Correlates of maternal glucocorticoid levels in a socially flexible rodent
Abstract
While it is generally accepted that social isolation has detrimental effects on social species, little is known about the importance of social interactions in less social species-particularly for wild reproductive females. We studied socially-flexible yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) and asked whether features of the social environment are associated with maternal fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations. Since changes in maternal baseline glucocorticoids may have positive or negative consequences for offspring fitness, we were also interested in estimating their relationship with measures of reproductive success. We fitted generalized linear mixed effects models to a dataset including maternal FGM measurements, social network metrics, maternal/alloparental care, and pup FGM and survival. Agonistic interactions were positively associated with maternal FGM levels, while mothers that engaged in relatively more affiliative interactions had reduced FGM levels when living in environments with low predator pressure. Pups associated with mothers exhibiting high FGM levels had low annual survival rates, received less maternal/alloparental care and had higher FGM levels. Interestingly, offspring from mothers with high FGM levels were more likely to survive the summer when born in small litters. In sum, social interactions likely influence and are influenced by glucocorticoid levels of facultatively social females. Potential benefits of social bonds may be context-specific, and agonistic interactions may be tightly correlated with fitness. Female marmots exhibiting high FGM levels had overall low reproductive success, which is predicted by the cort-fitness hypothesis. However, under adverse conditions, offspring summer survival can be maximized if pups are born in small litters.
Local Knowledge Graph (23 entities)
Related Works
Items connected by shared entities, co-authorship, citations, or semantic similarity.
Fitness and hormonal correlates of social and ecological stressors of female yellow-bellied marmots.
Older mothers follow conservative strategies under predator pressure: The adaptive role of maternal glucocorticoids in yellow-bellied marmots
The effect of maternal glucocorticoid levels on juvenile docility in yellow-bellied marmots
Maternal survival costs in an asocial mammal: Data and analysis
Data from: A cost of being amicable in a hibernating marmot
Data from: Strong social relationships are associated with decreased longevity in a facultatively social mammal
Small Mammal Survey, Acid Fen, Mt. Emmons Gunnison, Colorado
Ecosystem Disturbance and Wildlife Conservation in Western Grasslands
Small Mammals: A Beaver Pond Ecosystem and Adjacent Riparian Habitat in Idaho
Cited By (16 times, 7 in Knowledge Hub)
Is early life adversity associated with adult stress in a wild rodent?
Cumulative adversity and survival in the wild
METHODS: Validating an immunoassay to measure fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in yellow-bellied marmots
Is flight initiation distance associated with longer-term survival in yellow-bellied marmots, Marmota flaviventer?
Group social structure has limited impact on reproductive success in a wild mammal
Evolution of social position and structure – a multilevel selection perspective
More social female yellow-bellied marmots, <i>Marmota flaviventer</i>, have enhanced summer survival
References (135)
25 in Knowledge Hub, 110 external