The Experts below are selected from a list of 360 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Gabriele Gerlach - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Neural pathways of olfactory Kin imprinting and Kin Recognition in zebrafish
Cell and Tissue Research, 2021Co-Authors: Gabriele Gerlach, Mario F. WullimannAbstract:Teleost fish exhibit extraordinary cognitive skills that are comparable to those of mammals and birds. Kin Recognition based on olfactory and visual imprinting requires neuronal circuits that were assumed to be necessarily dependent on the interaction of mammalian amygdala, hippocampus, and isocortex, the latter being a structure that teleost fish are lacKing. We show that teleosts—beyond having a hippocampus and pallial amygdala homolog—also have subpallial amygdalar structures. In particular, we identify the medial amygdala and neural olfactory central circuits related to Kin imprinting and Kin Recognition corresponding to an accessory olfactory system despite the absence of a separate vomeronasal organ.
-
Crypt cells are involved in Kin Recognition in larval zebrafish
Scientific reports, 2016Co-Authors: Daniela Biechl, Gabriele Gerlach, Kristin Tietje, Mario F. WullimannAbstract:Zebrafish larvae imprint on visual and olfactory Kin cues at day 5 and 6 postfertilization, respectively, resulting in Kin Recognition later in life. Exposure to non-Kin cues prevents imprinting and Kin Recognition. Imprinting depends on MHC class II related signals and only larvae sharing MHC class II alleles can imprint on each other. Here, we analyzed which type of olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) detects Kin odor. The single teleost olfactory epithelium harbors ciliated OSNs carrying OR and TAAR gene family receptors (mammals: main olfactory epithelium) and microvillous OSNs with V1R and V2R gene family receptors (mammals: vomeronasal organ). Additionally, teleosts exhibit crypt cells which possess microvilli and cilia. We used the activity marker pERK (phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated Kinase) after stimulating 9 day old zebrafish larvae with either non-Kin conspecific or food odor. While food odor activated both ciliated and microvillous OSNs, only the latter were activated by conspecific odor, crypt cells showed no activation to both stimuli. Then, we tested imprinted and non-imprinted larvae (full siblings) for Kin odor detection. We provide the first direct evidence that crypt cells, and likely a subpopulation of microvillous OSNs, but not ciliated OSNs, play a role in detecting a Kin odor related signal.
-
Kin Recognition in zebrafish danio rerio is based on imprinting on olfactory and visual stimuli
Animal Behaviour, 2013Co-Authors: Cornelia Hinz, Gabriele Gerlach, Simon Kobbenbring, Sigrid Kress, Lauren Sigman, Anke MullerAbstract:The evolution of cooperative behaviour requires mechanisms to avoid investing in conspecifics that are not increasing an individual's direct or indirect fitness. This suggests that selection should favour the capability of recognizing Kin. One mechanism to discriminate between Kin and nonKin is based on phenotype matching, when an individual learns a template of itself or of its Kin and can later use this template to recognize even unfamiliar Kin. In this study, we found that in zebrafish olfactory Kin Recognition depended on an imprinting process that required the two-step learning process of olfactory as well as visual cues of Kin. Larvae that were exposed to either visual or olfactory cues or to both cues of nonKin did not show imprinting. This capability of imprinting on Kin but not on nonKin cues can be explained by genetic predisposition or self-referencing. Through this combined imprinting process larvae can avoid false imprinting on unrelated individuals.
-
Kin Recognition in zebrafish: A 24-hour window for olfactory imprinting
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2008Co-Authors: Gabriele Gerlach, Carla Avolio, Andrea Hodgins-davis, Celia SchunterAbstract:Distinguishing Kin from non-Kin profoundly impacts the evolution of social behaviour. Individuals able to assess the genetic relatedness of conspecifics can preferentially allocate resources towards related individuals and avoid inbreeding. We have addressed the question of how animals acquire the ability to recognize Kin by studying the development of olfactory Kin preference in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Previously, we showed that zebrafish use an olfactory template to recognize even unfamiliar Kin through phenotype matching. Here, we show for the first time that this phenotype matching is based on a learned olfactory imprinting process in which exposure to Kin individuals on day 6 post fertilization (pf) is necessary and sufficient for imprinting. Larvae that were exposed to Kin before or after but not on day 6 pf did not recognize Kin. Larvae isolated from all contact with conspecifics did not imprint on their own chemical cues; therefore, we see no evidence for Kin Recognition through self-matching in this species. Surprisingly, exposure to non-Kin odour during the sensitive phase of development did not result in imprinting on the odour cues of unrelated individuals, suggesting a genetic predisposition to Kin odour. Urine-born peptides expressed by genes of the immune system (MHC) are important messengers carrying information about 'self' and 'other'. We suggest that phenotype matching is acquired through a time-sensitive learning process that, in zebrafish, includes a genetic predisposition potentially involving MHC genes expressed in the olfactory receptor neurons.
