Individualities in a flock of free-roaming greylag geese: behavioral and physiological consistency over time and across situations

The concept of personality implies individual differences in behavior and physiology that show some degree of repeatability/consistency over time and across contexts. Most studies of animal personality, particularly studies of individuals' variation in physiological mechanisms, have been conducted on selected individuals in controlled conditions. We attempted to detect consistent behaviors as well as physiological patterns in greylag ganders (Anser anser) from a free-roaming flock living in semi-natural conditions. We tested 10 individuals repeatedly, in a handling trial, resembling tests for characterization of "temperaments" in captive animals. We recorded the behavior of the same 10 individuals during four situations in the socially intact flock: (1) a "low density feeding condition", (2) a "high density feeding condition", (3) a "low density post-feeding situation" and (4) while the geese rested. We collected fecal samples for determination of excreted immuno-reactive corticosterone (BM) and testosterone metabolites (TM) after handling trials, as well as the "low density feeding" and the "high density feeding" conditions. BM levels were very highly consistent over the repeats of handling trials, and the "low density feeding condition" and tended to be consistent over the first two repeats of the "high density feeding condition". Also, BM responses tended to be consistent across contexts. Despite seasonal variation, there tended to be inter-test consistency of TM, which pointed to some individual differences in TM as well. Aggressiveness turned out to be a highly repeatable trait, which was consistent across social situations, and tended to correlate with an individual's resistance during handling trials. Also, "proximity to the female partner" and "sociability" - the average number of neighboring geese in a close distance while resting - were consistent. We conclude that aggressiveness, "affiliative tendencies" and levels of excreted corticosterone and testosterone metabolites may be crucial factors of personality in geese.     

The role of mycorrhiza in plant populations and communities

Summary There is a large body of literature concerning the value of mycorrhiza to plant growth. Recent emphasis on the potential benefits of the fungi to natural ecosystems conservation and productive agriculture has focused attention on the roles and underlying mechanisms of the association. In parallel, recognition that isolates/ species of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi have variable life-history traits has resulted in investigations focused on the symbiotic fungi rather than the host, a perspective which may reflect the fungal evolutionary strategies. This paper discusses progress in understanding interactions amongst hyphae, which in one form or another are a major component of mycorrhiza and each phase of the life-history.     

迁地保育林麝的侵犯性、等级序位及相互关系

侵犯性是动物个性的重要维度之一,体现了其主动挑衅和攻击其他个体的倾向。动物的侵犯性与其社会结构及等级序位存在紧密关系。本研究于2018年6月1日至7月31日对四川马尔康林麝繁育场的圈养林麝(Moschus berezovskii)进行了行为取样,计算林麝个体的侵犯性个性(侵犯性指数)和等级序位指数,分析圈养林麝的侵犯性和等级序位格局、影响因素及相互关系。结果表明,圈养林麝的侵犯性在性别间存在显著差异,雄性林麝的侵犯性(0.45±0.09,n=22)显著高于雌性(0.22±0.06,n=30)(P 0.05),年龄和驯养密度对其侵犯性的效应均不显著(P 0.05),说明林麝侵犯性的刚性较强;圈养林麝等级序位的性别间差异不显著(P 0.05),亚成体麝与成体麝的等级序位差异也未达显著水平(P 0.05),原因在于麝场的建群未区分年龄组;圈养林麝个体的侵犯性与其等级序位显著正相关,林麝个体的侵犯性越大,其等级序位越高(r=0.73,P 0.05),推测这与社群的序位等级构建和资源竞争有关。     

雄性川金丝猴睾酮分泌与其社群环境变化的关系

采用化学免疫发光法,跟踪测定了上海野生动物园一个半放养川金丝猴群中3只先后参与交配繁殖活动的成年雄猴一年中尿中睾酮含量,并结合行为学记录对其性激素和性行为间的相互影响关系进行了初步研究。发现成年雄猴睾酮分泌峰的出现更多的是由其社会因素的变化引起的,而且,睾酮分泌峰出现的时期并不与雌性受孕高峰期相重叠,提示雄性繁殖具非季节性特点。睾酮分泌峰的出现,一方面说明此时社群的社会关系处于不稳定状态,另一方面发现睾酮水平的提高对雄猴攻击能力的增强起促进作用。由此,本研究认为川金丝猴雌雄性个体在繁殖中采用了不尽相同的繁殖策略[动物学报49(3)：325—33l,2003]。     

Are male rhesus monkeys more aggressive than females?

The justification for the “generalization that primate males are more aggressive than females” (Fedigan & Baxter, 1984) was tested in a troop of 24 captive rhesus monkeys. Males (N=9) were more dominant than females (N=15), i.e., they had more subordinate partners ( _m=17.0 vs. _f=6.6;p<0.01); hence, their aggression rate was higher ( _m=77.6 vs. _m=38.1;p<0.05). However, adjusting the rate of aggression according to the number of subordinate targets revealed no gender difference and males directed numbers of aggressive acts against individual subordinate partners that were not higher than those of females ( _m=4.4 vs. _f=5.4;p>0.1). It was concluded that aggressiveness is an individual attribute that is (1) independent of dominance status, and (2) independent of sex.     

Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of Gonazon implants in the treatment of reproductive pathologies, behavioral problems, and suppression of reproductive function in the male dog

Efficacy of a slow-release gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-agonist implant (Gonazon) was assessed in 53 male dogs presented with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), hypersexuality, aggressive behavior (either alone or in combination), excessive micturition, or to suppress fertility. Changes in testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) concentrations and size of testes and prostate were monitored on Weeks 0, +8, and +26 after implantation. Additional measurements during and after this period were performed in 35 dogs. Clinical signs were assessed by the owners. All implants except one were retained throughout the study. Full downregulation of testicular function (T < 0.35 nmol/L) was achieved in 46 dogs, five dogs showed partial downregulation (T = 0.36 to 0.47 nmol/L), one dog did not respond, and another one displayed a transient downregulation on Week +18. On Week +8, mean T and E2 levels were reduced by 96% and 62%, respectively, and did not further decrease. Full downregulation (T < 0.35 nmol/L) lasted between 6 to >22 mo in most dogs except two. Compared with pretreatment values, mean testicular and prostatic size was reduced (P < 0.00001) by 54% and 52%, respectively, on Week +8 and by 68% and 64%, respectively, on Week +26. Relative reduction of prostatic size was more marked in dogs with BPH than in healthy ones on Week +8 (P < 0.05) and Week +26 (P < 0.02), and clinical signs of BPH disappeared rapidly after implantation. Dogs affected with BPH were significantly older (P < 0.001) than nonaffected ones (9.7 vs. 2.5 yr). Hypersexuality was more common in dogs < 3 yr of age, and treatment clearly improved clinical signs. Age significantly affected the response to treatment in aggressive dogs; 75% of the cases responded with an improvement. The only minor and possibly treatment-related events observed were a short-lasting exacerbation of clinical signs of BPH (two dogs), increased weight gain (three dogs), and anxiety (three dogs) with one of these dogs developing a blunt coat. These results demonstrate the clinical efficacy and overall safety of the Gonazon implants.     

Coexistence between Cyphomyrmex ants and dominant populations of Wasmannia auropunctata

The little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata is able to develop highly dominant populations in disturbed areas of its native range, with a resulting negative impact on ant diversity. We report here on the tolerance of such populations towards several fungus-growing ants of the genus Cyphomyrmex (rimosus complex) in French Guiana. This tolerance is surprising given the usually high interspecific aggressiveness of W. auropunctata when dominant. In order to understand the mechanisms behind such proximity, aggressiveness tests were performed between workers of the different species. These behavioural assays revealed a great passivity in Cyphomyrmex workers during confrontations with W. auropunctata workers. We also found that the aggressiveness between W. auropunctata and two Cyphomyrmex species was more intense between distant nests than between adjacent ones. This dear-enemy phenomenon may result from a process of habituation contributing to the ants' ability to coexist over the long term.     

Substance P and behavior: opposite effects of N-terminal and C-terminal fragments

Most of the biological actions of substance P (SP) have been thought to be mediated by the carboxy-terminal portion of the peptide. Some of the behavioral effects produced by exogenous SP exhibit a strikingly different structure-activity relationship. The N-terminal heptapeptide fragment of SP, SP(1-7), inhibits nociceptive, aggressive and grooming behaviors and stimulates investigative motor behavior, but the C-terminal hexapeptide fragment analog pyroglutamyl-SP(7-11) exerts opposite effects. While the C-terminal fragment mimics the effects of administered intact SP on motor behaviors, the N-terminal fragment mimics the effects of intact SP on aggressive and nociceptive behaviors. The significant behavioral effects of SP(1-7) and the consistently opposite behavioral effects of N- and C-terminal fragments are important new findings.     

Queen execution increases relatedness among workers of the invasive Argentine ant,Linepithema humile

Polygyny in social insects can greatly reduce within‐nest genetic relatedness. In polygynous ant species, potential rival queens in colonies with multiple queens are often executed by other queens, workers, or both. The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, native to South America, forms a “supercolony” that is composed of a large number of nests and is considered to contribute to the ant's invasion success. Currently, four mutually antagonistic supercolonies are contiguously distributed within a small area of Japan. Here, we analyzed the genetic structure and relatedness within and among the four supercolonies using microsatellite markers to clarify how L. humile maintains its supercoloniality. The results of AMOVA and BASP, the F_ST values, and the existence of several private alleles indicated that the L. humile population in the Kobe area had a characteristic genetic structure. Within a given supercolony, there was significant genetic differentiation (F_ST) among workers collected in May and those collected in September. The significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium increased, and the relatedness among workers significantly increased from May to September in all supercolonies. This result suggested that the supercolonies replaced old queens with new ones during the reproductive season, thus supporting the plausibility of queen execution. From the perspective of kin selection, workers collectively eliminate queens, thereby increasing their own inclusive fitness. Restricted gene flow among supercolonies, together with mating with sib and queen execution, could help to maintain the unique social structure of L. humile, the distribution of which is expanding worldwide.     

DNA methylation profiles in African American prostate cancer patients in relation to disease progression

This study examined whether differential DNA methylation is associated with clinical features of more aggressive disease at diagnosis and prostate cancer recurrence in African American men, who are more likely to die from prostate cancer than other populations. Tumor tissues from 76 African Americans diagnosed with prostate cancer who had radical prostatectomy as their primary treatment were profiled for epigenome-wide DNA methylation levels. Long-term follow-up identified 19 patients with prostate cancer recurrence. Twenty-three CpGs were differentially methylated (FDR q ≤ 0.25, mean methylation difference ≥ 0.10) in patients with vs. without recurrence, including CpGs in GCK, CDKL2, PRDM13, and ZFR2. Methylation differences were also observed between men with metastatic-lethal prostate cancer vs. no recurrence (five CpGs), regional vs. local pathological stage (two CpGs), and higher vs. lower tumor aggressiveness (one CpG). These results indicate that differentially methylated CpG sites identified in tumor tissues of African American men may contribute to prostate cancer aggressiveness.