in offspring's emotional responding as a function of bonding. Method: The current study examined parental bonding as it relates to hostility, anger, and verbal and physical aggression in young adults. Participants reported their mood state, perception of parenting behaviors, and their experience of hostility and its correlates. Results: After controlling for current mood, paternal care modulated males' anger and verbal aggression, whereas maternal care modulated females' physical aggression. Maternal overprotection predicted hostility in males. Discussion: Findings suggest that less parental care and greater parental overprotection precipitate angry and aggressive responding later in life, and these results are linked to sex differences in both parents and in young adult males and females.

scholarly journals Prevalence of antibodies against leptospires in small mammals in relation to age, sex and season

2012 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
František Treml ◽  
Jiří Nepeřený ◽  
Eva Jánová ◽  
Hana Banďouchová ◽  
Jiří Pikula
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Rattus Norvegicus ◽  
Clethrionomys Glareolus ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Microtus Arvalis ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
South Moravia

A total of 2,195 small mammals belonging to 8 species were captured in different districts of South Moravia, Czech Republic, and examined for antibodies against leptospires in the period from 2004 to 2008. Positive specimens amounting to 173 (9%) were found annually in five species of rodents such as Apodemus sp., Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus. The recognised leptospiral serotypes included L. grippotyphosa, L. bulgarica, L. sejroe and L. icterohaemorrhagiae/copenhageni. The highest prevalence of antibodies was against the L. grippotyphosa serotype (92.8%). Reactions with other serotypes of leptospires were exceptional. Reactions with L. bulgarica antigen were only due to coagglutination with L. grippotyphosa leptospires. The titres ranged from 100 to 12,800. However, lower values up to the titre of 800 predominated in 151 cases (83.4%). There were non-significant sex differences in seroprevalence with 8.1% and 7.6% prevalence in males and females, respectively. Marked differences were, however, found in seroprevalence of juveniles and adults with 3.3% and 10.2%, respectively. Adult males and females were seropositive in 10.9% and 9.5%, respectively; juveniles were seropositive only in 3.0% and 3.7%. The highest percentage of specimens (43.6%) was examined during July and August. The summer seroprevalence of 10.9% was higher than in spring and autumn. Our results revealed the persistence of both natural and synanthropic nidi of leptospirosis in the region under study and demonstrated epidemiological implications regarding health protection of animals and humans.

scholarly journals Sexual Dimorphism in the Gut Microbiome

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-16
Author(s):  
Clarissa Ren ◽  
Kristyn Sylvia
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Social Behavior ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Gut Microbes ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
The Individual

The gut microbiome has received increasing interest in past years due to its link to many diseases and its potential in therapy. One often-overlooked and newer area of research is the sexual dimorphism in the gut microbiome, and how it relates to the sex differences in behavior, diseases, and the underlying makeup between that of males and females. Reviewing the literature has demonstrated that in several organisms, adult males and females do naturally have different compositions of gut microbes. Differences between the sexes in gut microbiome have also been correlated with differences between the sexes in social behavior and various disorders. A thorough understanding of sexual dimorphism in the gut microbiome is crucial to designing better studies, understanding the mechanism of the diseases and behaviors tied to the sexual dimorphism in the microbiome, and fine-tuning more precise treatments that account for the sex of the individual.

Foraging by Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) during the chick-rearing period: general patterns, sex differences, and recommendations to reduce incidental catches in fishing nets

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 700-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina S Taylor ◽  
Marty L Leonard ◽  
Daryl J Boness ◽  
Patricia Majluf
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Commercial Fisheries ◽  
Foraging Patterns ◽  
Foraging Effort ◽  
Single Period ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Foraging Time

We studied the foraging behaviour of endangered Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) to examine general foraging patterns, sex differences in foraging behaviour, and the reasons for incidental catches in fishing nets. Humboldt penguins foraged diurnally and typically made short, shallow dives within 30 m of the surface. Males and females made overnight (lasting 25.8 ± 3.4 h; mean ± SD) and day (10.4 ± 2.0 h) trips when they departed the colony to forage. Overnight trips were more common (68.2% of all trips) and were associated with a significantly greater amount of foraging time. Males dived to greater maximum depths than females but did not differ in other diving parameters, including foraging time, foraging effort, and proportions of day and overnight trips made. Adults may maintain their body condition during chick rearing by making a mixture of overnight and day trips. The two foraging periods observed during overnight trips may function to feed both the adults and the chicks, whereas the single period observed during day trips may function to accommodate the rate of provisioning required by the chicks. We suggest that both males and females would be protected from incidental catches in fishing nets if commercial fisheries avoided setting surface nets at night and setting nets between 0 and 30 m depth during the day in areas where penguins forage and transit.

