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1.
Diego Gil Alfonso Marzal Florentino de Lope Marisa Puerta Anders P. Møller 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2006,60(1):96-100
Female birds deposit in the yolks of eggs substantial amounts of androgens, such as testosterone and androstenedione. These
androgens have been shown to speed up nestling development, induce a fast development of ornaments and increase dominance
in adults. Experiments in several species have reported that females invest greater amounts of androgens in the eggs fathered
by attractive males, suggesting that yolk androgen is a costly investment for either the offspring or the mother. There is
some evidence that nestling immunocompetence may be partially suppressed by high levels of yolk androgens, but it is not known
whether this is also the case for females. We tested this hypothesis in the house martin by inducing an immune challenge through
an injection of sheep red blood cells, a standard challenge of the humoral immune system. Experimental birds laid eggs with
lower amounts of yolk androstenedione than controls, and there was a similar non-significant trend for testosterone. Furthermore,
the probability of laying a replacement clutch was higher for birds that had laid a first clutch with relatively high levels
of yolk testosterone. These results suggest that yolk androgen deposition is limited by immune costs in the female, and that
only females in good condition may afford to invest high levels of androgen in eggs in this species. 相似文献
2.
Fleur E. Champion de Crespigny Nina Wedell 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2007,61(8):1229-1235
The maternally inherited bacterium Wolbachia pipientis generates strong reproductive incompatibilities between uninfected females and infected males (cytoplasmic incompatibility),
significantly reducing both female and male reproductive success. Such fitness costs are thought to place selective pressure
on hosts to evolve pre-copulatory preferences for mating with compatible mates, thereby enabling them to avoid the reproductive
incompatibilities associated with Wolbachia. Therefore, uninfected females are predicted to prefer mating with uninfected males, whereas infected males are predicted
to prefer mating with infected females. Despite these predictions, previous investigations of pre-copulatory mate preferences
in Wolbachia-manipulated Drosophila have not found evidence of female preference for uninfected or compatible males. However, none of these studies utilised
a design where focal individuals are provided with a simple choice in a relatively non-competitive situation. We examined
both female and male pre-copulatory mate preference based on mate infection status in Drosophila simulans and D. melanogaster using simple choice assays involving between 30–50 replicates per treatment. Although we found no evidence of female pre-copulatory
mate preferences in either species, male D. simulans exhibited some preference for mating with females of the same infection status. However, this preference was not evident
when we repeated the experiment to confirm this finding. Consequently, we conclude that neither male nor female D. melanogaster and D. simulans exhibit significant Wolbachia-associated pre-copulatory mate preferences. 相似文献
3.
Secondary sexual characters often provide indicators of a male’s resistance to infectious diseases to rivals and potential
mates, but it is unclear why. It is often suggested that males honestly signal their health due to energetic and other physiological
trade-offs between investing into secondary sexual traits vs resistance to infectious diseases. Our aim was to determine whether
such a trade-off exists using wild-derived male house mice (Mus domesticus). We exposed male mice to female scent, a manipulation that induces elevations in testosterone concentration and the expression
of a variety of testosterone-mediated secondary sexual traits, and tested whether this sexual stimulation impaired the males’
ability to resolve or cope with an experimental infection (Salmonella enterica). We kept the males on a controlled diet to prevent them from compensating by eating more food. We found that sexually stimulated
males were able to control bacterial growth as effectively as sham-stimulated controls; however, to do so, they lost more
body mass during infection compared to the controls. In contrast, we found no evidence that sexual stimulation reduced the
body mass of uninfected male mice. These results indicate that males’ responses to female odor are not immunosuppressive per
se, yet they increase the energetic costs of controlling infection. Our findings support the idea that there is a physiological
trade-off between secondary sexual signaling vs resistance to infectious diseases and suggest that studies using only immunocompetence
assays might fail to detect such energetic trade-offs.
We dedicate this paper to the late Professor Chris Barnard who conducted pioneering research on this topic. 相似文献
4.
Offspring should be selected to influence maternal effort to maximize their own fitness, whereas mothers are selected to limit
investment in present progeny. In mammals, this leads to a conflict over the amount of milk provided and the timing of weaning.
