Search Results (5)

Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone produced during activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) in response to psychological or physiological demands. High amounts of circulating cortisol can be found in individuals experiencing energetically demanding physiological events, such as pregnancy, lactation, injury, or starvation, but, also, in individuals who may have less obvious HPA activation from social situations. The feral horse population on Sable Island (Nova Scotia, Canada) provides an opportunity to look at hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as a proxy for circulating cortisol concentration to better understand physiological correlates. The horse’s complex social structure also allows us to look at how the population and group structure may influence HPA activation. Hair samples (n = 282) were analyzed from 113 females and 135 males. Females with dependent offspring (foals) had higher HCC than those females without dependent offspring (p = 0.005). Horses in poor body condition were also more likely to have higher HCC (females: p < 0.001, males: p = 0.028); females had greater variation in the body condition index (BCI), which also correlated with foal production. In general, the top-ranked models describing female cortisol levels included age, BCI, presence of a foal, as well as social measures such as harem size and the number of bachelors in the vicinity. The top model describing male cortisol levels included age, BCI, and year of collection only, and the number of bachelors in the home range appeared in subsequent, though still high-ranked, models. Among the variables not of direct interest, we found some significant results relating to hair color and hair texture. Differences in HCC patterns between feral and domestically kept horses (e.g., age and sex) are likely linked to periods of resource limitations, particularly for individuals experiencing energetically demanding processes such as reproduction, illness/parasitism, or related to experiencing the full range of social and reproductive behaviors. Full article

We examine population trends in light of male harvest data considering the long-time series of population data on northern fur seals at Tyuleniy Island. To answer the question has the way males were harvested influenced the population trajectory, we analyzed the visual harem size and birth rate dynamics of the population, as well as the strategy and intensity of the harvest. We analyzed the dynamics of the sex ratio in the early (1958–1988) period to estimate parameters in the late period (1989–2013) based on the observed number of bulls and pups, while utilizing the distribution of reproductive rates obtained from pelagic sealing. Using a matrix population model for the observed part of the population (i.e., the male population), we analyzed the population growth rate associated with changes in both birth and survival rates considering the stochastic effects. Observations allow us to reject the hypothesis of nonselective harvest. Among the variety of natural and anthropogenic factors that could contribute to the decrease in the birth rate in the population, the effect of selective harvesting seems to be the most realistic. Full article

We used long-term data on the variation in harem size in Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys to research the effects of harem size on reproductive success and the ratio of grooming received to given (RGRG). The results suggest that harem holders derive reproductive benefits commensurate with harem size, whereas the females’ reproductive success is unaffected by harem size. Males of larger harems groomed less and had higher RGRG than males of smaller harems. In the case of females, grooming given increased, and RGRG decreased with an increase in harem size. The males’ reproductive success seems to be a driver of harem size maximization. From the females’ perspective, dwindling social benefits appear to set the upper limit for harem enlargement. We also showed that males of monogamous units (‘single-female harems’) invested more into grooming their female, presumably to prevent unit disintegration and loss of mating privileges. Full article

Many forms of polygyny are observed across different animal groups. In some species, groups of females may remain with a single male for breeding, often referred to as “harem polygyny”. The environment and the amount of habitat available for feeding, mating and oviposition may have an effect on the formation of harems. We aimed to determine how the surrounding environment (a harvested or unharvested pine plantation) and availability of local substrate affect the harems of the bark beetle, Ips grandicollis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). In a harvested pine plantation with large amounts of available habitat, the population density of these beetles is much higher than in unharvested plantations. We found the number of females per male to be significantly greater in the harvested plantation than the unharvested one. Additionally, the amount of substrate available in the immediate local vicinity (the number of logs in replicate piles) also influences the number of beetles attracted to a log and size of individual harems. We also examined how females were distributing themselves in their galleries around the males’ nuptial chamber, as previous work has demonstrated the potential for competition between neighbouring females and their offspring. Females do not perform clumping, suggesting some avoidance when females make their galleries, but they also do not distribute themselves evenly. Female distribution around the male’s nuptial chamber appears to be random, and not influenced by other females or external conditions. Full article

During the 2019 breeding season (October-December), a battery-powered DIJ Inspire 2 drone was used to investigate a breeding southern elephant seal colony located at Patelnia Point (ASPA 128, King George Island, South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctica). Twelve unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) missions conducted 50–70 m above ground level (AGL) were completed to monitor the breeding ground with a maximum of 0.348 km². The missions were planned in Pix4D Capture software. A drone, with the support of ground cameras and observations, was used to derive population counts, map harems, and track the phenology of the southern elephant seals. Based on data obtained from the UAV missions, orthophotomaps were created in PIX4D Mapper and then analyzed in QGIS. Calculated values of body size parameters such as body length and orthogonal body surface area were used to determine the age and sex of individuals. Analysis of the ranges of the harems on particular days, supported by an analysis of land conditions that generate physical barriers to the movement of animals, allowed zones in which the transformations of groups of harems took place to be determined. The hypothesized hermeticity of the designated zones was supported by statistical tests. The use of drones allows for comprehensive population analyses of the breeding colonies of elephant seals such as censuses of pups and adult individuals, determination of the sex ratio, and spatial analysis of the distribution of breeding formations. In addition, it allows for a more accurate result than ground counting. Full article