-
Kin Recognition and inbreeding avoidance in zebrafish danio rerio is based on phenotype matching
Animal Behaviour, 2006Co-Authors: Gabriele Gerlach, Nadine S J LysiakAbstract:Differentiating Kin from nonKin enables organisms of many species to allocate resources or altruistic behaviour towards related conspecifics and to avoid mating with close relatives. Kin Recognition mechanisms can vary among species and may reflect the social environment. Learned familiarity with nest or shoalmates may serve as a good indication that individuals are related, as long as the social system is sufficiently stable to avoid intermingling of unrelated individuals with siblings. Phenotype matching allows for Recognition of even unfamiliar Kin because individuals establish an olfactory, visual or acoustic template for their Kin during early development and compare this template to cues from unfamiliar individuals later in life. We tested which Kin Recognition mechanism is used by zebrafish and we found that the preference for Kin changes with sexual maturity. The olfactory preference of laboratory-bred juveniles and reproductively active adults were tested in an odour choice flume. Juveniles of mixed-sex groups spent more time on the side of unfamiliar Kin than unfamiliar nonKin, indicating that Kin Recognition and preference are based on a phenotype matching mechanism. They also preferred familiar Kin to unfamiliar Kin, showing that familiarity with individuals enhances Kin preference. Preference changed with sexual maturity. Adult females preferred the odour of unfamiliar, unrelated males to unfamiliar brothers, indicating inbreeding avoidance. Adult male zebrafish showed no preference for the odour of related or unrelated females. To our knowledge, this is the first study testing different Kin Recognition mechanisms and switching of Kin preference in the same species of fish.
Jill M Mateo - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
the ontogeny of Kin Recognition mechanisms in belding s ground squirrels
Physiology & Behavior, 2017Co-Authors: Jill M MateoAbstract:Despite extensive research on the functions and mechanisms of Kin Recognition, little is known about developmental changes in the abilities mediating such Recognition. Belding's ground squirrels, Urocitellus beldingi, use at least two mechanisms of Kin Recognition in nepotistic contexts: familiarity and phenotype matching. Because Recognition templates develop from early associations with familiar Kin (and/or with self), familiarity-based Recognition should precede phenotype-matching Recognition even though one template is thought to be used for both mechanisms. I used a cross-fostering design to produce individuals that differed in relatedness and familiarity. Two pups (one female and one male) were exchanged reciprocally between two litters within 48-h of birth. Every five days, from 15 to 30-d of age, young were exposed to bedding and oral-gland odors from their familiar foster mother and an unfamiliar unrelated female (familiarity test) and from their unfamiliar genetic mother and another unfamiliar unrelated female (phenotype-matching test). As expected, discrimination of odors based on familiarity was evident at all ages tested, whereas discrimination based on relatedness was not evident until 30-d. My results provide a first estimate for when phenotype-matching mechanisms are used by young Belding's ground squirrels, and thus when they can recognize unfamiliar Kin such as older sisters or grandmothers. Belding's ground squirrels are the first species for which the development of the production, perception and action components is well understood.
-
Perspectives: Hamilton's legacy: Mechanisms of Kin Recognition in humans
Ethology, 2015Co-Authors: Jill M MateoAbstract:The behavior literature is replete with examples of individuals exhibiting costly acts that benefit someone else. These examples troubled Darwin so much so that he thought they would be fatal to his theory of natural selection. A century later, W. D. Hamilton refined that theory by showing, quantitatively, that such acts could be favored if the individuals involved were relatives. His theory of inclusive fitness is generally considered one of the greatest theoretical advances in evolution since Darwin's time. Less appreciated from Hamilton's 1964 paper is the hypothesis that mechanisms favoring accurate Kin Recognition will also be selected. Here, I review those Recognition mechanisms and survey the literature on human Kin Recognition. Although not often considered, humans both produce cues to Kinship that vary with genetic relatedness and have perceptual abilities to detect these cues in others and assess that relatedness. The potential functions of these abilities are discussed. Importantly, gaps in our understanding of the development and use of Recognition mechanisms are noted.