The intensity and time course of such conflict has so far mostly been investigated experimentally in altricial rodents. However,
it is expected that offspring options for conflict will depend on developmental state. We therefore investigated in the highly
precocial domestic guinea pig (Cavia aperea f. porcellus) who decides over nursing performance and weaning and how pup state influences these decisions. Specifically, we tested whether
a threshold mass of pups predicts weaning time. By exchanging older litters against neonates and vice versa, we produced a
situation in which females differed in lactational stage from the cross-fostered pups. Our results indicate that females decide
about the timing of weaning, as cross-fostered younger pups were weaned at a much younger age than controls and older pups
benefited from continuing lactation of foster mothers. Growth rates did not differ in the treatment groups, and different
weaning ages resulted in differing weaning mass refuting the hypothesis that weaning is based on a threshold mass of offspring.
This constitutes clear evidence that in a precocial rodent, the guinea pig, decisions about maternal care are primarily determined
by maternal state and little influenced by pup state despite the extreme precociality of offspring. We suggest that precocial
pups show little resistance to early weaning when food is abundant, as they reach sufficient nutritional independence by the
middle of lactation to enable independent survival. 相似文献
5.
Nataliya Voloshchuk Mona Knop Thomas Colby Erich Kombrink Lothar Hennig Diana Hofmann Dieter Sicker Andrej Gryganski Margot Schulz 《Chemoecology》2007,17(1):1-12
Summary. Doratomyces stemonitis (Hyphomycetales, Dematiaceae) is a saprotrophic fungus belonging to the mycobiota of the cereal rhizosphere. The fungus is
able to metabolize benzoxazolin-2-(3H)-one and a variety of its derivatives including higher plant detoxification products, microbial degradation products and
the chemically rather stable 2-amino-(3H)-phenoxazin-3-one. D. stemonitis can use all of these compounds as sole C-sources but their utilization, especially that of microbial degradation products
and 2-amino-(3H)-phenoxazin-3-one, seems to be highly energy consuming, resulting in slow mycelium growth and a change of colony morphology.
Benzoxazolin-2-(3H)-one derived compounds induce the synthesis of different isoforms of a glycosylated protein with sequence homologies to the
endo-1,3-β-glucanase Asp f2, an allergen from Aspergillus fumigatus and other Asp f2-like proteins e.g., from Verticillium dahliae or PRA1 antigen from Candida albicans. The induction of the protein is regarded as a stress response. 相似文献
6.
Juan Camilo Marín Loaiza Carlos L. Céspedes Till Beuerle Claudine Theuring Thomas Hartmann 《Chemoecology》2007,17(2):109-115
Summary. The occurrence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in Pittocaulon (ex Senecio) praecox (Asteraceae) a species endemic to Mexico was established. The aboveground plant organs contain the 1,2-saturated monoester
7-angeloyl-dihydroxyheliotridane together with a small proportion of its 9-angeloyl isomer as major alkaloid. The monoesters
are accompanied by the macrocyclic otonecine derivative senkirkine. Roots contain only related macrocyclic PAs with senecionine,
senkirkine and platyphylline as major components; monoesters are absent. The broom-like succulent stems of P. praecox are infested by the scale insect Ceroplastes albolineatus conspicuously visible by its huge wax cover. All life-history stages, i.e. females, eggs, first instar nymphs (crawlers)
and the wax cover were found associated with PAs. The measured PA concentrations clearly indicate sequestration. The highest
PA concentrations (mg / g dry weight) reached are: mature females, 0.44; eggs, 0.58; crawlers, 0.37; wax cover, 0.08. The
host plant as well as in the infesting scale insect contain the PAs exclusively as free bases. As a phloem-feeder C. albolineatus must acquire the PAs with the ingested phloem sap. This appears plausible since in Senecio species PA are transmitted and circulated through the phloem path. It is suggested that PAs may protect particularly the
crawlers as the most endangered stage in the life-cycle of the scale insect. 相似文献
7.
