Female Receptiveity, Embryonic Diapause, and Superfetation in the European Badger (<i>Meles Meles</i>: Implications for the Reproductive Tactics of Males and Females

Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki; Dugdale, Hannah L.; Macdonald, David W.

doi:10.1086/503923

Cited by 83 publications

(122 citation statements)

References 70 publications

(154 reference statements)

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“…We also recorded the 284 identity of badgers that were present during mounting events and whether they 285 interacted with the mounting badgers. 286Although badgers may be induced ovulators and exhibit superfetation 287 (conception during pregnancy; reviewed in Yamaguchi et al 2006), they do have 288 ovarian cycles that last 28 days, in which an oestrous period lasts 3-12 days (Service 289 et al 2002). We therefore defined the day on which a female was first observed 290 mounting as day 1, and noted further mountings, up to and including day 28, to see 291 whether mountings within this period spanned more than 3 or 12 days.…”

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Polygynandrous and repeated mounting behaviour in European badgers, Meles meles

2011

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females are expected to be choosy and matings are expected to be costly. We evaluate 39 the evolutionary basis of these behaviours in a high-density population of European 40 badgers. We analysed postpartum mounting behaviour, in 3 years, at two 41 neighbouring social groups each year. We demonstrate a polygynandrous social 42 mating system, with repeated mounting. Mounting was skewed among females in four 43 social-group-years, but overall did not differ from random, potentially because female 44 reproductive success is context dependent, varying with local food availability and 45 female-female competition. Some males mounted more than others; however, male 46 mounting frequency was not related to dominance rank, self-grooming rate, or body 47 condition index. Mounting frequency, however, did not predict paternity success; 48 furthermore, a 16-year genetic data set showed that paternity success was positively 49 correlated with body condition index. Females may therefore mount with males that 50 do not father their offspring to minimize the risk of infanticide from them. Females 51 may also trade mountings for allogrooming from males, but mounting frequency did 52 not vary with relatedness, aggression received from males or sequential allomarking 53 by males. We conclude that promiscuous and repeated mounting in badgers may have 54 evolved to reduce male-male aggression around mounting and the likelihood of 55 infanticide from males by masking paternity. Promiscuous mounting of female 56 badgers does not devalue the previous male's sperm, but may promote sperm 57 competition, genetic diversity and genetic compatibility. 58Keywords: body condition; extragroup mating; genetic diversity; grooming 59 behaviour; Meles meles; microsatellites; multiple mating; promiscuous mating; 60 repeated mating; reproductive success 61 4 Males should mate with as many females as possible as they produce considerably 62 more, smaller gametes, whereas females, which produce fewer larger gametes and 63 often invest more in parental care, should be choosier (Trivers 1972) Moreover, in some species females may be mounted repeatedly by the same male 70 (Schwagmeyer & Parker 1994). Since mountings may be costly, given that they 71 involve two individuals who may have conflicting optimal fitness strategies (Daly 72 1976), hypotheses have been developed to explain the evolution of repeated mounting 73 behaviour (reviewed in Hunter et al. 1993). 74Identifying traits that are associated with males that obtain mountings and 75 genetic paternity enables the mechanisms through which individuals select a mate, 76 and the evolutionary processes underlying this, to be assessed (Zeh & Zeh 2003). For 77 example, in Columbian ground squirrels, Urocitellus columbianus, male age and body 78 mass are correlated with mounting success as they determine access to females 79 (Raveh et al. 2010). In prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster, self-grooming is a 80 sexually selected trait (Wolff et al. 2002) as it spreads scent (saliva and interdigital 81 gland sec...

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Polygynandrous and repeated mounting behaviour in European badgers, Meles meles

2011

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“…Por lo anterior, otro posible escenario para entender esta rareza se basa en el retraso del desarrollo ofrecido como explicación alternativa al fenómeno de la sf, una manifestación clínica que se estima bien pudiera aplicarse en este caso, dado que la implantación retrasada y el desarrollo interrumpido posterior a la fertilización e implantación pudo haber ocurrido en forma semejante a lo observado en otras especies [11,22]. Esta singular habilidad ha sido reconocida como diapausa embrionaria observada en el ciervo y algunos mamíferos silvestres [16,19].…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…Este fenómeno instó a teorizar que en dicho caso ambos embriones podrían haber sido fecundados al mismo tiempo, pero uno sufrió una implantación retrasada, o bien un desarrollo interrumpido, como evento considerado un fenómeno productivo paralelo al llamado conflicto sexual observado en las fases pre-y poscopulatorias de especies, cuyo apareamiento es poliándrico [21]. Para dichos géneros ello pareciera ser normal y ha sido específicamente reportado en el visón americano (mustela vison), especie cuyo apareamiento múltiple ocurre bajo una etapa prolongada de estro en un evento reproductivo análogo al observado en el tejón europeo (meles mele), que acontece con un concurso virtual de fuerza entre los machos [20,22].…”

