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Lauren M. Mathews - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Evidence for high rates of in-pair paternity in the Socially monogamous snapping shrimp Alpheus angulosus
Aquatic Biology, 2007Co-Authors: Lauren M. MathewsAbstract:Understanding the relationships between Social and genetic interactions among individ- uals can lead to important insights into both the evolution of Social behavior and the movement of alleles among generations. However, Socially monogamous behavior is not always a good predictor of genetic parentage, so that inferences into genetic relationships among family group members require molecular genetic investigation. In the speciose snapping shrimp genera, Social Monogamy is the most common Social system. However, research into mating and parentage relationships between Socially monogamous partners has been limited by the reclusive nature of most snapping shrimp, which makes them difficult to observe under natural conditions, and so the degree to which Social Monogamy correlates with genetic Monogamy remains unknown. Here, using data from 5 polymor- phic microsatellite markers, evidence for high rates (≥94% of offspring genotyped) of in-pair pater- nity in field-captured heterosexual pairs of Alpheus angulosus, a common intertidal alpheid, is reported. Therefore, male Social partners were apparently the sole or primary fathers of their female partners' clutches in all pairs. Some clutches showed evidence of 3+ paternal alleles at one of the genotyped loci, which may be a signal of multiple paternity; however, in these cases, the possibility of genotyping errors cannot be discounted. In summary, these data indicate that Social Monogamy correlates closely with genetic Monogamy in this taxon, though additional work is required in order to draw strong inferences about the occurrence of multiple paternity of individual clutches.
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Tests of the mate-guarding hypothesis for Social Monogamy: male snapping shrimp prefer to associate with high-value females
Behavioral Ecology, 2003Co-Authors: Lauren M. MathewsAbstract:Social Monogamy without biparental care has evolved in many taxa, and a number of hypotheses have been developed to explain this phenomenon. Several authors have suggested the importance of male mate-guarding behavior in the evolution of Social Monogamy, although empirical support for this hypothesis is lacking. In the caridean shrimp genus Alpheus, Social Monogamy may result from selection on males for long-term guarding of females because mating is temporally restricted to a short time after the female's molt. I used Alpheus angulatus to test two predictions of the extended mate-guarding hypothesis: Males should (1) be physiologically capable of predicting the timing of female sexual receptivity, and (2) prefer to associate with (guard) females that are closer to sexual receptivity. Data from a Y-maze experiment testing for distance chemical communication showed that males of A. angulatus were attracted to water treated by exposure to premolt females, repulsed by water treated by exposure to intermolt males and females, and did not appear to respond in either direction to water treated by exposure to premolt males. In mate choice experiments, significantly more males paired with premolt females than with postmolt females. These data suggest that males of A. angulatus engage in precopulatory mate-guarding behavior. Other factors (population density, sex ratio) may have played a role in the temporal extension of mate guarding to Social Monogamy. Copyright 2003.
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Tests of the mate-guarding hypothesis for Social Monogamy: does population density, sex ratio, or female synchrony affect behavior of male snapping shrimp (Alpheus angulatus)?
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2002Co-Authors: Lauren M. MathewsAbstract:There are at least two mechanisms by which Social Monogamy in the absence of biparental care may evolve: as a form of territorial cooperation, in which one or both sexes benefits by sharing a territory with a partner, and as a form of extended mate guarding, in which males guard females through entire, and perhaps multiple, reproductive cycles. I examined the effects of population variables (density, sex ratio, female synchrony) on male pairing behavior in the snapping shrimp, Alpheus angulatus, to test the hypothesis that Social Monogamy in this genus has evolved as a result of selection on males for long-term mate guarding of females. There was no evidence that pairing behavior changes with differences in population density; in a natural population, there was a 1:1 relationship between the number in pairs and local population density. In a laboratory experiment, males altered their pairing behavior in response to manipulated differences in sex ratio. Males in female-biased sex ratios were significantly more likely to abandon recently mated females than males in equivalent sex ratios, though there was no significant difference in the duration of pairing or the number of times males switched females. Observations of shrimp maintained for an extended period in the laboratory revealed no evidence that females molt and become sexually receptive synchronously, which would reduce the likelihood that a searching male would encounter additional receptive females. These data suggest that sex ratio may have contributed to the evolution of Social Monogamy in snapping shrimp, but provide no evidence that population density or female synchronous receptivity have contributed to the evolution of Social Monogamy.
