Effect of inbreeding on kittens’ body mass in Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)

Ерофеева, М. Н.; Vasilieva, Nina A.; Найденко, С. В.

doi:10.1007/s13364-020-00495-x

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Kittens in small litters may be bigger than in larger ones both right after birth and in the first weeks of their development. This effect was described for domestic cats (Deag et al, 1987) and lynxes (Erofeeva et al, 2020;Naidenko, 2006). In theory, larger kittens have more resources, which they may invest in the development of immunity.…”

Section: Effect Of Litter Sizementioning

confidence: 88%

“…However, the growth and development may differ in the litters with different number of kittens. Usually, the offspring in smaller litters grow faster (Ajayi et al, 2018; Antonevich et al, 2012; Erofeeva et al, 2020; Hudson et al, 2011; Naidenko, 2006; Rödel et al, 2008) than in the larger ones. We supposed (Hypothesis 2) that the kittens in small litters will have higher immunity (number of leukocytes and their different types) like it was described for some species (Ilmonen et al, 2003; Prager et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Leukocytes count and profile during early postnatal ontogenesis in domestic cats: Effect of litter size and multiple paternity

et al. 2021

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Since blood cells count is the most important indicator of animals’ physiological status, we investigated the effects of age, litter size, and multiple paternity on the total number of white blood cells, the number of their individual types (lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes), and the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes in domestic cat during early postnatal ontogenesis. The study was conducted on kittens living in outdoor conditions, aged from birth to 6 months. The number of white blood cells was evaluated using a hemoanalyzer, the leukocyte formula and the proportion of cell types were determined manually from blood smears. Age significantly affected the number of leukocytes in the first 3 months of kittens’ age. The number and proportion of neutrophils were the highest after birth and gradually decreased during the first month. Lymphocytes number, on the contrary, increased during this period. Monocytes and eosinophils increased in number in the first 2 months. The litter size affected the number of leukocytes and neutrophils in the first 2 months of life, their number being significantly higher in kittens from the small litters than from the large ones. In kittens from the litters with multiple paternity, the number of leukocytes and the proportion of neutrophils was higher than in litters from a single male. Thus, age, litter size and type of paternity may affect the hematological indices in domestic cats, which must be taken into account during the estimation of the health status of kittens in domestic and wild cats.

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Section: Effect Of Litter Sizementioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leukocytes count and profile during early postnatal ontogenesis in domestic cats: Effect of litter size and multiple paternity

et al. 2021

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“…A decrease in the survival rate and body mass of cubs during the reproduction of parents with a high IC has been described [ 11 ] for the Sumatran tiger ( Panthera tigris sumatrae ). In the Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ), cubs born to inbred parents weigh less than those born to outbred parents [ 19 ]. For canines in captivity, similar effects of inbreeding were observed [ 7 , 12 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cases of the existence of groups with low genetic diversity have been described in felines (cheetah [ 15 ], Amur leopard [ 16 ], Amur tiger [ 17 , 18 ]). However, for the Eurasian lynx in captivity, it was shown that the negative effect of inbreeding on the body mass of cubs leveled out by the age of three months [ 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there is currently insufficient information on the consequences of such a choice for several species (or systematic groups), including felines. For some representatives of the feline family, a decrease in the body mass of cubs produced from inbreeding has been described [ 11 , 19 ]. At the same time, there is no information on the influence of the choice of MHC genes partners on the quality and survival of the offspring.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Inbreeding Coefficient and Distance in MHC Genes of Parents as Predictors of Reproductive Success in Domestic Cat

Ерофеева

Alekseeva

Kim

et al. 2022

Animals

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Inbreeding and low diversity in MHC genes are considered to have a negative effect on reproductive success in animals. This study presents an analysis of the number and body mass of offspring in domestic cat, depending on the inbreeding coefficient and the degree of similarity in MHC genes of class I and II in parents. Inbred partners had a lower number of live kittens at birth than outbred ones. At the same time, the inbreeding coefficient did not affect the litter size and the number of offspring who survived until the period of transition to solid food. The most significant predictor for the number of surviving offspring was the degree of parental similarity in MHC genes: the parents with the maximum distance in MHC genes had more survived kittens. Moreover, this effect was most pronounced immediately after birth. A significant percentage of kittens from parents with a minimum distance in MHC genes were either stillborn or died on the first day after birth. By the age of transition to solid food, this effect is no longer so pronounced. Furthermore, neither the inbreeding coefficient nor the distance in MHC genes of parents had any effect on the body mass of kittens.

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