Section: Possible Superfetation In a Female Nzb Rabbit (Oryctolagus unclassified

Posible superfetación en una coneja raza NZB (Oryctolagus cuniculus) concomitante a retraso del desarrollo intrauterino (RDIU)

Tena

Hernández²,

Ibáñez

et al. 2013

Spei Domus

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Reportes de casoPosible superfetación en una coneja raza nzb (Oryctolagus cuniculus) concomitante a retraso del desarrollo intrauterino (rdiu) resumen. Los trastornos reproductivos del conejo son complejos y numerosos incluyendo rarezas como la superfetación (sf). Se describe un posible caso de sf descubierto accidentalmente, asociado a distocia en una coneja de la raza nzb, que sufre de severa hemorragia vaginal, postración, hipotermia y no reactiva al estímulo. Durante la palpación, numerosos fetos fueron detectados en ambos cuernos uterinos sin respuesta a la manipulación obstétrica para extracción. La cesárea urgente reveló seis productos a término; uno de talla superior muerto en posición caudal bloqueando el canal de parto cerca del cuello uterino, y uno más subdesarrollado retirado del cuerno uterino derecho entre una camada de siete gazapos. La madre se eutanizó in extremis mediante sobredosis de Pentotal Sódico. Morfológicamente, los fetos a término registraron pesos de 65,8, 70,7, 61,3, 68,4, 53,7 y 65,3 gramos, respectivamente; el crío subdesarrollado pesó 19,5 gramos y presentó meconio abundante ausente en el resto. Las longitudes corporales totales (lct) realizadas análogamente bajo criterio céfalo-caudal (cc), reportaron 10,7,11,2,9,9,10,9,8,6 y 9,2 cm, respectivamente, y sólo 3,9 cm para el crío subdesarrollado, sin evidencia de malformaciones o infección. Basado en observaciones clínico-quirúrgicas el diagnóstico primario fue de distocia obstructiva, asociada a un sobredesarrollo fetal e inercia uterina secundaria. La comparación morfológica del crío subdesarrollado se postuló como superfetación concomitante a gestación/distocia, sin datos de muerte fetal o maceración. Los registros apuntan que estando gestante esta hembra fue re-apareada. Sin embargo, no está claro cómo la coneja experimentó una segunda implantación y notable retraso en la maduración de un solo feto.EduardoPalabras clave: coneja, distocia materna, maduración interrumpida, reproducción, superfetación.

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“…An alternative approach to the temporal uncoupling of mating and fetal development, known as delayed implantation (Fenelon et al, 2014;Lopes et al, 2004) has been adopted by at least 130 eutherian mammals. In species such as the seal (Pomeroy, 2011), badger (Yamaguchi et al, 2006), Giant panda (Zhang et al, 2009), armadillo and stoat (reviewed by Mead, 1993), the embryos do not develop for some weeks or even months, before the diapause ends and the pregnancy resumes. Sixteen species of mustelids exhibit long gestations ranging from 172 to 365 days, with embryonic development being arrested for most of this period (Mead, 1993).…”

Section: Reproductive Seasonalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Mammalian Reproduction Overview

Holt

Johnston

2018

Encyclopedia of Reproduction

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GlossaryAltricial Offspring that are hatched or born in a very immature and helpless condition so as to require parental care for some time. Delayed implantation Delayed implantation or embryonic diapause is a reproductive strategy used by approximately 100 different mammals in seven or eight different orders. In embryonic diapause, the embryo (blastocyst) does not immediately implant in the uterus after sexual reproduction has created the zygote, but is maintained in a state of dormancy. Eutheria Is the taxonomic name for the main group of living mammals. This taxon contains the placental mammals, of which humans are one species. Marsupials Mammals of an order whose members are born incompletely developed (i.e., altricial) and are typically carried and suckled in a pouch on the mother‫׳‬s belly. Marsupials are found chiefly in Australia and New Guinea, and also in America. Metatheria Is a mammalian clade that includes all mammals more closely related to marsupials than to placentals. It is a slightly more inclusive group than the marsupials; it contains all of the living mammals with abdominal pouches (most female marsupials) as well as their more primitive ancestors and relatives. Monotreme Any member of the Monotremata, the most primitive order of mammals, characterized by certain birdlike and reptilian features, such as hatching young from eggs, and having a single opening for the digestive, urinary, and genital organs. Platypus and echidnas are the only extent monotremes. Phylogeny The evolutionary history of a group of organisms, especially as depicted in a family tree. Prototherian Primitive oviparous mammals belonging to the order Monotremata.

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Female Receptiveity, Embryonic Diapause, and Superfetation in the European Badger (Meles Meles: Implications for the Reproductive Tactics of Males and Females

Cited by 83 publications

References 70 publications

Polygynandrous and repeated mounting behaviour in European badgers, Meles meles

Polygynandrous and repeated mounting behaviour in European badgers, Meles meles

Posible superfetación en una coneja raza NZB (Oryctolagus cuniculus) concomitante a retraso del desarrollo intrauterino (RDIU)

Mammalian Reproduction Overview

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