Levels of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites do not reflect environmental contrasts across islands in black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) populations

Saout, Soizic Le; Massouh, Marlène; Martin, Jean‐Louis; Presseault-Gauvin, Hélène; Poilvé, Eva; Côté, Steeve D.; Picot, D.; Verheyden, Hélène; Chamaillé‐Jammes, Simon

doi:10.1007/s13364-016-0294-9

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…In all cases, levels of faecal cortisol metabolites would be driven ultimately by the availability of food resources which, in turn, would influence agonistic and grouping phenology, in addition to secretion of glucocorticoids. If this is the case, our results support the hypothesis that reduced food availability elicits stress (Kitaysky et al, 1999;Clinchy et al, 2004; but see Taillon & Côté, 2008;Forristal et al, 2012;Le Saout et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Being “hangry”: food depletion and its cascading effects on social behaviour

Fattorini

Brunetti

Baruzzi

et al. 2018

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

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Evolutionary theory suggests two alternative ways in which competitive interactions could vary in response to different levels of food abundance. Competition theory suggests that aggression should be greater when resource availability is lower, as an evolutionary stable strategy to access food. Alternatively, energy allocated to aggressive interactions should increase when the available spectrum of food resources is wider, in turn allowing a greater selec-tion. We tested these hypotheses on a group-living herbivore, the Apennine chamois, Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata. We compared social, aggressive and vigilance behaviour and relevant endocrine correlates across three areas: two 'poorer' areas, i.e. with a lower availability of nutritious pasture, and a 'richer' one. In the richer area, we observed: (1) the largest group size/greatest proportion of young individuals in groups; (2) the lowest rate/intensity of aggression between individuals, at feeding; (3) the lowest duration of vigilance and proportion of 'costly' vigilance, i.e. postures performed without chewing food; and (4) the lowest levels of testosterone and cortisol metabolites, suggesting a lower endogenous aggressiveness/stress response. Our findings agree with the competition theory, suggesting a role of food depletion in increasing aggression between foraging individuals, as an evolutionary stable strategy, with cascading effects on group phenology, vigilance and stress.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Being “hangry”: food depletion and its cascading effects on social behaviour

Fattorini

Brunetti

Baruzzi

et al. 2018

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

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“…In the present study, we found that the slope of the relationship between telomere length and glucocorticoid level did not differ between our two populations of roe deer living in contrasting environments. Since glucocorticoid levels also did not differ between the two populations, we can hypothesize that an adaptive down-regulation of the stress response in Chizé, where the roe deer experience the harshest environmental conditions (see Le Saout et al 2016 for similar observations in black-tailed deer, Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) might lead to a similar pattern of telomere loss as a function of physiological stress in both habitats. Note, however, that we cannot rule out that the absence of sex-or population-specific variation in our study might be due to low statistical power.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Short-term telomere dynamics is associated with glucocorticoid levels in wild populations of roe deer

Lemaître

Carbillet

Rey

et al. 2021

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular &

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While evidence that telomere length is associated with health and mortality in humans and birds is accumulating, a large body of research is currently seeking to identify factors that modulate telomere dynamics. We tested the hypothesis that high levels of glucocorticoids in individuals under environmental stress should accelerate telomere shortening in two wild populations of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) living in different ecological contexts. From two consecutive annual sampling sessions, we found that individuals with faster rates of telomere shortening had higher concentrations of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites, suggesting a functional link between glucocorticoid levels and telomere attrition rate. This relationship was consistent for both sexes and populations. This finding paves the way for further studies of the fitness consequences of exposure to environmental stressors in wild vertebrates.

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“…An endogenous response to stress could be related to intraspecific aggression (DeVries et al 2003), with a transient acute stress response related to ag-gressive events (Soma et al 2000;Clement et al 2005). Conversely, the long-term effects of competition (e.g., Krebs et al 2001; but see Le Saout et al 2016), social density/ crowding (e.g., Viblanc et al 2014; but see Michelena et al 2012) and establishment of dominance relations (e.g., Sapolsky 1983; but see Taillon and Côté 2008) can lead to a chronic increase of basal stress levels.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age, seasonality, and correlates of aggression in female Apennine chamois

Fattorini

Lovari

Brunetti

et al. 2018

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Intrinsic and environmental stressors, such as age and seasonality, may influence social behavior and endocrine levels in gregarious foragers, but little is known about how season and age affect both behavioral and physiological responses. We evaluated seasonal/age variation of aggression and vigilance, and seasonal/age variation of endocrine levels (fecal cortisol and testosterone metabolites), in a gregarious herbivore, the Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata. We examined a period of decreasing resource abundance and maternal care from July to October, a key period for nursing, weaning, and early growth of offspring. Aggression rate, vigilance, and cortisol levels decreased throughout July-October, while aggression intensity showed the reverse. Aggression intensity peaked when chamois were on the most nutritious vegetation patches. Dominance increased with age, and prime-aged females (4-8 years old) showed higher cortisol and testosterone levels and were involved in aggressive interactions more often than subadult or older females. Our findings suggest that, in early summer, when nursing effort is the greatest, selection of nutritious food patches leads to frequent encounters between female chamois, enhancing aggression rate, vigilance, and endogenous stress response. The progressive decrease in food abundance throughout July-October triggers competition for scarce resources and increased intensity of aggression. Most likely, the energetic demands of lactation and offspring guarding were key determinants of behavioral and physiological stress of female chamois. Our results suggest a multi-factorial compromise between reproductive state and stress levels, in a group-living species. Significance statementThe cost of motherhood: in female chamois, aggression, vigilance, and stress peak during lactation, despite abundant food resources. In females, aggression and dominance increase with age. A multi-factorial compromise between reproductive stage and stress may be necessary in a group-living animal. We suggest that motherhood is a stressful event for female chamois.

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Levels of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites do not reflect environmental contrasts across islands in black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) populations

Cited by 6 publications

References 37 publications

Being “hangry”: food depletion and its cascading effects on social behaviour

Being “hangry”: food depletion and its cascading effects on social behaviour

Short-term telomere dynamics is associated with glucocorticoid levels in wild populations of roe deer

Age, seasonality, and correlates of aggression in female Apennine chamois

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