-
self referent phenotype matching and long term maintenance of Kin Recognition
Animal Behaviour, 2010Co-Authors: Jill M MateoAbstract:Self-referential phenotype matching, or using one’s own cues as a referent for recognizing Kin, is expected in species with multiple paternity or maternity to discriminate among full siblings and halfsiblings, or in nepotistic contexts to accurately assess relatedness. It would also facilitate optimal inbreeding and outbreeding. Self-matching has been predicted for Belding’s ground squirrels, Urocitellus beldingi, yet previous work could not rule out the possibility that animals use family cues rather than or in addition to their own cues for Recognition. After hibernation, U. beldingi recognize their littermates but not previously familiar nonKin. Kin templates, including cues of mother and littermates, may be maintained throughout life, or, they may be lost during hibernation with memories of unrelated individuals, in which case self-matching must be used to create a new template in the spring. Using a cross-fostering design, these two possibilities were tested with olfactory discrimination tests after ground squirrels aroused from hibernation. Yearlings recognized their siblings, but not fostermates they had been reared with since birth, demonstrating that Kin templates are lost over winter and self-matching is used to recognize Kin after hibernation. Results are discussed in terms of plasticity of Kin Recognition systems, the costs and benefits of maintaining social memories, and the contexts in which templates are updated. 2010 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Accurate discrimination of conspecifics according to genetic relatedness is a crucial prerequisite for nepotistic behaviours and facilitates mate choice to optimize inbreeding versus outbreeding. The adaptive significance of Kin Recognition in these contexts has been extensively studied (Bateson 1983; Hamilton 1987), yet complementary knowledgeof the proximate mechanisms bywhich animals recognize Kin is lacKing. Kin Recognition is an internal process of assessing genetic relatedness that is inferred by Kin discrimination, the observable differential treatment of conspecifics based on cues that vary with relatedness. An understanding of Kin Recognition involves three components: the production of unique phenotypic cues, or ‘labels’, the perception of these labels and their degree of correspondence with a ‘Recognition template’, or a stored representation or memory of these labels (these two components are the mechanism of Recognition), and the action taken by an animal as a function of the similarity between its template and an encountered individual (Beecher 1982; Sherman &
-
cross fostering as a means to study Kin Recognition
Animal Behaviour, 2004Co-Authors: Jill M Mateo, Warren G. HolmesAbstract:Cross-fostering techniques in which infants are taken from their genetic parents and reared by unrelated foster parents have been widely used in behavioural research to investigate several developmental questions. Here we address some of the central issues involved in using cross-fostering to study Kin Recognition where it has been applied frequently. We do so by first outlining
-
Kin Recognition in ground squirrels and other rodents
Journal of Mammalogy, 2003Co-Authors: Jill M MateoAbstract:Significant advances have been made in understanding Kin Recognition as it pertains to nepotism (preferential treatment of Kin) and mate choice (optimization of inbreeding and outbreeding). Yet complementary knowledge about how animals discriminate conspecifics on the basis of genetic relatedness remains unclear for most species. Because of the diversity of their scent sources and highly developed olfactory systems, rodents present a unique opportunity for examining chemical communication and Kin Recognition as a function of sociality. I review general processes of Kin Recognition and summarize mechanisms of Recognition used by rodents. As a case study, I also examine Recognition systems of ground squirrels, relating odor production and perception to differences in patterns of nepotism. Belding’s ground squirrels ( Spermophilus beldingi) produce $2 odors (from oral and dorsal glands) that correlate with relatedness (Kin labels), and they are able to use these odors to make precise discriminations among their unfamiliar relatives. Thus, S. beldingi can recognize their distant female Kin and male Kin, even though these Kin are not treated nepotistically (e.g., through cooperative territory defense or alarm call production). Furthermore, S. beldingi use these Kin labels and Recognition abilities to interact differentially with conspecifics as a function of relatedness. In ground squirrels and in other rodents, components of the Kin Recognition process (production of Recognition cues, discrimination of these cues, and differential treatment of conspecifics) have evolved differentially among even closely related species. Kin Recognition abilities in the absence of nepotism might reflect selection for inbreeding avoidance mechanisms, in addition to sex-biased natal dispersal. Together, data and the review demonstrate that Recognition abilities cannot be predicted on the basis of sociality alone and suggest that comparative analyses, by multiple assays of discrimination, might be necessary to understand variation in the function of Kin Recognition within and across species.
