Association between reproduction and immunity in Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body condition
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2021 |
Outros Autores: | , , , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | http://hdl.handle.net/10451/46648 |
Resumo: | The Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) is a carnivore in expansion on the western limits of Europe, where its reproductive ecology is unknown. In this study, we weighed and measured the gonads of 507 wild‐caught mongooses ranging its geographical distribution and all seasons of the year. Based on the variation in gonad weight, we determined periods of reproductive activity for females (December–June) and males (throughout the year), with both sexes showing a peak in gonad weight during February. We also identified periods of lactation (March‐August, n = 10), gestation (December–July, n = 20) and mean litter size (1–4 offspring, 2.75 ± 0.79, n = 20). Next, we constructed two separate models to explain the variation in ovarian and testicular weight, using age cohort, season and region, spleen weight, body condition and the environmental variables habitat, river network and Egyptian mongoose density as predictors. Ovarian weight was influenced by season and spleen weight. Females with heavier ovaries were found in spring and simultaneously exhibited heavier spleens. Testicular weight was influenced by season, spleen weight and age, as well as several environmental variables. Males with lower spleen weight exhibited heavier testes, indicating a male‐specific negative association between reproductive and immune activity. Overall, the results of this study refine our knowledge on Egyptian mongoose reproductive ecology. They indicate that reproduction timing is determined by females, whose breeding is seasonal but who are unaffected by the set of environmental variables we tested, as opposed to males, who are influenced by these environmental conditions and seem to be reproductively active year round. These results also support a negative reproduction‐immunity trade‐off in males, that is independent of body condition and absent in females. |
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Association between reproduction and immunity in Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body conditionThe Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) is a carnivore in expansion on the western limits of Europe, where its reproductive ecology is unknown. In this study, we weighed and measured the gonads of 507 wild‐caught mongooses ranging its geographical distribution and all seasons of the year. Based on the variation in gonad weight, we determined periods of reproductive activity for females (December–June) and males (throughout the year), with both sexes showing a peak in gonad weight during February. We also identified periods of lactation (March‐August, n = 10), gestation (December–July, n = 20) and mean litter size (1–4 offspring, 2.75 ± 0.79, n = 20). Next, we constructed two separate models to explain the variation in ovarian and testicular weight, using age cohort, season and region, spleen weight, body condition and the environmental variables habitat, river network and Egyptian mongoose density as predictors. Ovarian weight was influenced by season and spleen weight. Females with heavier ovaries were found in spring and simultaneously exhibited heavier spleens. Testicular weight was influenced by season, spleen weight and age, as well as several environmental variables. Males with lower spleen weight exhibited heavier testes, indicating a male‐specific negative association between reproductive and immune activity. Overall, the results of this study refine our knowledge on Egyptian mongoose reproductive ecology. They indicate that reproduction timing is determined by females, whose breeding is seasonal but who are unaffected by the set of environmental variables we tested, as opposed to males, who are influenced by these environmental conditions and seem to be reproductively active year round. These results also support a negative reproduction‐immunity trade‐off in males, that is independent of body condition and absent in females.WileyRepositório da Universidade de LisboaBandeira, V.Virgós, E.Azevedo, A.Cunha, Mónica V.Fonseca, C.2023-02-01T01:31:17Z2021-022021-02-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10451/46648engBandeira, V., E. Virgós,.A. Azevedo, M.V. Cunha & C. Fonseca (2021). Association between reproduction and immunity in the Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body condition. Journal of Zoology 313(2): 124-134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.1284210.1111/jzo.12842info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2023-11-08T16:48:07Zoai:repositorio.ul.pt:10451/46648Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T21:58:19.665060Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Association between reproduction and immunity in Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body condition |
title |
Association between reproduction and immunity in Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body condition |
spellingShingle |
Association between reproduction and immunity in Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body condition Bandeira, V. |
title_short |
Association between reproduction and immunity in Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body condition |
title_full |
Association between reproduction and immunity in Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body condition |
title_fullStr |
Association between reproduction and immunity in Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body condition |
title_full_unstemmed |
Association between reproduction and immunity in Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body condition |
title_sort |
Association between reproduction and immunity in Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body condition |
author |
Bandeira, V. |
author_facet |
Bandeira, V. Virgós, E. Azevedo, A. Cunha, Mónica V. Fonseca, C. |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Virgós, E. Azevedo, A. Cunha, Mónica V. Fonseca, C. |
author2_role |
author author author author |
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv |
Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Bandeira, V. Virgós, E. Azevedo, A. Cunha, Mónica V. Fonseca, C. |
description |
The Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) is a carnivore in expansion on the western limits of Europe, where its reproductive ecology is unknown. In this study, we weighed and measured the gonads of 507 wild‐caught mongooses ranging its geographical distribution and all seasons of the year. Based on the variation in gonad weight, we determined periods of reproductive activity for females (December–June) and males (throughout the year), with both sexes showing a peak in gonad weight during February. We also identified periods of lactation (March‐August, n = 10), gestation (December–July, n = 20) and mean litter size (1–4 offspring, 2.75 ± 0.79, n = 20). Next, we constructed two separate models to explain the variation in ovarian and testicular weight, using age cohort, season and region, spleen weight, body condition and the environmental variables habitat, river network and Egyptian mongoose density as predictors. Ovarian weight was influenced by season and spleen weight. Females with heavier ovaries were found in spring and simultaneously exhibited heavier spleens. Testicular weight was influenced by season, spleen weight and age, as well as several environmental variables. Males with lower spleen weight exhibited heavier testes, indicating a male‐specific negative association between reproductive and immune activity. Overall, the results of this study refine our knowledge on Egyptian mongoose reproductive ecology. They indicate that reproduction timing is determined by females, whose breeding is seasonal but who are unaffected by the set of environmental variables we tested, as opposed to males, who are influenced by these environmental conditions and seem to be reproductively active year round. These results also support a negative reproduction‐immunity trade‐off in males, that is independent of body condition and absent in females. |
publishDate |
2021 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2021-02 2021-02-01T00:00:00Z 2023-02-01T01:31:17Z |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://hdl.handle.net/10451/46648 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10451/46648 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
Bandeira, V., E. Virgós,.A. Azevedo, M.V. Cunha & C. Fonseca (2021). Association between reproduction and immunity in the Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon is sex‐biased and unaffected by body condition. Journal of Zoology 313(2): 124-134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12842 10.1111/jzo.12842 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Wiley |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Wiley |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
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Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
instacron_str |
RCAAP |
institution |
RCAAP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
collection |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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1799134528810254336 |