Antler asymmetry and immunity in reindeer |
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Authors: | Kristin Lagesen Ivar Folstad |
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Institution: | Department of Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Troms?, N-9037 Troms?, Norway e-mail: ivarf@ibg.uit.no, Tel.:?+47-77-644384, Fax: +47-77-64560, NO
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Abstract: | Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) measures an individual's ability to undergo identical development in bilaterally symmetrical characters
and may indicate sensitivity to environmental stress. FA in ornamental characters is often positively related to parasite
intensities, which are important environmental stressors. Parasites affect and are affected by several parts of the immune
system, and the ability to resist parasites may be signalled via FA in ornaments. In this study we examined reindeer antlers,
which show FA, demonstrated to be caused by parasite infections. We measured antler FA, immune parameters (i.e. densities
of different classes of leukocytes, IgG levels and abomasal lymph node numbers) and intensity of abomasal nematodes in free-ranging
1.5-year-old male reindeer slaughtered in the early part of their rutting period. We found a relationship between parasite
intensity and immune parameters suggesting that our measures of immune activity reflect density of current parasite infections.
More important, these immune parameters were associated with FA in both the main beam length and numbers of antler tines.
The immune parameters were, however, only weakly correlated to antler size. This indicates that FA, but not size, of antlers
grown during exposure to a multitude of environmental stressors may reveal information about individual immunity that can
be important for host-parasite interactions. Antler FA may therefore communicate an individual's quality during the rut in
reindeer.
Received: 30 March 1998 / Accepted after revision: 15 August 1998 |
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Keywords: | Antler Fluctuating asymmetry Immunity Parasites Reindeer |
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