The development of sex differences in humor initiation and appreciation

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-195
Author(s):  
Doris Bergen
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
Males And Females

AbstractBoth common observations and research evidence strongly suggest that there are major differences between adult males and females as to both the number of humorous attempts they display in social situations and the types of humor they initiate and appreciate. What the causes are for these differences, however, have been less clear, with attributions being related to both biological and environmental reasons. In fact, researchers who have studied the development of humor in infants, preschoolers, and elementary age children have generally observed that the early humor of both boys and girls is similar, thus raising the possibility that the differences that gradually emerge with age may be attributed more to environmental rather than to biological reasons. This chapter will discuss the humor research evidence amassed by those who have studied young children’s humor development and the potential environmental influences on humor development that may account for some of the sex differences seen in adult humor.

Sociobiology of Rhesus Monkeys Iii: the Basic Communication Network

Behaviour ◽  
1968 ◽  
Vol 32 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 17-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart A. Altmann
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Rhesus Monkeys ◽  
Social Preferences ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Age Changes ◽  
Random Interactions ◽  
Social Signal ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Juvenile Males ◽  
Free Ranging

AbstractThe observed distribution among age-sex classes of socially significant behavior in free-ranging rhesus monkeys on Cayo Santiago was tested against a series of progressively stronger null hypotheses. The first hypothesis was of purely random interactions, in which it was assumed that all individuals were equally likely to interact, all were as likely to be actor as to be object of any social signal, and all chose their social partners at random. This model proved untenable. In particular, adult males and females interacted with each other much more often than expected from the random model, and adult males interacted more often than expected with other males, both adult and juvenile. Juvenile females tended to interact relatively infrequently with other animals of any age-sex class. Adult males and juveniles of both sexes seldom interacted with infants. A second model, which took into account these age changes and sex differences in reactivity, but ignored the possibility of social preferences and assumed that interactions could be predicted from the overall reactivity or sociability of the monkeys involved, was also inadequate to account for the observed results. Apparently rhesus social behavior not only changes with age and differs with sex, but also is affected by "attractions" and "repulsions" within the group. The result was frequent interaction between adult males and females, between adult females and infants, and among juvenile males. Juvenile females, despite their general nonsociability, were apparently attracted to juvenile males, with whom they intracted more often than expected. Males, both adult and juvenile, tended to avoid infants, and vice versa. Adult males tended to avoid and to be avoided by juveniles of both sexes. Finally, the effects on paired interactions of these age changes, sex differences attractions and repulsions constitute a new model expressed in the form of an action constant and a receptivity constant for each age-sex class, and two interaction constants for each pair of age-sex classes. A method is given for extrapolating the results to populations with other compositions.

scholarly journals Sexual Mismatch Between Vessel-Associated Foraging and Discard Consumption in a Marine Top Predator

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan Giménez ◽  
Gavin E. Arneill ◽  
Ashley Bennison ◽  
Enrico Pirotta ◽  
Hans D. Gerritsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Fishing Vessels ◽  
Cost Of Locomotion ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Dimorphic Species ◽  
Insight Into

Sex differences in diet and foraging behaviour are common in sexually dimorphic species, often driven by differences in the cost of locomotion or ability to exploit different ecological niches. However, sex-specific foraging strategies also occur in monomorphic or slightly dimorphic species where the drivers are poorly understood. Here, we study sex differences in foraging of northern gannets (Morus bassanus), where females are only slightly heavier than males. Using concurrently tracked gannets (298 full foraging trips from 81 individuals) and fishing vessels across 5 years, we quantify individual-based vessel-associated putative foraging, and relate this to discard consumption. We found a significant positive relationship between time spent in vessel-associated foraging and discard consumption for both sexes. However, while females showed greater proportions of vessel-associated foraging than males, discarded fish contributed less to the diet of females in all years. These results contrast with previous suggestions that female gannets interact with vessels less often than males, and are consistent with competitive exclusion of females from trawler-associated discards. Our findings give insight into sexual differences in foraging behaviour in the absence of dimorphism that are necessary to predict their response to environmental and anthropogenic changes.

Size-At-Age Variability and Sexual Dimorphism of Morphometric Characteristics in the Late Ontogenesis of the Marsh Frog, Pelophylax Ridibundus (Anura, Ranidae), from Terrytory of Crimea

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-334
Author(s):  
V. N. Peskov ◽  
N. A. Petrenko ◽  
V. Yu. Reminnyi
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
The Body ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Morphometric Characteristics ◽  
Morphometric Characters ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Marsh Frog ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Size At Age ◽  
Linear Body

Abstract We study size-at-age and sexual variability of morphometric characteristics of the marsh frog. According to the size of the body, males were divided into three size-age groups (juvenis, subadultus, adultus), females — into four groups (juvenis, subadultus, adultus, adultus-I). We found that the chronological age of frogs (skeletochronology) does not always correspond to their biological age (size and proportions of the body). We noted that the semi-adult males are reliably larger than females by mean values of 26 studied morphometric characters. Males and females of “adultus” group do not differ by linear body size, significant differences were found in body proportions (7 characters). For the females of “adultus-I” group, the mean values of 26 characters are significantly larger than for “adultus” males. The results of our study showed that with the age of the marsh frog, the level of exhibition, directionality and structure of morphometric sex differences changes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document