Evidence of natal habitat preference induction within one habitat type

Merrick, Melissa J.; Koprowski, John L.

doi:10.1098/rspb.2016.2106

Cited by 20 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(100 reference statements)

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“…Variation in the ecological characteristics of the sites may be driving the genetic structure among locations. This finding is consistent with growing evidence that non‐random dispersal resulting from habitat selection, known as “natal habitat preference induction” in rodents, can lead to directed gene flow that promotes phenotypic and genotypic differences between habitat types (Edelaar, Siepielski, & Clobert, ; Mabry & Stamps, ; Merrick & Koprowski, ; Rice, ). For an urban rat, housing, parks and green spaces and mixed‐use infrastructure are very different habitats.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Spatial variation in the parasite communities and genomic structure of urban rats in New York City

Angley

Combs

Firth

et al. 2017

Zoonoses and Public Health

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Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) are a globally distributed pest. Urban habitats can support large infestations of rats, posing a potential risk to public health from the parasites and pathogens they carry. Despite the potential influence of rodent-borne zoonotic diseases on human health, it is unclear how urban habitats affect the structure and transmission dynamics of ectoparasite and microbial communities (all referred to as "parasites" hereafter) among rat colonies. In this study, we use ecological data on parasites and genomic sequencing of their rat hosts to examine associations between spatial proximity, genetic relatedness and the parasite communities associated with 133 rats at five sites in sections of New York City with persistent rat infestations. We build on previous work showing that rats in New York carry a wide variety of parasites and report that these communities differ significantly among sites, even across small geographical distances. Ectoparasite community similarity was positively associated with geographical proximity; however, there was no general association between distance and microbial communities of rats. Sites with greater overall parasite diversity also had rats with greater infection levels and parasite species richness. Parasite community similarity among sites was not linked to genetic relatedness of rats, suggesting that these communities are not associated with genetic similarity among host individuals or host dispersal among sites. Discriminant analysis identified site-specific associations of several parasite species, suggesting that the presence of some species within parasite communities may allow researchers to determine the sites of origin for newly sampled rats. The results of our study help clarify the roles that colony structure and geographical proximity play in determining the ecology of R. norvegicus as a significant urban reservoir of zoonotic diseases. Our study also highlights the spatial variation present in urban rat parasite communities, indicating that rats across New York City are not reservoirs for a homogenous set of parasites and pathogens. As a result, the epidemiological risks may be similarly heterogeneous for people in urban habitats.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Spatial variation in the parasite communities and genomic structure of urban rats in New York City

Angley

Combs

Firth

et al. 2017

Zoonoses and Public Health

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“…NHBD has rarely been reported for wildlife in general [63,64], and has most often been documented in highly heterogeneous habitats ( [9,12], but see [64]). To test for NHBD in Scandinavian wolves, we used different habitat classifications through different clustering methods and number of clusters.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

No place like home? A test of the natal habitat-biased dispersal hypothesis in Scandinavian wolves

et al. 2018

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Natal dispersal is an important mechanism for the viability of populations. The influence of local conditions or experience gained in the natal habitat could improve fitness if dispersing individuals settle in an area with similar habitat characteristics. This process, defined as ‘natal habitat-biased dispersal’ (NHBD), has been used to explain distribution patterns in large carnivores, but actual studies evaluating it are rare. We tested whether grey wolf Canis lupus territory establishment was influenced by the habitat characteristics of the natal territory using the long-term monitoring of the Scandinavian wolf population. We paired the locations of natal and established territories, accounted for available habitats along the dispersing route, and compared their habitat characteristics for 271 wolves during 1998–2012. Wolves with the shortest dispersal distances established in natal-like habitat types more than expected by chance, whereas wolves that dispersed longer distances did not show NHBD. The pattern was consistent for male and female wolves, with females showing more NHBD than males. Chances to detect NHBD increased with the size of habitat defined as available. This highlights the importance of considering the biological characteristics of the studied species when defining habitat availability. Our methodological approach can prove useful to inform conservation and management to identify habitats to be selected by reintroduced or naturally expanding populations.

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“…The consistency between parent pack and loner choices regarding proximity to the human habitat corresponds to other studies where habitat preference of dispersing wolves is shown to be determined by early life experiences [ 25 , 26 ]. Such vertical transmission of preferences is thought functional for survival [ 4 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. However, this transmission implies that human–wolf conflicts may increase not only because of expanding wolf populations, but also by reproduction of parent packs with the habit to be in proximity of humans and a subsequent dispersal of a new generation that also prefers to be in proximity to humans.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, the new generation prefers a habitat comparable to the one in which it was reared. Thus, the vertical transmission of experience enables the new generation to survive efficiently [ 4 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conflicts with Wolves Can Originate from Their Parent Packs

Liere¹,

Siard

Martens

et al. 2021

Animals

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Transmission of experience about prey and habitat supports the survival of next generation of wolves. Thus, the parent pack (PP) can affect whether young migrating wolves (loners) kill farm animals or choose to be in human environments, which generates human–wolf conflicts. Therefore, we researched whether the behavior of loners resembles PP behavior. After being extinct, 22 loners had entered the Netherlands between 2015 and 2019. Among them, 14 could be DNA-identified and linked with their PPs in Germany. Some loners were siblings. We assessed the behavior of each individual and PP through a structured Google search. PP behavior was determined for the loner’s rearing period. Similarity between loner and PP behavior was significant (p = 0.022) and applied to 10 of 14 cases: like their PPs, three loners killed sheep and were near humans, five killed sheep and did not approach humans, while two loners were unproblematic, they did not kill sheep, nor were they near humans. Siblings behaved similarly. Thus, sheep killing and proximity to humans may develop during early-life experiences in the PP. However, by negative reinforcement that can be prevented. New methods are suggested to achieve that. As a result, new generations may not be problematic when leaving PPs.

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Evidence of natal habitat preference induction within one habitat type

Cited by 20 publications

References 42 publications

Spatial variation in the parasite communities and genomic structure of urban rats in New York City

Spatial variation in the parasite communities and genomic structure of urban rats in New York City

No place like home? A test of the natal habitat-biased dispersal hypothesis in Scandinavian wolves

Conflicts with Wolves Can Originate from Their Parent Packs

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