Reproductive Endocrinology and Mechanisms of Breeding Inhibition in Cooperatively Breeding Florida Scrub Jays (Aphelocoma c. coerulescens)

Schoech, Stephan J.; Mumme, Ronald L.; Moore, Michael C.

doi:10.2307/1368951

Cited by 155 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…In contrast, in mammal and bird species with brood care helpers, dominant breeders often have higher androgen levels than non-breeding helpers, which has been interpreted as a sign of "psychological castration" of the subdominant by the dominant (Reyer et al, 1986;Schoech et al, 1991;Wingfield et al, 1991;Vleck and Brown, 1999;Oliveira et al, 2003). In Seychelles warblers, for example, only breeder males have elevated T levels during the sexually active period before egg laying, while helper males have low levels (Crommenacker van de et al, 2004).…”

Section: Social Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A special form of social organisation is the cooperative breeding groups with helpers at the nest, where socially subordinate members of the group (so-called "helpers") assist breeders in caring for offspring (Taborsky and Limberger,in mammal and bird societies generally have lower androgen levels than dominants, except when subdominants participate in reproduction. This may reflect an intriguing trade-off in the androgen physiology of helpers: on the one side high androgen levels allow for participation in reproduction, while on the other side they may increase the risk of being expelled from the territory by the dominant male (Reyer et al, 1986;Schoech et al, 1991;Wingfield et al, 1991;Vleck and Brown, 1999;Oliveira et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The relationship between social status, behaviour, growth and steroids in male helpers and breeders of a cooperatively breeding cichlid

Bender

Heg

Hamilton

et al. 2006

Hormones and Behavior

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We tested whether subordinate helper males of the Lake Tanganyika cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher show elevated excretion levels of the stress hormone cortisol and reduced levels of 11-ketotestosterone and testosterone when living in groups with a small breeder male, compared to similar helper males living in groups with a large breeder male, in a full-factorial repeated measures experimental design. We also measured the same hormones in breeder males with and without helper males. Previous research showed that the size difference between large male helpers and male breeders in groups of this species influences behaviour and growth decisions. Contrary to our expectation, no effect of the size-difference between helper males and breeder males on helper hormone levels was detected. Furthermore, helper males had similar hormone excretion levels to those of size-matched breeder males without helpers, and to small breeder males. There was no influence of egg laying on breeder male and helper hormone levels during the experiment. Interestingly, all three hormone levels were significantly lower in helpers showing elevated levels of submissive behaviour towards the breeders, independently of the size of the breeder males. The low cortisol levels suggest that helper males can successfully reduce stress by appeasing breeder males through submission. Furthermore, helper males showing a high level of submissive behaviour had lower levels of androgens than less submissive helpers, suggesting a lower reproductive potential in submissive helpers. We propose that helper submission may be used as an honest signal of reduced interest in reproduction towards the breeder male in this species.

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Section: Social Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between social status, behaviour, growth and steroids in male helpers and breeders of a cooperatively breeding cichlid

Bender

Heg

Hamilton

et al. 2006

Hormones and Behavior

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“…Reyer et al 1986;Koenig & Mumme 1987;Marzluff & Balda 1990;Schmidt et al 1991;Schoech et al 1991;Russell & Rowley 1993;Poiani & Fletcher 1994). Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the sexual inactivity of subordinates.…”

Section: (B) Testosterone: Sexual and Aggressive Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testosterone, cuckoldry risk and extra–pair opportunities in the Seychelles warbler

Crommenacker

Richardson

Groothuis

et al. 2004

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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In male birds, testosterone (T) plays an important role in aggressive and mate-attraction behaviour. In the cooperatively breeding Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis, extra-group copulations (EGCs) occur frequently, but are not accompanied by sexual courtship displays as in within-pair copulations. Paternity is nearly always gained by primary males. We investigated whether T levels and sperm storage capability (cloacal protuberance (CP)) in adult primary and subordinate males were related to timing of egg laying, levels of cuckoldry and extra-group paternity (EGP) opportunities. During the sexually active period before egg laying, T levels and CP were only elevated or enlarged (respectively) in primary males, and some suggestion was found that subordinate males do not invest in elevated T levels. The peak in T occurred during the fertile period of the female partner and corresponded to the peak period of male sexual displays and mate guarding, but was independent of cuckoldry risk (density of neighbouring primary males). CP was also enhanced during this period; however, CP but not T remained elevated after egg laying by their mates, and CP but not T was positively related to EGP opportunities (density of neighbouring fertile females). We conclude that T is involved in sexual courtship displays and mate guarding, but not in gaining EGCs. These findings contrast with those in other species where EGP involves elaborate sexual displays.

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“…Solomon & French 1997 and references therein), birds (e.g. Reyer et al 1986;Mays et al 1991;Schoech et al 1991), fishes (e.g. Fitzpatrick et al 2008) and invertebrates (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive skew in female common marmosets: what can proximate mechanisms tell us about ultimate causes?

2008

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Common marmosets are cooperatively breeding monkeys that exhibit high reproductive skew: most subordinate females fail to reproduce, while others attempt to breed but produce very few surviving infants. An extensive dataset on the mechanisms limiting reproduction in laboratory-housed and freeliving subordinate females provides unique insights into the causes of reproductive skew. Non-breeding adult females undergo suppression of ovulation and inhibition of sexual behaviour; however, they receive little or no aggression or mating interference by dominants and do not exhibit behavioural or physiological signs of stress. Breeding subordinate females receive comparable amounts of aggression to non-breeding females but are able to conceive, gestate and lactate normally. In groups containing two breeding females, however, both dominant and subordinate breeders kill one another's infants. These findings suggest that preconception reproductive suppression is not imposed on subordinate females by dominants, at a proximate level, but is instead self-imposed by most subordinates, consistent with restraint models of reproductive skew. In contrast to restraint models, however, this self-suppression probably evolved not in response to the threat of eviction by dominant females but in response to the threat of infanticide. Thus, reproductive skew in this species appears to be generated predominantly by subordinate self-restraint, in a proximate sense, but ultimately by dominant control over subordinates' reproductive attempts.

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Reproductive Endocrinology and Mechanisms of Breeding Inhibition in Cooperatively Breeding Florida Scrub Jays (Aphelocoma c. coerulescens)

Cited by 155 publications

References 40 publications

The relationship between social status, behaviour, growth and steroids in male helpers and breeders of a cooperatively breeding cichlid

The relationship between social status, behaviour, growth and steroids in male helpers and breeders of a cooperatively breeding cichlid

Testosterone, cuckoldry risk and extra–pair opportunities in the Seychelles warbler

Reproductive skew in female common marmosets: what can proximate mechanisms tell us about ultimate causes?

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