Mating strategies in relation to sexually selected infanticide in a non-social carnivore: the brown bear
International audience Based on the sexually selected infanticide (SSI) hypothesis, infanticide can be an adaptive mating strategy for males, but this is has rarely been documented in non-social mammals. This phenomenon should not benefit females, so one would expect females to evolve mating counter...
Published in: | Ethology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , |
Other Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
HAL CCSD
2006
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hal.science/halsde-00274250 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01152.x |
id |
ftunigrenoble:oai:HAL:halsde-00274250v1 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunigrenoble:oai:HAL:halsde-00274250v1 2024-05-12T08:12:15+00:00 Mating strategies in relation to sexually selected infanticide in a non-social carnivore: the brown bear Bellemain, E. Swenson, J. Taberlet, P. Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA) Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) 2006 https://hal.science/halsde-00274250 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01152.x en eng HAL CCSD info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01152.x halsde-00274250 https://hal.science/halsde-00274250 doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01152.x Ethology https://hal.science/halsde-00274250 Ethology, 2006, 112 (3), pp.238-246. ⟨10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01152.x⟩ [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2006 ftunigrenoble https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01152.x 2024-04-18T03:31:33Z International audience Based on the sexually selected infanticide (SSI) hypothesis, infanticide can be an adaptive mating strategy for males, but this is has rarely been documented in non-social mammals. This phenomenon should not benefit females, so one would expect females to evolve mating counter strategies in order to protect their infants from infanticidal males. Cases of SSI are extremely difficult to document in the field, especially for non-social species. Using field observations and genetic methods, we describe mating strategies employed by both sexes of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in relation to SSI. We present evidence for the first time suggesting that infanticide is an adaptive male mating strategy in this non-social carnivore, as all requirements for SSI are fulfilled (1) infanticide shortens the time to the mother's next estrus, (2) the perpetrator is not the father of the killed infants, and (3) putative perpetrators sire the next litter. Moreover, all infanticide cases occurred during the mating season. We expected that primarily immigrant males were infanticidal, as in social species. However, we found that resident adult males commonly committed infanticide. Perhaps they recognize females they have mated with previously. Moreover, we used DNA-based parentage testing to demonstrate a minimum of 14.5% of multiple paternities (up to 28% for litters with at least three young). Female promiscuity to confuse paternity may be an adaptive counter strategy to avoid infanticide. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ursus arctos Université Grenoble Alpes: HAL Ethology 112 3 238 246 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Université Grenoble Alpes: HAL |
op_collection_id |
ftunigrenoble |
language |
English |
topic |
[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment |
spellingShingle |
[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment Bellemain, E. Swenson, J. Taberlet, P. Mating strategies in relation to sexually selected infanticide in a non-social carnivore: the brown bear |
topic_facet |
[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment |
description |
International audience Based on the sexually selected infanticide (SSI) hypothesis, infanticide can be an adaptive mating strategy for males, but this is has rarely been documented in non-social mammals. This phenomenon should not benefit females, so one would expect females to evolve mating counter strategies in order to protect their infants from infanticidal males. Cases of SSI are extremely difficult to document in the field, especially for non-social species. Using field observations and genetic methods, we describe mating strategies employed by both sexes of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in relation to SSI. We present evidence for the first time suggesting that infanticide is an adaptive male mating strategy in this non-social carnivore, as all requirements for SSI are fulfilled (1) infanticide shortens the time to the mother's next estrus, (2) the perpetrator is not the father of the killed infants, and (3) putative perpetrators sire the next litter. Moreover, all infanticide cases occurred during the mating season. We expected that primarily immigrant males were infanticidal, as in social species. However, we found that resident adult males commonly committed infanticide. Perhaps they recognize females they have mated with previously. Moreover, we used DNA-based parentage testing to demonstrate a minimum of 14.5% of multiple paternities (up to 28% for litters with at least three young). Female promiscuity to confuse paternity may be an adaptive counter strategy to avoid infanticide. |
author2 |
Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA) Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bellemain, E. Swenson, J. Taberlet, P. |
author_facet |
Bellemain, E. Swenson, J. Taberlet, P. |
author_sort |
Bellemain, E. |
title |
Mating strategies in relation to sexually selected infanticide in a non-social carnivore: the brown bear |
title_short |
Mating strategies in relation to sexually selected infanticide in a non-social carnivore: the brown bear |
title_full |
Mating strategies in relation to sexually selected infanticide in a non-social carnivore: the brown bear |
title_fullStr |
Mating strategies in relation to sexually selected infanticide in a non-social carnivore: the brown bear |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mating strategies in relation to sexually selected infanticide in a non-social carnivore: the brown bear |
title_sort |
mating strategies in relation to sexually selected infanticide in a non-social carnivore: the brown bear |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
https://hal.science/halsde-00274250 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01152.x |
genre |
Ursus arctos |
genre_facet |
Ursus arctos |
op_source |
Ethology https://hal.science/halsde-00274250 Ethology, 2006, 112 (3), pp.238-246. ⟨10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01152.x⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01152.x halsde-00274250 https://hal.science/halsde-00274250 doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01152.x |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01152.x |
container_title |
Ethology |
container_volume |
112 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
238 |
op_container_end_page |
246 |
_version_ |
1798834551869407232 |