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Territorial cooperation and Social Monogamy: factors affecting intersexual behaviours in pair-living snapping shrimp
Animal Behaviour, 2002Co-Authors: Lauren M. MathewsAbstract:Abstract Among the factors that may contribute to the evolution of Social Monogamy are selection for extended mate guarding of females and selection for territorial ‘cooperation’. Many Socially monogamous taxa are also territorial, with ‘partners’ sharing a single territory, suggesting that one or both partners may benefit by sharing territorial maintenance. Snapping shrimp (genus Alpheus ) are Socially monogamous and territorial, living in excavated burrows or with host organisms, with females performing all parental care. The territorial cooperation hypothesis predicts that male and female partners share (1) territorial defence, resulting in a reduction in the risk of eviction from the burrow, (2) burrow construction duties, such that individuals in pairs spend less time in burrow construction relative to solitary individuals, and/or (3) foraging duties, by returning food to the burrow, where it is consumed by both partners. Using A. angulatus as a model species, a territorial defence experiment revealed that females in pairs were significantly less likely than solitary females to be evicted by female intruders, but males in pairs were not significantly less likely than solitary males to be evicted by male intruders. A subsequent experiment revealed that paired males were significantly less likely to be evicted by an intruding male if paired with sexually receptive females than if paired with nonreceptive females. Another experiment revealed that (1) paired females spent significantly more time in burrow construction than paired males, and (2) both males and females consistently returned food items to the burrow, perhaps incidentally provisioning their mates. These data suggest that Social Monogamy may have been selected for in part because of the advantages of territorial cooperation, as both males and females are likely to benefit by dividing the labour of territorial defence and maintenance. These tests of the territorial cooperation hypothesis are synthesized with data from tests of the extended mate-guarding hypothesis to place snapping shrimp pairing behaviour into a larger construct incorporating both the influence of ecological pressures (territoriality) and mating interactions between the sexes. Copyright 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .
Jeffrey A. French - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Social Monogamy in Nonhuman Primates: Phylogeny, Phenotype, and Physiology
Journal of Sex Research, 2017Co-Authors: Jeffrey A. French, Jon Cavanaugh, Aaryn C. Mustoe, Sarah B. Carp, Stephanie L. WomackAbstract:Monogamy as a Social system has been both a scientific puzzle and a sociocultural issue for decades. In this review, we examine Social Monogamy from a comparative perspective with a focus on primates, our closest genetic relatives. We break down Monogamy into component elements, including pair-bonding and partner preference, mate guarding or jealousy, Social attachment, and biparental care. Our survey of primates shows that not all features are present in species classified as Socially monogamous, in the same way that human monogamous relationships may not include all elements—a perspective we refer to as “Monogamy a la carte.” Our review includes a survey of the neurobiological correlates of Social Monogamy in primates, exploring unique or common pathways for the elemental components of Monogamy. This compilation reveals that the components of Monogamy are modulated by a suite of androgenic steroids, glucocorticoid hormones, the nonapeptide hormones oxytocin and vasopressin, and other neurotransmitter sy...
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Social Monogamy in Nonhuman Primates: Phylogeny, Phenotype, and Physiology
Journal of sex research, 2017Co-Authors: Jeffrey A. French, Jon Cavanaugh, Aaryn C. Mustoe, Sarah B. Carp, Stephanie L. WomackAbstract:Monogamy as a Social system has been both a scientific puzzle and a sociocultural issue for decades. In this review, we examine Social Monogamy from a comparative perspective with a focus on primates, our closest genetic relatives. We break down Monogamy into component elements, including pair-bonding and partner preference, mate guarding or jealousy, Social attachment, and biparental care. Our survey of primates shows that not all features are present in species classified as Socially monogamous, in the same way that human monogamous relationships may not include all elements-a perspective we refer to as "Monogamy a la carte." Our review includes a survey of the neurobiological correlates of Social Monogamy in primates, exploring unique or common pathways for the elemental components of Monogamy. This compilation reveals that the components of Monogamy are modulated by a suite of androgenic steroids, glucocorticoid hormones, the nonapeptide hormones oxytocin and vasopressin, and other neurotransmitter systems (e.g., dopamine and opioids). We propose that efforts to understand the biological underpinnings of complex human and animal sociosexual relationships will be well served by exploring individual phenotypic traits, as opposed to pursuing these questions with the assumption that Monogamy is a unitary trait or a species-specific characteristic.
