The evolution of sociality in rodents: a family affair

Gromov, V. S.

doi:10.15298/rusjtheriol.16.1.05

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 130 publications

(185 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…While rodents tend to have a sedentary behavior and a relatively small habitat range for foraging and digging of burrows used for shelter, protection, and reproduction (41)(42)(43), golden jackals and red foxes show high geographical dispersal ranges in search of food in natural surroundings or waste deposited near human settlements (44). Thus, despite the fact that wild canids did not show the highest infection rates, it is highly likely that they have a main role in the transmission of B. persica to new and distant locations, infecting new ticks, which may infect other animals and humans who enter O. tholozani habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transmission of the Human Relapsing Fever Spirochete Borrelia persica by the Argasid Tick Ornithodoros tholozani Involves Blood Meals from Wildlife Animal Reservoirs and Mainly Transstadial Transfer

Kleinerman

Eshed

Nachum‐Biala

et al. 2021

Appl Environ Microbiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Borrelia persica transmitted by the argasid tick Ornithodoros tholozani causes human tick-borne relapsing fever in the Middle East and Central Asia. Infection is acquired often when visiting tick-infested caves and reported to be transmitted mainly transovarially between ticks occasionally infecting humans. To study the epidemiology of this infection, ticks were trapped in 24 caves in 12 geographic zones covering all of Israel and identified morphologically. DNA was extracted from larvae, nymphs and adult stages from each location and PCR followed by DNA sequencing was performed to identify Borrelia infection, tick species, and tick blood-meal sources. 51,472 argasid ticks were collected from 16 of 24 caves surveyed. 2,774 O. tholozani were analyzed and 72 (2.6%) from nine caves were PCR-positive for B. persica. Infection rates in male, female and nymphal ticks (4.4%, 3% and 3.2%, respectively) were higher than in larva (p<0.001) with only 3 (0.04%) positive larvae. Presence of blood-meal was associated with B. persica infection in ticks (p=0.003), and blood-meals of golden jackals, red foxes and Cairo spiny mouse were associated with infection (p≤0.043). PCR survey of 402 wild mammals revealed B. persica infection with the highest rate in social voles (22%), red foxes (16%), golden jackals (8%) and Cairo spiny mice (3%). In conclusion, although transovarial tick transmission of B. persica occurs at low levels, ticks apparently acquire infection mainly from wildlife canid and rodents and may eventually transmit relapsing fever borreliosis to humans who enter their habitat. Importance Borrelia persica is a spirochete that causes tick-borne relapsing fever in humans in an area that spans from India to the Mediterranean. Until now it was thought that the soft tick vector of this infection, Orhinthodoros tholozani, is also its main reservoir and it transmits B. persica mostly transovarially between tick generations. This study showed that tick infection with B. persica is associated with feeding blood from wild jackals, foxes and rodents, and that transovarial transmission is minimal. Since O. tholozani ticks are found in isolated caves and ruins, it is assumed that wild canids who migrate over long distances have a major role in the transmission of B. persica between remote tick populations, and its then maintained locally also by rodents and eventually transferred to humans during tick bites. Prevention of human infection could be achieved by restricting entrance of canines and humans to habitats with O. tholozani populations.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transmission of the Human Relapsing Fever Spirochete Borrelia persica by the Argasid Tick Ornithodoros tholozani Involves Blood Meals from Wildlife Animal Reservoirs and Mainly Transstadial Transfer

Kleinerman

Eshed

Nachum‐Biala

et al. 2021

Appl Environ Microbiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…No doubt, the social vole is a cooperative breeding species. Cooperation in breeding, first of all, is related to biparental care of young: The adult male engages in all care-giving activities observed in the female, except for nursing ( Gromov 2007 , 2011 ). Observations in captivity showed that females never prevented the male from entering the nest after parturition.…”

Section: Cooperationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, they exhibit such care-giving activities as nest attendance, retrieving, huddling over and grooming pups. The presence of the male as well as the helpers is evidently beneficial to physical and behavioral development of juveniles, and the major contribution appears to be warmth and additional tactile stimulation of the pups ( Gromov 2007 , 2011 ).…”

