Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator
Selecting the right habitat in a risky landscape is crucial for an individual's survival and reproduction. In predator–prey systems, prey often can anticipate the habitat use of their main predator and may use protective associates (i.e. typically an apex predator) as shields against predation....
Published in: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 |
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crroyalsociety:10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 2024-09-30T14:45:37+00:00 Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator Steyaert, S. M. J. G. Leclerc, M. Pelletier, F. Kindberg, J. Brunberg, S. Swenson, J. E. Zedrosser, A. Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Canada Research Chair Research Council of Norway Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management Austrian Science Fund 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 283, issue 1833, page 20160906 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 journal-article 2016 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 2024-09-17T04:34:48Z Selecting the right habitat in a risky landscape is crucial for an individual's survival and reproduction. In predator–prey systems, prey often can anticipate the habitat use of their main predator and may use protective associates (i.e. typically an apex predator) as shields against predation. Although never tested, such mechanisms should also evolve in systems in which sexual conflict affects offspring survival. Here, we assessed the relationship between offspring survival and habitat selection, as well as the use of protective associates, in a system in which sexually selected infanticide (SSI), rather than interspecific predation, affects offspring survival. We used the Scandinavian brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) population with SSI in a human-dominated landscape as our model system. Bears, especially adult males, generally avoid humans in our study system. We used resource selection functions to contrast habitat selection of GPS-collared mothers that were successful (i.e. surviving litters, n = 19) and unsuccessful (i.e. complete litter loss, n = 11) in keeping their young during the mating season (2005–2012). Habitat selection was indeed a predictor of litter survival. Successful mothers were more likely to use humans as protective associates, whereas unsuccessful mothers avoided humans. Our results suggest that principles of predator–prey and fear ecology theory (e.g. non-consumptive and cascading effects) can also be applied to the context of sexual conflict. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ursus arctos The Royal Society Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283 1833 20160906 |
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The Royal Society |
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crroyalsociety |
language |
English |
description |
Selecting the right habitat in a risky landscape is crucial for an individual's survival and reproduction. In predator–prey systems, prey often can anticipate the habitat use of their main predator and may use protective associates (i.e. typically an apex predator) as shields against predation. Although never tested, such mechanisms should also evolve in systems in which sexual conflict affects offspring survival. Here, we assessed the relationship between offspring survival and habitat selection, as well as the use of protective associates, in a system in which sexually selected infanticide (SSI), rather than interspecific predation, affects offspring survival. We used the Scandinavian brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) population with SSI in a human-dominated landscape as our model system. Bears, especially adult males, generally avoid humans in our study system. We used resource selection functions to contrast habitat selection of GPS-collared mothers that were successful (i.e. surviving litters, n = 19) and unsuccessful (i.e. complete litter loss, n = 11) in keeping their young during the mating season (2005–2012). Habitat selection was indeed a predictor of litter survival. Successful mothers were more likely to use humans as protective associates, whereas unsuccessful mothers avoided humans. Our results suggest that principles of predator–prey and fear ecology theory (e.g. non-consumptive and cascading effects) can also be applied to the context of sexual conflict. |
author2 |
Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Canada Research Chair Research Council of Norway Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management Austrian Science Fund |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Steyaert, S. M. J. G. Leclerc, M. Pelletier, F. Kindberg, J. Brunberg, S. Swenson, J. E. Zedrosser, A. |
spellingShingle |
Steyaert, S. M. J. G. Leclerc, M. Pelletier, F. Kindberg, J. Brunberg, S. Swenson, J. E. Zedrosser, A. Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator |
author_facet |
Steyaert, S. M. J. G. Leclerc, M. Pelletier, F. Kindberg, J. Brunberg, S. Swenson, J. E. Zedrosser, A. |
author_sort |
Steyaert, S. M. J. G. |
title |
Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator |
title_short |
Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator |
title_full |
Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator |
title_fullStr |
Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator |
title_full_unstemmed |
Human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator |
title_sort |
human shields mediate sexual conflict in a top predator |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 |
genre |
Ursus arctos |
genre_facet |
Ursus arctos |
op_source |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 283, issue 1833, page 20160906 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.0906 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
283 |
container_issue |
1833 |
container_start_page |
20160906 |
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1811646159157985280 |