Claud A. Bramblett - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Kin Recognition by paternal half-siblings in captive Papio cynocephalus
American Journal of Primatology, 1997Co-Authors: Elizabeth M Erhart, Anthony M. Coelho, Claud A. BramblettAbstract:Our objective in this study was to evaluate whether a group of paternally related, subadult baboons (Papio cynocephalus) would preferentially interact with Kin or nonKin when they had been raised apart from Kin other than their mothers. Subjects and their mothers were removed from the breeding group and placed in alternate housing within 24 h after birth to ensure that the subjects would not have a social history with either their sire or their half-siblings. At 90 days of age, the 23 subjects were separated from their mothers and assigned to a peer-peer social group. Behavioral performance was measured using focal animal sampling techniques and 12 molecular behavioral criteria. Analyses of the data indicate that in dyadic interactions Kin did not interact more frequently than nonKin in performance of affiliative, sociosexual, and agonistic behaviors. The hypothesis that baboons recognize Kin in the absence of maternal associations was not supported by the data; moreover, we suggest that social learning and social history are the most likely mechanisms for Kin Recognition.
-
Kin Recognition by paternal half siblings in captive papio cynocephalus
American Journal of Primatology, 1997Co-Authors: Elizabeth M Erhart, Anthony M. Coelho, Claud A. BramblettAbstract:Our objective in this study was to evaluate whether a group of paternally related, subadult baboons (Papio cynocephalus) would preferentially interact with Kin or nonKin when they had been raised apart from Kin other than their mothers. Subjects and their mothers were removed from the breeding group and placed in alternate housing within 24 h after birth to ensure that the subjects would not have a social history with either their sire or their half-siblings. At 90 days of age, the 23 subjects were separated from their mothers and assigned to a peer–peer social group. Behavioral performance was measured using focal animal sampling techniques and 12 molecular behavioral criteria. Analyses of the data indicate that in dyadic interactions Kin did not interact more frequently than nonKin in performance of affiliative, sociosexual, and agonistic behaviors. The hypothesis that baboons recognize Kin in the absence of maternal associations was not supported by the data; moreover, we suggest that social learning and social history are the most likely mechanisms for Kin Recognition. Am. J. Primatol. 43:147–157, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bryan D. Neff - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
multiple mating predicts intensity but not mechanism of Kin Recognition
Behavioral Ecology, 2016Co-Authors: Timothy J A Hain, Shawn R Garner, Indar W Ramnarine, Bryan D. NeffAbstract:Understanding how animals recognize their Kin has been a major challenge in biology. Most animals use one of 2 mechanisms: "familiarity" whereby Kin are remembered from interactions early in life, such as in a nest, or "phenotype matching" whereby putative Kin are compared with a template of what Kin should look, smell, or sound like. Cross-species studies suggest that there is a link between which of these 2 mechanisms are used and the degree of female promiscuity (multiple mating). Phenotype matching is more likely to be used by promiscuous species because these species have lower average brood relatedness than monogamous species and familiarity is thus an unreliable cue of relatedness. However, it is unclear if this relationship holds within species, across populations that differ in their degree of promiscuity. Here, we take advantage of variation in brood relatedness across populations of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to examine the relationship between Kin Recognition mechanisms and multiple mating within a single species. Contrary to the established hypothesis, we show that variation in Recognition mechanism across populations is not governed by multiple mating. Instead, our data show that Kin Recognition, quantified as association preferences for shoalmates, is strongest when brood relatedness is high, consistent with Hamilton’s rule, but multiple mating does not otherwise influence the specific Recognition mechanism used.