Summary. Males of dacine tephritids, Bactrocera carambolae and B. dorsalis are strongly attracted to, and compulsively feed on methyl eugenol (ME), a potent attractant for many Bactrocera species. While ME was shown to be biotransformed into phenylpropanoids, 2-allyl-4,5-dimethoxyphenol and (E)-coniferyl alcohol, and temporarily stored in the rectal gland of male B. dorsalis prior to release during courtship at dusk, B. carambolae male produces only the latter compound along with its de novo synthesized pheromone components. Both species were also shown to have different age-related response, sensitivity and consumption
levels of ME. Here, we monitored and compared temporal changes in the accumulation profiles of these phenylpropanoids by the
two sibling species, with male rectal glands being individually excised at different time intervals from 15 minutes to 20
days after initial ME feeding and analysed quantitatively. Results are discussed in light of plant-fruit fly co-evolution
relationship. 相似文献
8.
Johannes Stökl Robert Twele Dirk H. Erdmann Wittko Francke Manfred Ayasse 《Chemoecology》2007,17(4):231-233
Summary.
Ophrys flowers mimic the female produced sex pheromone of their pollinator species to attract males for pollination. The males try
to copulate with the putative female and thereby pollinate the flower. Using electrophysiological and chemical analyses, floral
volatiles released by O. iricolor as well as the female sex pheromone of its pollinator species, Andrena morio are investigated. Overall, 38 peaks comprising 41 chemical compounds, were found to release reactions in the antennae of
male A. morio bees. Analyses using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed the presence of alkanes and alkenes with 20 to
29 carbon atoms, aldehydes (C9 to C24) and two esters. Almost all of those compounds were found in similar proportions in
both, the floral extracts of O. iricolor and cuticle surface extracts of A. morio females. The pattern of biologically active volatiles described here is very similar to that used by other Ophrys species pollinated by Andrena males. 相似文献
9.
Rachel Vallender Vicki L. Friesen Raleigh J. Robertson 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2007,61(12):1797-1807
We examined two components of reproduction in a population of golden-winged warblers in the initial stages of hybridization
with blue-winged warblers. First, we used genetic analyses of mate choice to determine whether copulations outside the social
pairbond (extra-pair copulations; EPCs) occur in these species and their hybrids. Second, we compared several aspects of reproduction
(pairing success, clutch size, hatching success, fledging success, and loss of paternity) in nests raised by phenotypic golden-winged
warblers to those raised by hybrid individuals. Together, these data provide us with the first quantitative analysis of reproduction
within this hybrid system. Our data suggest several reasons why the level of hybridization between these species is likely
being underestimated. First, many birds in our population showed only subtle phenotypic signs of introgression indicating
that hybrid status can only be determined by close examination. Second, high rates of extra-pair paternity indicate that we
cannot base our estimates of hybridization on pairbond data alone. More than 30% of nestlings were the result of EPCs, occurring
in 55% of all nests. Third, there was no difference in the number of hybrid or “pure” golden-winged warbler males chosen as
social mates, relative to their abundance. Indeed, based on several components of nesting success, it appears as though hybrids
are having as great realized reproductive success as are phenotypic golden-winged warblers in our population. Accordingly,
we argue that hybrid reproductive success and extra-pair fertilizations are likely playing a major role in the ongoing hybridization
between blue-winged and golden-winged warblers. Studies such as this one are important to our understanding of the process
and implications of hybridization, and findings may be applicable to other hybrid zones. 相似文献
10.
Piyamas Nanork Siriwat Wongsiri Benjamin P. Oldroyd 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2007,61(10):1509-1514
Honey bee workers are able to distinguish queen-laid eggs from worker-laid eggs, and remove (‘police’) worker-laid eggs. The
cue that police workers use is as yet unidentified but is likely to be a chemical signal. This signal benefits queens for
it ensures their reproductive monopoly. It also benefits collective workers because it allows them to raise more closely related
queen-laid males than the less-related sons of half sisters. Because both parties benefit from the egg-marking signal, it
should be stable over evolutionary time. We show that Apis mellifera workers can distinguish queen-laid from worker-laid eggs of the dwarf honey bee A. florea, a phylogenetically distant species that diverged from the A. mellifera lineage 6–10 mya. However, A. mellifera workers are unable to distinguish worker-laid eggs of A. cerana, a much more recent divergence (2–3 mya). The apparent change in the egg-marking signal used by A. cerana may be associated with the high rates of ovary activation in this species. 相似文献
11.
