Natal dispersal in two mice species with contrasting social systems

Groó, Zita; Szenczi, Péter; Bánszegi, Oxana; Altbäcker, Vilmos

doi:10.1007/s00265-012-1443-z

Cited by 17 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…This contrasts the pattern found in many mammals (e.g., Greenwood ; Lawson Handley and Perrin ; but see Groó et al. ). Given the lack of sexual size dimorphism (Kauhala ; Melis et al.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 70%

Lack of sex‐specific movement patterns in an alien species at its invasion front – consequences for invasion speed

Herfindal¹,

Melis²,

Åhlén³

et al. 2016

Ecology and Evolution

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SummaryEfficient targeting of actions to reduce the spread of invasive alien species relies on understanding the spatial, temporal, and individual variation of movement, in particular related to dispersal. Such patterns may differ between individuals at the invasion front compared to individuals in established and dense populations due to differences in environmental and ecological conditions such as abundance of conspecifics or sex‐specific dispersal affecting the encounter rate of potential mates. We assessed seasonal and diurnal variation in movement pattern (step length and turning angle) of adult male and female raccoon dog at their invasion front in northern Sweden using data from Global Positioning System (GPS)‐marked adult individuals and assessed whether male and female raccoon dog differed in their movement behavior. There were few consistent sex differences in movement. The rate of dispersal was rather similar over the months, suggesting that both male and female raccoon dog disperse during most of the year, but with higher speed during spring and summer. There were diurnal movement patterns in both sexes with more directional and faster movement during the dark hours. However, the short summer nights may limit such movement patterns, and long‐distance displacement was best explained by fine‐scale movement patterns from 18:00 to 05:00, rather than by movement patterns only from twilight and night. Simulation of dispersing raccoon dogs suggested a higher frequency of male–female encounters that were further away from the source population for the empirical data compared to a scenario with sex differences in movement pattern. The lack of sex differences in movement pattern at the invasion front results in an increased likelihood for reproductive events far from the source population. Animals outside the source population should be considered potential reproducing individuals, and a high effort to capture such individuals is needed throughout the year to prevent further spread.

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“…This contrasts the pattern found in many mammals (e.g., Greenwood ; Lawson Handley and Perrin ; but see Groó et al. ). Given the lack of sexual size dimorphism (Kauhala ; Melis et al.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 70%

Lack of sex‐specific movement patterns in an alien species at its invasion front – consequences for invasion speed

Herfindal¹,

Melis²,

Åhlén³

et al. 2016

Ecology and Evolution

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“…In late adolescence mice start to disperse, i.e. dispersal in males is around PND 49 and in females around PND 71 [ 91 ]. Males are generally more likely to disperse than females although such a sex bias was not found in all studies [ 92 ].…”

Section: Adolescencementioning

confidence: 99%

Lifetime development of behavioural phenotype in the house mouse (Mus musculus)

2015

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With each trajectory taken during the ontogeny of an individual, the number of optional behavioural phenotypes that can be expressed across its life span is reduced. The initial range of phenotypic plasticity is largely determined by the genetic material/composition of the gametes whereas interacting with the given environment shapes individuals to adapt to/cope with specific demands. In mammalian species, the phenotype is shaped as the foetus grows, depending on the environment in the uterus, which in turn depends on the outer environment the mother experiences during pregnancy. After birth, a complex interaction between innate constitution and environmental conditions shapes individual lifetime trajectories, bringing about a wide range of diversity among individual subjects.In laboratory mice inbreeding has been systematically induced in order to reduce the genetic variability between experimental subjects. In addition, within most laboratories conducting behavioural phenotyping with mice, breeding and housing conditions are highly standardised. Despite such standardisation efforts a considerable amount of variability persists in the behaviour of mice. There is good evidence that phenotypic variation is not merely random but might involve individual specific behavioural patterns consistent over time. In order to understand the mechanisms and the possible adaptive value of the maintenance of individuality we review the emergence of behavioural phenotypes over the course of the life of (laboratory) mice. We present a literature review summarizing developmental stages of behavioural development of mice along with three illustrative case studies. We conclude that the accumulation of environmental differences and experiences lead to a “mouse individuality” that becomes increasingly stable over the lifetime.

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“…That is, communally reared males were more willing to cross a water barrier than single nest reared subjects, showing significantly shorter latencies to cross the barrier and reach a previously unexplored area. Water barriers have been used previously to test dispersal tendencies in mice 40 – 42 , and so an increased motivation to disperse among communally reared males is a possible interpretation of our findings. Under natural conditions, male house mice may choose to disperse from their natal group, mainly because of elevated aggression from the dominant territorial male or other siblings 29 – 31 , 40 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…Water barriers have been used previously to test dispersal tendencies in mice 40 – 42 , and so an increased motivation to disperse among communally reared males is a possible interpretation of our findings. Under natural conditions, male house mice may choose to disperse from their natal group, mainly because of elevated aggression from the dominant territorial male or other siblings 29 – 31 , 40 . In our experiment there was no competitive pressure for subjects to disperse, since each was singly housed without any competitors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Communal breeding affects offspring behaviours associated with a competitive social environment

Fischer

Pujol

Bolton

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

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Communal breeding is characterised by shared care of offspring produced by more than one female, and can affect the behavioural development of young. The decision to care communally can vary according to local conditions, and has been hypothesised to occur more frequently when social competition is intense. However, it is unknown whether communal rearing of young influences adult behaviours likely to be adaptive under competitive conditions. Here, using a controlled experimental approach, we investigate effects of communal rearing on competitive and exploratory behaviours of adult male house mice. In tests of competitive scent marking, only communally-reared subjects discriminated between related and unrelated rivals, depositing more scent marks in close proximity to unrelated males. Communally-reared subjects also displayed higher exploratory tendencies, with an increased probability of crossing a water barrier, while not exhibiting higher activity levels in an open field test. Since exploration tendencies and discrimination between kin and non-kin are likely to be advantageous when dispersing from the natal territory or in a high density population, our findings suggest that communal rearing prepares male house mice for a competitive social environment. Our results add to growing evidence that the early social environment influences development of important behavioural competences to cope with social challenges later in life.

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Natal dispersal in two mice species with contrasting social systems

Cited by 17 publications

References 68 publications

Lack of sex‐specific movement patterns in an alien species at its invasion front – consequences for invasion speed

Lack of sex‐specific movement patterns in an alien species at its invasion front – consequences for invasion speed

Lifetime development of behavioural phenotype in the house mouse (Mus musculus)

Communal breeding affects offspring behaviours associated with a competitive social environment

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