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Molecular Variation in AVP and AVPR1a in New World Monkeys (Primates, Platyrrhini): Evolution and Implications for Social Monogamy
2016Co-Authors: Dongren Ren, Kelvin R. Chin, Jeffrey A. FrenchAbstract:The neurohypophysial hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) plays important roles in fluid regulation and vascular resistance. Differences in AVP receptor expression, particularly mediated through variation in the noncoding promoter region of the primary receptor for AVP (AVPR1a), may play a role in Social phenotypes, particularly Social Monogamy, in rodents and humans. Among primates, Social Monogamy is rare, but is common among New World monkeys (NWM). AVP is a nonapeptide and generally conserved among eutherian mammals, although a recent paper demonstrated that some NWM species possess a novel form of the related neuropeptide hormone, oxytocin. We therefore characterized variation in the AVP and AVPR1a genes in 22 species representing every genus in the three major platyrrhine families (Cebidae, Atelidae and Pitheciidae). For AVP, a total of 16 synonymous substitutions were detected in 15 NWM species. No non-synonymous substitutions were noted, hence, AVP is conserved in NWM. By contrast, relative to the human AVPR1a, 66 predicted amino acids (AA) substitutions were identified in NWM. The AVPR1a N-terminus (ligand binding domain), third intracellular (G-protein binding domain), and C-terminus were variable among species. Complex evolution of AVPR1a is also apparent in NWM. A molecular phylogenetic tree inferred from AVPR1a coding sequences revealed some consensus taxonomic separation by families, but also a mixed group composed of genera from all three families. The overall dN/dS ratio of AVPR1a was 0.11, but signals of positive selection in distinct AVPR1a regions were observed, including the N-terminus, in which w
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Genetic Diversity in Oxytocin Ligands and Receptors in New World Monkeys
PloS one, 2015Co-Authors: Dongren Ren, Aaryn C. Mustoe, Hideaki Moriyama, Emily B. Harrison, Jeffrey A. FrenchAbstract:Oxytocin (OXT) is an important neurohypophyseal hormone that influences wide spectrum of reproductive and Social processes. Eutherian mammals possess a highly conserved sequence of OXT (Cys-Tyr-Ile-Gln-Asn-Cys-Pro-Leu-Gly). However, in this study, we sequenced the coding region for OXT in 22 species covering all New World monkeys (NWM) genera and clades, and characterize five OXT variants, including consensus mammalian Leu8-OXT, major variant Pro8-OXT, and three previously unreported variants: Ala8-OXT, Thr8-OXT, and Phe2-OXT. Pro8-OXT shows clear structural and physicochemical differences from Leu8-OXT. We report multiple predicted amino acid substitutions in the G protein-coupled OXT receptor (OXTR), especially in the critical N-terminus, which is crucial for OXT recognition and binding. Genera with same Pro8-OXT tend to cluster together on a phylogenetic tree based on OXTR sequence, and we demonstrate significant coevolution between OXT and OXTR. NWM species are characterized by high incidence of Social Monogamy, and we document an association between OXTR phylogeny and Social Monogamy. Our results demonstrate remarkable genetic diversity in the NWM OXT/OXTR system, which can provide a foundation for molecular, pharmacological, and behavioral studies of the role of OXT signaling in regulating complex Social phenotypes.