A. Machias S. Somarakis N. Papadroulakis M.-T. Spedicato M. Suquet G. Lembo P. Divanach 《Marine Biology》2003,142(1):45-52
The wreckfish (Polyprion americanus) is a panoceanic, long-lived, deep-water demersal species, characterized by an extended pelagic juvenile phase associated with floating objects. In the present study morphometric data from 435 specimens collected from Greece (Crete), Italy (Ionian Sea) and the Atlantic coast of France from September 1999 to March 2001 were analyzed to estimate the settlement size of the species and associated changes in morphology. The fishery sample included specimens from both the pelagic and the demersal stage. Length-at-settlement (TL50) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated by fitting a logistic function. Eleven morphometric characters were analyzed, and the existing inflection points, reflecting alterations in body shape, were defined: (1) iteratively, as the transition point, splitting the data set into two groups, for which the reduced major axis functions, between a character and total length, of the successive groups best fit (minimum sum of squares of residuals) the combined data set and (2) where the second derivative of the fitted third-order polynomial functions to morphometric ratios equaled zero. The main size range within which wreckfish settled was 56-65 cm, and the means of the inflection points defined by the two methods were 61 and 64 cm. These results indicate changes in functional morphology associated with settlement. The monitoring of wreckfish juveniles caught in the wild and kept individually in captivity showed changes in growth and food intake at approximately the estimated settlement length and suggested that temperature was the most likely factor triggering settlement. 相似文献
12.
Individual-level variation in resource use occurs in a broad array of vertebrate and invertebrate taxa and may have important
ecological and evolutionary implications. In this study, we measured the degree of individual-level variation in prey preference
of the hunting wasp Trypoxylon albonigrum, which inhabits the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. This wasp captures several orb-weaving spider genera to provision
nests. Individuals consistently specialized on a narrow subset of the prey taxa consumed by the population, indicating the
existence of significant individual-level variation in prey preferences. The population niche was broader in the wet season
in terms of both prey size and taxa. In the case of prey size, the population niche expansion was achieved via increased individual
niche breadths, whereas in the case of prey taxa, individual niches remained relatively constrained, and the population niche
expanded via increased interindividual variation. The observed pattern suggests the possibility of functional trade-offs associated
with the taxon of the consumed prey. The nature of the trade-offs remains unknown, but they are likely related to learning
in searching and/or handling prey. We hypothesize that by specializing on specific prey taxa, individuals increase foraging
efficiency, reducing foraging time and ultimately increasing reproductive success. 相似文献
13.
Short-term (3 h) changes in concentration of chlorophylls and their derivatives in stage V Pseudodiaptomus euryhalinus and their fecal material were followed by HPLC during a 24 h experiment. Copepodites were fed with the prasinophyte Tetraselmis suecica. Intact chlorophyll a and b were found in animals and fecal material and had similar dynamics of accumulation over time. The extent of transformation of chlorophyll a and b to colorless compounds was different with chlorophyll a being more extensively degraded. Additionally, several chlorophyll derivatives (pheophytin and pyropheophytin-like pigments) were found. Pyropheophytin a was the most abundant followed by pheophytin b, pheophytin a, and pheophorbide a. Relative amounts of pheopigments were different in copepodites and fecal material, and pheophytin a, pheophorbide a, and pheophytin b concentrations were low and variable. The amount of ingested chlorophyll recovered as chlorophyll a and its derivatives in fecal and copepodite pools was generally low (<5%), with one exception occurring after 9 h, when it accounted for >70%. These data suggest individual pheopigments are produced at different rates and that chemical or enzymatic mechanisms in the gut of copepodites act on the two chlorophylls in different ways. 相似文献
14.