-
Multiple paternity and Kin Recognition mechanisms in a guppy population
Molecular Ecology, 2007Co-Authors: Timothy J A Hain, Bryan D. NeffAbstract:Help directed toward Kin (nepotism) is an important example of social behaviour. Such helping behaviour requires a mechanism to distinguish Kin from nonKin. The prevailing Kin Recognition hypothesis is that when familiarity is a reliable cue of relatedness, other mechanisms of Recognition will not evolve. However, when familiarity is an unreliable cue of relatedness, Kin Recognition by phenotype matching is instead predicted to evolve. Here we use genetic markers to show that guppies (Poecilia reticulata) from a population in a tributary of the Paria River in Trinidad are characterized by a high degree of multiple mating with 95% of broods having more than one sire and some dams having offspring sired by six males. These levels of multiple mating are the highest reported among live-bearing fishes. The mean relatedness of brood-mates was 0.36 (as compared to 0.5 for full-siblings). Therefore, familiarity does not seem to be a reliable mechanism to assess full-sibling relatedness. Using two-choice behavioural trials, we found that juveniles from this population use both phenotype matching and familiarity to distinguish Kin from nonKin. However, we did not find strong evidence that the guppies use these mechanisms to form shoals of related individuals as adults, which is similar to results from other guppy populations in Trinidad. The use of both familiarity and phenotype matching is discussed in the context of the Paria River guppy population's mating system and ecology. Overall, these data provide support for the Kin Recognition hypothesis and increase our understanding of the evolution of Kin Recognition systems.
-
promiscuity drives self referent Kin Recognition
Current Biology, 2006Co-Authors: Timothy J A Hain, Bryan D. NeffAbstract:Summary Kin selection theory has been one of the most significant advances in our understanding of social behavior [1–3]. However, the discovery of widespread promiscuity has challenged the evolutionary importance of Kin selection because it reduces the benefit associated with helping nestmates [4–6]. This challenge would be resolved if promiscuous species evolved a self-referent Kin-Recognition mechanism that enables individuals to differentiate Kin and nonKin [7–9]. Here, we take advantage of an asymmetry in the level of promiscuity among males of alternative life histories in the bluegill sunfish ( Lepomis macrochirus ). We show that, as a consequence of this asymmetry, offspring of "parental" males have a high level of relatedness to nestmates, whereas offspring of "cuckolder" males have a low level of relatedness to nestmates. We find that offspring of parentals do not use a direct Recognition mechanism to discriminate among nestmates, whereas offspring of cuckolders use Kin Recognition by self-referent phenotype matching to differentiate between Kin and nonKin. Furthermore, we estimate that the cost of utilizing such self-referent Kin Recognition is equivalent to a relatedness (R) of at least 0.06. These results provide compelling evidence for adaptive use of Kin Recognition by self-referent phenotype matching and confirm the importance of Kinship in social behavior.
Elizabeth M Erhart - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Kin Recognition by paternal half-siblings in captive Papio cynocephalus
American Journal of Primatology, 1997Co-Authors: Elizabeth M Erhart, Anthony M. Coelho, Claud A. BramblettAbstract:Our objective in this study was to evaluate whether a group of paternally related, subadult baboons (Papio cynocephalus) would preferentially interact with Kin or nonKin when they had been raised apart from Kin other than their mothers. Subjects and their mothers were removed from the breeding group and placed in alternate housing within 24 h after birth to ensure that the subjects would not have a social history with either their sire or their half-siblings. At 90 days of age, the 23 subjects were separated from their mothers and assigned to a peer-peer social group. Behavioral performance was measured using focal animal sampling techniques and 12 molecular behavioral criteria. Analyses of the data indicate that in dyadic interactions Kin did not interact more frequently than nonKin in performance of affiliative, sociosexual, and agonistic behaviors. The hypothesis that baboons recognize Kin in the absence of maternal associations was not supported by the data; moreover, we suggest that social learning and social history are the most likely mechanisms for Kin Recognition.
-
Kin Recognition by paternal half siblings in captive papio cynocephalus
American Journal of Primatology, 1997Co-Authors: Elizabeth M Erhart, Anthony M. Coelho, Claud A. BramblettAbstract:Our objective in this study was to evaluate whether a group of paternally related, subadult baboons (Papio cynocephalus) would preferentially interact with Kin or nonKin when they had been raised apart from Kin other than their mothers. Subjects and their mothers were removed from the breeding group and placed in alternate housing within 24 h after birth to ensure that the subjects would not have a social history with either their sire or their half-siblings. At 90 days of age, the 23 subjects were separated from their mothers and assigned to a peer–peer social group. Behavioral performance was measured using focal animal sampling techniques and 12 molecular behavioral criteria. Analyses of the data indicate that in dyadic interactions Kin did not interact more frequently than nonKin in performance of affiliative, sociosexual, and agonistic behaviors. The hypothesis that baboons recognize Kin in the absence of maternal associations was not supported by the data; moreover, we suggest that social learning and social history are the most likely mechanisms for Kin Recognition. Am. J. Primatol. 43:147–157, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