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Molecular Variation in AVP and AVPR1a in New World Monkeys (Primates, Platyrrhini): Evolution and Implications for Social Monogamy
2014Co-Authors: Dongren Ren, Kelvin R. Chin, Jeffrey A. FrenchAbstract:The neurohypophysial hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) plays important roles in fluid regulation and vascular resistance. Differences in AVP receptor expression, particularly mediated through variation in the noncoding promoter region of the primary receptor for AVP (AVPR1a), may play a role in Social phenotypes, particularly Social Monogamy, in rodents and humans. Among primates, Social Monogamy is rare, but is common among New World monkeys (NWM). AVP is a nonapeptide and generally conserved among eutherian mammals, although a recent paper demonstrated that some NWM species possess a novel form of the related neuropeptide hormone, oxytocin. We therefore characterized variation in the AVP and AVPR1a genes in 22 species representing every genus in the three major platyrrhine families (Cebidae, Atelidae and Pitheciidae). For AVP, a total of 16 synonymous substitutions were detected in 15 NWM species. No non-synonymous substitutions were noted, hence, AVP is conserved in NWM. By contrast, relative to the human AVPR1a, 66 predicted amino acids (AA) substitutions were identified in NWM. The AVPR1a N-terminus (ligand binding domain), third intracellular (G-protein binding domain), and C-terminus were variable among species. Complex evolution of AVPR1a is also apparent in NWM. A molecular phylogenetic tree inferred from AVPR1a coding sequences revealed some consensus taxonomic separation by families, but also a mixed group composed of genera from all three families. The overall dN/dS ratio of AVPR1a was 0.11, but signals of positive selection in distinct AVPR1a regions were observed, including the N-terminus, in which we identified six potential positive selection sites. AA substitutions at positions 241, 319, 399 and 409 occurred uniquely in marmosets and tamarins. Our results enhance the appreciation of genetic diversity in the mammalian AVP/AVPR1a system, and set the stage for molecular modeling of the neurohypophyseal hormones and Social behavior in primates.
Claude Baudoin - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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spatial dynamics and the evolution of Social Monogamy in mammals
Behavioral Ecology, 2010Co-Authors: Stephen F Dobson, Claude BaudoinAbstract:Social Monogamy is an uncommon mating system among mammalian species, and several hypotheses have been suggested to explain its evolution. It is generally thought that low local population densities and widely spaced female home ranges, particularly small home ranges, may facilitate Social Monogamy. We tested these expectations with a complete data set on local density, home range area, and body mass for 64 mammalian species, 22 of which were described as Socially monogamous and 42 as not Socially monogamous (Socially polygynous or polygynandrous). Larger samples were examined separately for local density (84 species) and home range size (129 species). We found that with or without statistical adjustments for body size and phylogeny, Socially monogamous and nonmonogamous species appeared similar in local density and home range area. Thus, we found no support for the idea that low population densities and wide dispersion of small home ranges have favored the evolution of Social Monogamy. Given support for different hypotheses in studies of different species, we suggest multiple causes of Social Monogamy among mammalian species. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.
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Spatial dynamics and the evolution of Social Monogamy in mammals
Behavioral Ecology, 2010Co-Authors: F. Stephen Dobson, Brittany M. Way, Claude BaudoinAbstract:Social Monogamy is an uncommon mating system among mammalian species, and several hypotheses have been suggested to explain its evolution. It is generally thought that low local population densities and widely spaced female home ranges, particularly small home ranges, may facilitate Social Monogamy. We tested these expectations with a complete data set on local density, home range area, and body mass for 64 mammalian species, 22 of which were described as Socially monogamous and 42 as not Socially monogamous (Socially polygynous or polygynandrous). Larger samples were examined separately for local density (84 species) and home range size (129 species). We found that with or without statistical adjustments for body size and phylogeny, Socially monogamous and nonmonogamous species appeared similar in local density and home range area. Thus, we found no support for the idea that low population densities and wide dispersion of small home ranges have favored the evolution of Social Monogamy. Given support for different hypotheses in studies of different species, we suggest multiple causes of Social Monogamy among mammalian species. Key words: body mass, home range, local population density, mammals, Monogamy, phylogeny. [Behav Ecol]
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Experimental tests of spatial association and kinship in monogamous mice (Mus spicilegus) and polygynous mice (Mus musculus domesticus)
Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2002Co-Authors: F. Stephen Dobson, Claude BaudoinAbstract:The mound-building mouse (Mus spicilegus) and house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) are closely related species that exhibit putative characteristics of Social Monogamy and mate-defense polygyny, respectively. Social behaviours and group composition in these species have been well studied in the laboratory under controlled conditions, and the purpose of our study was to examine conclusions drawn from laboratory data in less constrained seminatural enclosures. Specifically, we examined spatial associations and disassociations, which we used as indices of attraction and avoidance, respectively, in both species of mice. In each enclosure and for each species, we introduced small treatment groups of either 2 or 3 female kin (sisters) or 2 or 3 unrelated females, along with an equal number of unrelated males. Initial group composition and physical environments in our enclosures were similar for the two species, therefore we preformed a modified "common garden" experiment. We expected genetically based behaviou...