The experiments were undertaken to measure, for the first time, cardiac output in yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata) during exposure to a harmful red tide flagellate (Chattonella marina). The responses were compared with those during exposure to environmental hypoxia to evaluate the significance of the drop of arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2) in the fish-kill mechanisms by C. marina. PaO2 immediately decreased, whereas heart rate (HR) was maintained until shortly before death during exposure to C. marina. Suffocation developing during the exposure resulted from a decrease in blood oxygen content, but not from lowered blood flow to the tissue. Although exposure to both C. marina and hypoxia immediately decreased PaO2, arterial oxygen content (CaO2) and pH (pHa) were significantly lower, whereas HR and cardiac output (&Qdot;) remained significantly higher, for the C. marina-exposed fish than for hypoxia-exposed fish. Although the drop in PaO2 appears to play a pivotal role in the mechanisms of fish death by C. marina, other physiological response(s) should also be considered. 相似文献
15.
Michael J. L. Magrath Peter Santema Karen M. Bouwman Dušan M. Brinkhuizen Simon C. Griffith Naomi E. Langmore 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2009,63(5):661-672
Reproductive success within populations often varies with the timing of breeding, typically declining over the season. This
variation is usually attributed to seasonal changes in resource availability and/or differences in the quality or experience
of breeders. In colonial species, the timing of breeding may be of particular importance because the costs and benefits of
colonial breeding are likely to vary over the season and also with colony size. In this study, we examine the relationship
between timing of breeding and reproductive performance (clutch size and nest success) both within and between variable sized
colonies (n = 18) of fairy martins, Petrochelidon ariel. In four of these colonies, we also experimentally delayed laying in selected nests to disentangle the effects of laying
date and individual quality/experience on reproductive success. Within colonies, later laying birds produced smaller clutches,
but only in larger colonies. The general seasonal decline in nest success was also more pronounced in larger colonies. Late
laying birds were generally smaller than earlier laying birds, but morphological differences were also related to colony size,
suggesting optimal colony size also varies with phenotype. Experimentally delayed clutches were larger than concurrently produced
non-delayed clutches, but only in larger colonies. Similarly, delayed clutches were more likely to produce fledglings, particularly
later in the season and in larger colonies. We suggest that the reduced performance of late breeding pairs in larger colonies
resulted primarily from inexperienced/low quality birds preferring to settle in larger colonies, possibly exacerbated by an
increase in the costs of coloniality (e.g., resource depletion and ectoparasite infestations) with date and colony size. These
findings highlight the importance of phenotype-related differences in settlement decisions and reproductive performance to
an improved understanding of colonial breeding and variation in colony size. 相似文献
16.
Peter Korsten Oscar Vedder István Szentirmai Jan Komdeur 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2007,61(12):1933-1943
Structurally based ultraviolet (UV)-reflective plumage parts can be important cues in mate choice. However, it remains largely
unknown if UV plumage variation can also function as a signal of social status during competitive interactions. In blue tits
(Cyanistes caeruleus), the UV-reflective crown plumage functions as a female mate choice cue that probably indicates male quality, as males with
higher UV reflectance have been shown to have better chances of over-winter survival. Possibly, the UV crown plumage acts
as a status signal in the competition over scarce food sources during winter. To test this idea, we related dominance of individuals
at an artificial food source during adverse winter conditions to spectrophotometric measurements of their crown plumage. However,
while controlling for the confounding effects of sex, age, and distance from territory, we found no significant effect of
crown UV reflectance on dominance. Consistent with this result, we also found no relation between crown UV reflectance and
over-winter survival. We conclude that the structurally based UV reflectance of the blue tit crown feathers plays little role
in competition between individuals during winter despite its importance as a cue in mate choice. 相似文献
17.
Filippo Galimberti Simona Sanvito Chiara Braschi Luigi Boitani 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2007,62(2):159-171
Reproductive effort is a key parameter of life history because it measures the resources allocated to reproduction at the
expense of growth and maintenance. Male reproductive effort always had a minor role with respect to female effort both in
the development of theories and in field research. Elephant seals are an ideal subject for reproductive effort studies because
they fast during the breeding season, splitting the phase of energy acquisition from the phase of energy use for breeding.
In this paper, we present results on male reproductive effort (weight loss estimated by photogrammetry) in southern elephant
seals (Mirounga leonina), the most dimorphic and polygynous of all mammal species. We show that total reproductive effort increases with age, with
no sign of late decrease or senescence. Male reproductive effort in this species depends mostly on behavioral factors, i.e.,
the success in competition with other males, and the intensity of interaction with females. A large effort results in large
gains in both mating success and fertilizations. The large reproductive success that a few males are able to achieve come
at a big cost in terms of energy expenditure, but this cost does not seem to affect the likelihood of survival to the following
breeding season. 相似文献
18.