Section: Cooperationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, many zoologists are unaware of the results of studies concerning the space use system, composition of social units, pair bonding, and social relationships published in Russian in inaccessible sources. The author of the present paper studied the social behavior of the voles in a laboratory and under semi-natural conditions (in outdoor enclosures of 20 × 20 m), and have published a series of articles on their behavior and social organization ( Gromov 2003 , 2007 , 2008 , 2011 ). The animals used in these studies were obtained from a natural population in the northwestern Caspian Sea region and bred under laboratory conditions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Ecology and social behavior of the social vole Microtus socialis: A generalized review

Gromov

2022

Current Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The present review is a compilation of the published data on the ecology and social behavior of the social vole. Field studies provide evidence that these voles live in family groups consisting of one adult male, one or two breeding females and their offspring (one or two litters). The social vole is capable of year-round reproduction, but in arid regions, the voles demonstrate seasonality in breeding. The mating system of this species may be defined as behavioral monogamy. A typical feature of the space use system is territoriality characterized by a locus-dependent dominance in relationships between neighboring breeding pairs as well as family groups. The family group social organization may be defined as consistent relationships without a dominance hierarchy. Social voles are cooperative in defending their territories, constructing burrows, digging underground tunnels, maintaining nests, and raising young. Cooperation appears to enhance the survival of family groups of this species under the extreme climatic conditions of Central Asia.

show abstract

“…Microtus thomasi constructs burrow systems that serve a variety of functions, such as moving, foraging, reproducing, and nurturing of offspring. Living underground provides Life 2023, 13, 2276 2 of 13 M. thomasi with protection against predators and offers more stable environmental conditions, such as temperature, compared with above-ground habitats [7,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. For example, as the depth below the ground increases, the temperature tends to become more stable [19], reaching relatively constant values at depths exceeding 50-60 cm [20][21][22][23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designers of Nature’s Subterranean Abodes: Insights into the Architecture and Utilization of Burrow Systems of Thomas’ Pine Vole, Microtus thomasi (Rodentia: Arvicolinae)

Rekouti,

Avramidis,

Giokas

et al. 2023

Life

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Microtus thomasi (Rodentia: Arvicolinae), a fossorial vole endemic to the SW Balkans, uses a variety of substrates but its underground behavior remains poorly understood. This study examines the architecture and utilization of M. thomasi burrow systems in NW Peloponnese, Greece. In particular, eight burrow systems were meticulously excavated and studied, with comprehensive measurements taken of key characteristics, including length, depth, soil mounds, and surface openings. Key coordinates were recorded using a differential GPS device for detailed mapping and fractal dimension analysis using the box-counting method was employed to assess burrow system complexity. Soil samples were analyzed for particle size and chemical composition, and vegetation types at each site were identified. We did not find statistically significant correlations between size and complexity of the burrow systems and soil composition, altitude, or specific soil components. On the other hand, we did observe statistically significant differences in tunnel diameter between two burrow systems and in tunnel depth between more. Moreover, our study showed that more than one same-sex individual can occupy a single burrow system and not just an adult male-female pair, that was previously recorded, indicating the need for further study of the social behavior of this vole species. This study provides valuable insights into the underground behavior of M. thomasi by providing information on the features of its burrow systems, thus contributing to our understanding of its biology.

show abstract

The evolution of sociality in rodents: a family affair

Cited by 6 publications

References 130 publications

Transmission of the Human Relapsing Fever Spirochete Borrelia persica by the Argasid Tick Ornithodoros tholozani Involves Blood Meals from Wildlife Animal Reservoirs and Mainly Transstadial Transfer

Transmission of the Human Relapsing Fever Spirochete Borrelia persica by the Argasid Tick Ornithodoros tholozani Involves Blood Meals from Wildlife Animal Reservoirs and Mainly Transstadial Transfer

Ecology and social behavior of the social vole Microtus socialis: A generalized review

Designers of Nature’s Subterranean Abodes: Insights into the Architecture and Utilization of Burrow Systems of Thomas’ Pine Vole, Microtus thomasi (Rodentia: Arvicolinae)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About