Nancy G. Solomon - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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How to Study Socially Monogamous Behavior in Secretive Animals? Using Social Network Analyses and Automated Tracking Systems to Study the Social Behavior of Prairie Voles
Frontiers Media S.A., 2018Co-Authors: Anne C. Sabol, Nancy G. Solomon, Ben DantzerAbstract:Accurately recording the Social and mating behavior of wild animals is necessary to test hypotheses regarding the evolution of monogamous behavior but documenting the behavior of most wild animals is challenging. Social network analyses can use patterns of spatial and temporal co-occurrence to describe the Social associations of individuals within a population, such as which opposite-sex individuals are found together more frequently than others as an indicator of their degree of Social Monogamy. Social networks generated using automated radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking systems may provide insights into the Social behavior of secretive animals because they enable the automated and continuous tracking of the Social associations among individuals, which can address many of the limitations with studying these kinds of species. We assessed the potential for Social networks generated using an automated RFID tracking system to describe the Social behavior of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) in semi-natural enclosures. Our aim was to assess whether Social networks generated using the RFID system provided meaningful insights into the Social behavior of voles by comparing this method to other methods that have been traditionally used in laboratory (partner preference tests) or field (degree of home range overlap) studies to study Social Monogamy in prairie voles. In partner preference tests conducted in the field, females spent more time with males with which they had stronger Social network associations. Voles that had stronger Social network associations also had home ranges that overlapped considerably more than dyads with lower Social network associations. In addition, Social networks generated from live-trapping and RFID data were comparable but Social networks generated using data from our RFID system recorded almost twice as many Social associations overall. Our results show that Social association metrics derived from Social networks generated using the RFID tracking system reflect other commonly used measures of Social Monogamy in prairie voles. Overall, this suggests that patterns of spatial and temporal co-occurrence are meaningful measures of Social Monogamy in wild animals
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Table_1_How to Study Socially Monogamous Behavior in Secretive Animals? Using Social Network Analyses and Automated Tracking Systems to Study the Social Behavior of Prairie Voles.docx
2018Co-Authors: Anne C. Sabol, Nancy G. Solomon, Ben DantzerAbstract:Accurately recording the Social and mating behavior of wild animals is necessary to test hypotheses regarding the evolution of monogamous behavior but documenting the behavior of most wild animals is challenging. Social network analyses can use patterns of spatial and temporal co-occurrence to describe the Social associations of individuals within a population, such as which opposite-sex individuals are found together more frequently than others as an indicator of their degree of Social Monogamy. Social networks generated using automated radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking systems may provide insights into the Social behavior of secretive animals because they enable the automated and continuous tracking of the Social associations among individuals, which can address many of the limitations with studying these kinds of species. We assessed the potential for Social networks generated using an automated RFID tracking system to describe the Social behavior of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) in semi-natural enclosures. Our aim was to assess whether Social networks generated using the RFID system provided meaningful insights into the Social behavior of voles by comparing this method to other methods that have been traditionally used in laboratory (partner preference tests) or field (degree of home range overlap) studies to study Social Monogamy in prairie voles. In partner preference tests conducted in the field, females spent more time with males with which they had stronger Social network associations. Voles that had stronger Social network associations also had home ranges that overlapped considerably more than dyads with lower Social network associations. In addition, Social networks generated from live-trapping and RFID data were comparable but Social networks generated using data from our RFID system recorded almost twice as many Social associations overall. Our results show that Social association metrics derived from Social networks generated using the RFID tracking system reflect other commonly used measures of Social Monogamy in prairie voles. Overall, this suggests that patterns of spatial and temporal co-occurrence are meaningful measures of Social Monogamy in wild animals.