Maria I. Sandell 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2007,62(2):255-262
In the European starling, Sturnus vulgaris, optimal mating systems differ between males and females. Males gain from polygyny, whereas monogamy increases female fitness.
The cost of polygyny to females lead to intense female–female competition, and it has previously been shown that the intensity
of female aggression during the pre-breeding period can predict the realised mating system. The physiological regulation of
such female aggression in starlings is not yet known. This study examines the role of testosterone in mediating aggressive
behaviours involved in intra-specific reproductive competition in female starlings. Testosterone levels were experimentally
elevated with testosterone implants in females during the pre-laying period. To simulate a situation in which an additional
female tried to mate with the focal female’s mate, a caged female was presented close to a nest-site to which the male could
attract a secondary female. Testosterone was significantly related to several behaviours involved in female–female interactions.
Females with testosterone implants spent significantly more time close to the caged female and produced more song bouts than
control females. In contrast, male behaviour was unrelated to the experimental status of the mate. Females mated to males
that attracted a secondary female were less aggressive towards the caged female than those that remained monogamously mated.
The effect of exogenous testosterone in this study indicates that androgens may mediate social behaviours in female starlings
during the breeding season. 相似文献
19.
Nestmate recognition for eggs in the honeybee (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis mellifera</Emphasis> L.)
Christian W. W. Pirk Peter Neumann Randall Hepburn 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2007,61(11):1685-1693
Colony integrity is fundamental to social insects and is threatened by the reproduction of non-nestmates. Therefore, discrimination
between eggs derived from nestmates and non-nestmates would constitute an adaptation to prevent exploitation of the entire
cooperative group by unrelated individuals. The removal of nestmate and non-nestmate queen and worker-laid eggs was evaluated
in honeybees using colonies of Apis mellifera capensis to test female and of A. m. scutellata to test male eggs. The data show that honeybees can distinguish between nestmate and non-nestmate eggs of both sexes. Moreover,
non-nestmate female queen-laid eggs were removed significantly faster than nestmate female worker-laid eggs in A. m. capensis, indicating that nestmate recognition cues can override caste-specific ones. While the experimental manipulation accounts
for 37.2% (A. m. scutellata) or 1.6% (A. m. capensis) of variance in relation to egg removal, nestmate recognition explains 33.3% for male eggs (A. m. scutellata) and 60.6% for female eggs (A. m. capensis), which is almost twice as high as the impact of caste (16.7% A. m. scutellata; 25% A. m. capensis). Our data show a stronger effect of nestmate recognition on egg removal in the honeybee, suggesting that cues other than
caste-specific ones (viability/kin) can dominate egg removal behavior. In light of intraspecific social parasitism, preventing
the reproduction of unrelated individuals (group selection) rather than preferring queens’ eggs (kin selection) appears to
be the driving force behind the evolution of egg removal behavior in honeybees. 相似文献
20.
The operational sex ratio (OSR) may influence the intensity of competition for mates and mate choice and is therefore thought
to be a major factor predicting the intensity and direction of sexual selection. We studied the opportunity for sexual selection,
i.e., the variance in male reproductive success and the direction and intensity of sexual selection on male body mass in bank
vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) enclosure populations with experimentally manipulated sex ratios. The opportunity for sexual selection was high among male-biased
OSRs and decreased towards female-biased OSRs. Paradoxically, selection for large male body mass was strongest in female-biased
OSRs and also considerable at intermediate OSRs, whereas at male-biased OSRs, only a weak relationship between male size and
reproductive success was found. Litters in male-biased OSRs were more likely to be sired by multiple males than litters in
female-biased OSRs. Our results suggest that the intensity and direction of sexual selection in males differs among different
OSRs. Although the direction of sexual selection on male body mass was opposite than predicted, large body mass can be favored
by sexual selection. Naturally varying OSRs may therefore contribute to maintain variation in male sexually selected traits. 相似文献