Male reproductive tactics to increase paternity in the polygynandrous Columbian ground squirrel (Urocitellus columbianus)

Raveh, Shirley; Heg, Dik; Viblanc, Vincent A.; Coltman, David W.; Gorrell, Jamieson C.; Dobson, F. Stephen; Balmer, Adele; Neuhaus, Peter

doi:10.1007/s00265-010-1071-4

Cited by 25 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…We also could not test another possible advantage to dispersal for females: the avoidance of inbreeding. Because males are the predominant dispersers in Columbian ground squirrels (Wiggett & Boag 1992; Neuhaus 2006), virtually all females have access to unrelated males for mating and females mate with multiple males (Raveh et al. 2010, in press).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Philopatry and within‐colony movements in Columbian ground squirrels

2011

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Philopatry and dispersal result in selection of habitat locations that may differ in resources and social environment and thus should influence fitness components like survival and reproduction. We examined short-distance movements of young and adult females from natal or previous nesting sites within a colony of Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus) in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada, over a 17-year period. Females of all ages were strongly philopatric, yet a few (10-15%) exhibited movements that took them to new home ranges. We tested three hypotheses to explain the pattern of female natal and breeding movements: (1) that movements of philopatric females promote proximity to close kin; (2) that range shifts favour close kin via bequeathal of territory and (3) that dispersers move to lower density areas where competition for resources is lower. Tests of these three hypotheses revealed that: (1) philopatry and movements of young and older philopatric females led to proximity to mothers and local presence of close kin; (2) breeding dispersal did not result in bequeathal of home range to daughters, but movements of philopatric females suggested that they shared space with close kin and (3) adult females moved to new ranges with lower local densities, though dispersing females also left ranges where local density was significantly lower than for philopatric females. Natal and breeding movements among years produced two opportunities for territorial females: close spatial proximity to close kin via short philopatric movements, and habitats with fewer competitors via longer dispersal movements.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Philopatry and within‐colony movements in Columbian ground squirrels

2011

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“…Behavioral observations were taken daily from 3-m tall wooden stands. Mating dates for females were determined from the occurrence of above-and belowground consortships with males (Raveh et al 2010(Raveh et al , 2011. From these dates, parturition and weaning dates for litters could be estimated.…”

Section: General Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing the reproductive and somatic trade‐off in female Columbian ground squirrels

Rubach

Abebe

et al. 2016

Ecology and Evolution

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Energetic trade‐offs in resource allocation form the basis of life‐history theory, which predicts that reproductive allocation in a given season should negatively affect future reproduction or individual survival. We examined how allocation of resources differed between successful and unsuccessful breeding female Columbian ground squirrels to discern any effects of resource allocation on reproductive and somatic efforts. We compared the survival rates, subsequent reprodction, and mass gain of successful breeders (females that successfully weaned young) and unsuccessful breeders (females that failed to give birth or wean young) and investigated “carryover” effects to the next year. Starting capital was an important factor influencing whether successful reproduction was initiated or not, as females with the lowest spring emergence masses did not give birth to a litter in that year. Females that were successful and unsuccessful at breeding in one year, however, were equally likely to be successful breeders in the next year and at very similar litter sizes. Although successful and unsuccessful breeding females showed no difference in over winter survival, females that failed to wean a litter gained additional mass during the season when they failed. The next year, those females had increased energy “capital” in the spring, leading to larger litter sizes. Columbian ground squirrels appear to act as income breeders that also rely on stored capital to increase their propensity for future reproduction. Failed breeders in one year “prepare” for future reproduction by accumulating additional mass, which is “carried over” to the subsequent reproductive season.

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“…2004; dung beetle: Knell & Simmons, 2010; columbian ground squirrel: Raveh et al 2010; african striped mouse: Schradin & Lindholm, 2011) and males may switch tactics reversibly or irreversibly during their lifetime (Taborsky et al 2008). Althought there are numerous descriptive studies of plastic and fixed ARTs, information is scarce on how individuals of different tactics react and adjust to within vs. between-tactic competition during reproduction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contest versus scramble competition among males pursuing fixed or plastic alternative reproductive tactics

Kuerthy

Taborsky

2016

Animal Behaviour

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Reproductive and agonistic behaviours typically diverge between individuals pursuing alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). When tactics are fixed for life, evolutionary theory predicts that the relative frequencies of alternative male genotypes are stabilized in a population by negative frequency dependence. This implies that competition is greatest between males pursuing the same tactic. The cichlid fish Lamprologus callipterus exhibits three male ARTs involving fixed and flexible tactics, and an extreme intrasexual size dimorphism determined by Mendelian inheritance. Large nest males defend territories and construct nests of empty snail shells in which females breed. In contrast, dwarf males pursuing a genetically fixed parasitic tactic enter shells surreptitiously during spawning in order to steal fertilizations. Sneaker males using another parasitic tactic, which is plastic and conditional, steal fertilizations opportunistically during spawning by quick intrusions into the nest. The variation in tactic origin and reproductive behaviour, and the substantial asymmetry in body size render L. callipterus an ideal model system to study theoretical predictions

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Male reproductive tactics to increase paternity in the polygynandrous Columbian ground squirrel (Urocitellus columbianus)

Cited by 25 publications

References 76 publications

Philopatry and within‐colony movements in Columbian ground squirrels

Philopatry and within‐colony movements in Columbian ground squirrels

Testing the reproductive and somatic trade‐off in female Columbian ground squirrels

Contest versus scramble competition among males pursuing fixed or plastic alternative reproductive tactics

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