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avpr1a length polymorphism is not associated with either Social or genetic Monogamy in free-living prairie voles
Animal behaviour, 2011Co-Authors: Karen E. Mabry, Brian Keane, Craig A. Streatfeild, Nancy G. SolomonAbstract:Recent discoveries of single-gene influences on Social behaviour have generated a great deal of interest in the proximate mechanisms underlying the expression of complex behaviours. Length polymorphism in a microsatellite in the regulatory region of the gene encoding the vasopressin 1a receptor (avpr1a) has been associated with both inter- and intra-specific variation in Socially monogamous behaviour in voles (genus Microtus) under laboratory conditions. Here, we evaluate the relationship between avpr1a length polymorphism and Social associations, genetic Monogamy and reproductive success in free-living prairie vole, M. ochrogaster, populations. We found no evidence of a relationship between avpr1a microsatellite length and any of our correlates of either Social or genetic Monogamy in the field. Our results, especially when taken in conjunction with those of recent experimental studies in seminatural enclosures, suggest that avpr1a polymorphism is unlikely to have been a major influence in the evolution or maintenance of Social Monogamy in prairie voles under natural conditions.
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Polymorphism at the avpr1a locus in male prairie voles correlated with genetic but not Social Monogamy in field populations
Molecular ecology, 2009Co-Authors: Nancy G. Solomon, A. R. Richmond, P. A. Harding, Anthony C. Fries, S. Jacquemin, Robert L. Schaefer, Kristen E. Lucia, Brian KeaneAbstract:Integrative studies of genetics, neurobiology and behaviour indicate that polymorphism in specific genes contributes to variation observed in some complex Social behaviours. The neuropeptide arginine vasopressin plays an important role in the regulation of a variety of Social behaviours, including Social attachment of males to females, through its action on the vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR). In Socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), polymorphism in the length of microsatellite DNA within the regulatory region of the gene (avpr1a) encoding the V1aR predicts differences among males in neural expression of V1aRs and partner preference under laboratory conditions. However, understanding the extent to which V1aR mediates variation in prairie vole Social and reproductive behaviour observed in nature requires investigating the consequences of avpr1a polymorphism and environmental influences under ecologically relevant conditions. We examined the relationship between avpr1a length polymorphism and Monogamy among male prairie voles living in 0.1 ha enclosures during a time similar to their natural lifespan. We found no evidence that avpr1a genotype of males predicts variation in Social Monogamy measured in the field but some indices of Social Monogamy were affected by population density. Parentage data indicated that a male's avpr1a genotype significantly influenced the number of females with which he sired offspring and the total number of offspring sired. Total brain concentrations of V1aR mRNA were not associated with either male behaviour or avpr1a genotype. These data show that melding ecological field studies with neurogenetics can substantially augment our understanding of the effects of genes and environment on Social behaviours.
Eduardo Fernandez-duque - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Social Monogamy, male-female relationships, and biparental care in wild titi monkeys (Callicebus discolor).
