Ecological and Demographic Effects on Intraspecific Variation in the Social System of Prairie Dogs

Travis, Steven E.; Slobodchikoff, C. N.; Keim, Paul

doi:10.2307/1940711

Cited by 78 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Density is frequently associated with changes in social organisation and space use (Lott, 1991;Travis, Slobodchikoff & Keim, 1995;Kjellander et al, 2004). Increased interaction rates (Zenuto, Vassallo & Busch, 2002), increased wounding (Boonstra & Boag, 1992;Zenuto et al, 2002;Macdonald et al, 2004), increased weight loss (Macdonald et al, 2002) and reduced frequency or age of first reproduction (Wolff, Schauber & Edge, 1997;Rodel et al, 2004) can occur in high density populations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The response of tree squirrels to fragmentation: a review and synthesis

Koprowski

2005

Animal Conservation

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Habitat fragmentation is often considered a major threat to biodiversity; however, our understanding of how fragmentation impacts populations is poor. Identifying appropriate models for such studies is difficult. Tree squirrels are dependent on mature forests for food, cover and nests; these are habitats that are being fragmented rapidly and that are easily defined by humans. Squirrels represent excellent models for study of fragmentation. The literature on tree squirrels was reviewed to glean data on density and home-range size in forest fragments. Sufficient data were available on four species (Sciurus carolinensis, S. niger, S. vulgaris, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). Density was negatively related to fragment size for S. carolinensis and S. niger and marginally so for T. hudsonicus. Sciurus vulgaris did not exhibit this relationship. Home-range size was analysed for three species of Sciurus and was positively related to forest fragment size for S. carolinensis and S. niger. Again, only S. vulgaris did not to show this relationship. Sciurus vulgaris is rarely found in small forest fragments and is believed to be especially sensitive to fragmentation; other tree squirrels appear to be sensitive to fragmentation in more subtle ways. Home range compaction provides a mechanism by which densities may increase in small fragments. The demographic consequences resultant from the high densities of squirrels found in small woodlots are not known but may explain the forest damage, avian nest predation and reduced diversity often cited to occur in woodland fragments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The response of tree squirrels to fragmentation: a review and synthesis

Koprowski

2005

Animal Conservation

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“…5). As a result, multiple paternity, in which two or more males sire offspring of a single litter (Hanken and Sherman, 1981;Keane et al, 1994), is common (Travis et al, 1996; J. L. Hoogland et aI., in litt. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estrus and Copulation of Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

Hoogland¹

1998

Journal of Mammalogy

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Because most animals copUlate surreptitiously, estimates of male and female copulatory success are elusive. Here I describe six distinctive behaviors that coincide with underground copulations of Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni): the underground consortship itself, inordinate male attention toward the estrous female, self-licking of genitals, dustbathing, the mating call, and late final submergence of the estrous female. These diagnostic behaviors allowed me to identify sexual partners for 308 females that came into estrus during a 7-year study.

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“…Animals form social groups and colonies in response to cooperative interactions as well as mating tactics. Furthermore, patterns of genetic subdivision are also shaped by the extent and nature of philopatric behaviour (Travis et al, 1995;Sommer et al, 2002;Solomon, 2003;Cutrera and Lacey, 2006). We examined the genetic structure of three different levels of social formations or units (subpopulation, roosting colonies and sexes) in our population of N. albiventris.…”

Section: Evidence For Historical Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MHC class II DRB diversity, selection pattern and population structure in a neotropical bat species, Noctilio albiventris

et al. 2011

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Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have a crucial role in the immune response of vertebrates, alter the individual odour and are involved in shaping mating preferences. Pathogen-mediated selection, sexual selection and maternal-fetal interactions have been proposed as the main drivers of frequently observed high levels of polymorphism in functionally important parts of the MHC. Bats constitute the second largest mammalian order and have recently emerged as important vectors of infectious diseases. In addition, Chiroptera are interesting study subjects in evolutionary ecology in the context of olfactory communication, mate choice and associated fitness benefits. Thus, it is surprising that they belong to the least studied mammalian taxa in terms of their MHC diversity. In this study, we investigated the variability in the functionally important MHC class II gene DRB, evidence for selection and population structure in the group-living lesser bulldog bat, Noctilio albiventris, in Panama. We found a single expressed, polymorphic Noal-DRB gene. The substitution pattern of the nucleotide sequences of the 18 detected alleles provided evidence for positive selection acting above the evolutionary history of the species in shaping MHC diversity. Roosting colonies were not genetically differentiated but females showed lower levels of heterozygosity than males, which might be a sign that the sexes differ in the selection pressures acting on the MHC. This study provides the prerequisites for further investigations of the role of the individual MHC constitution in parasite resistance, olfactory communication and mate choice in N. albiventris and other bats.

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Ecological and Demographic Effects on Intraspecific Variation in the Social System of Prairie Dogs

Cited by 78 publications

References 45 publications

The response of tree squirrels to fragmentation: a review and synthesis

The response of tree squirrels to fragmentation: a review and synthesis

Estrus and Copulation of Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

MHC class II DRB diversity, selection pattern and population structure in a neotropical bat species, Noctilio albiventris

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