Primates; journal of primatology, 2015Co-Authors: Andrea Spence-aizenberg, Anthony Di Fiore, Eduardo Fernandez-duqueAbstract:Titi monkeys (Callicebus spp.) are one of two primate genera that live almost exclusively in groups with one adult-size individual of each sex and exhibit extensive biparental care of offspring. We provide a quantitative description of infant care and pairmate behavior in natural groups of Callicebus discolor that contributes to a limited literature on the behavioral ecology of wild titi monkeys. We collected data during a 3-year period from two Social groups living in primary tropical rainforest at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in Amazonian Ecuador before and after the birth of five infants. In order to evaluate the potential Social and energetic costs associated with biparental care of offspring, we examined the relationships between infant care, pairmate behavior, and adult activity budgets. We found that males were almost exclusively responsible for transporting, grooming, sharing food, and playing with infants. As predicted, we found that, following the birth of an infant, adults groomed their partners less, spent less time in contact, and that huddling between pairmates decreased. Contrary to our predictions, after the birth of an infant, females did not increase the time spent feeding, and males did not decrease the time spent moving nor increase their resting time. Overall, our data suggest that the pair may experience Social costs during times of intense infant care but that any putative energetic costs associated with infant care are not mitigated by adjusting physical activity. Future studies should investigate energy intake and expenditure, and consider how the variation observed in pairmate Social relationships may affect reproductive success.
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Oxytocin receptor gene sequences in owl monkeys and other primates show remarkable interspecific regulatory and protein coding variation.
Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 2015Co-Authors: Paul L. Babb, Eduardo Fernandez-duque, Theodore G. SchurrAbstract:Abstract The oxytocin (OT) hormone pathway is involved in numerous physiological processes, and one of its receptor genes (OXTR) has been implicated in pair bonding behavior in mammalian lineages. This observation is important for understanding Social Monogamy in primates, which occurs in only a small subset of taxa, including Azara’s owl monkey (Aotus azarae). To examine the potential relationship between Social Monogamy and OXTR variation, we sequenced its 5′ regulatory (4936 bp) and coding (1167 bp) regions in 25 owl monkeys from the Argentinean Gran Chaco, and examined OXTR sequences from 1092 humans from the 1000 Genomes Project. We also assessed interspecific variation of OXTR in 25 primate and rodent species that represent a set of phylogenetically and behaviorally disparate taxa. Our analysis revealed substantial variation in the putative 5′ regulatory region of OXTR, with marked structural differences across primate taxa, particularly for humans and chimpanzees, which exhibited unique patterns of large motifs of dinucleotide A + T repeats upstream of the OXTR 5′ UTR. In addition, we observed a large number of amino acid substitutions in the OXTR CDS region among New World primate taxa that distinguish them from Old World primates. Furthermore, primate taxa traditionally defined as Socially monogamous (e.g., gibbons, owl monkeys, titi monkeys, and saki monkeys) all exhibited different amino acid motifs for their respective OXTR protein coding sequences. These findings support the notion that Monogamy has evolved independently in Old World and New World primates, and that it has done so through different molecular mechanisms, not exclusively through the oxytocin pathway.
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Social Monogamy in wild owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) of Argentina: the potential influences of resource distribution and ranging patterns
American journal of primatology, 2015Co-Authors: Eduardo Fernandez-duqueAbstract:Using published and new data from a population of monogamous owl monkeys in the Argentinean Chaco, I examine the hypothesis that Social Monogamy is a default Social system imposed upon males because the spatial and/or temporal distribution of resources and females makes it difficult for a single male to defend access to more than one mate. First, I examine a set of predictions on ranging patterns, use of space, and population density. This first section is followed by a second one considering predictions related to the abundance and distribution of food. Finally, I conclude with a section attempting to link the ranging and ecological data to demographic and life-history parameters as proxies for reproductive success. In support of the hypothesis, owl monkey species do live at densities (7–64 ind/km2) that are predicted for monogamous species, but groups occupy home ranges and core areas that vary substantially in size, with pronounced overlap of home ranges, but not of core areas. There are strong indications that the availability of food sources in the core areas during the dry season may be of substantial importance for regulating Social Monogamy in owl monkeys. Finally, none of the proxies for the success of groups were strongly related to the size of the home range or core area. The results I present do not support conclusively any single explanation for the evolution of Social Monogamy in owl monkeys, but they help us to better understand how it may function. Moreover, the absence of conclusive answers linking ranging, ecology, and reproductive success with the evolution of Social Monogamy in primates, offer renewed motivation for continuing to explore the evolution of Monogamy in owl monkeys. Am. J. Primatol. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
