Natal environmental conditions modulate senescence of antler length in roe deer
It is now broadly admitted that female reproductive senescence – a decline in reproductive performance with increasing age – occurs in most species, at least among birds and mammals. Although information is more limited, male reproductive senescence has been regularly inferred from the decline in th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1139235/full |
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| author | Solène Cambreling Jean-Michel Gaillard Maryline Pellerin Cécile Vanpé François Débias Daniel Delorme Rébecca Garcia A. J. Mark Hewison Jean-François Lemaître |
| author_facet | Solène Cambreling Jean-Michel Gaillard Maryline Pellerin Cécile Vanpé François Débias Daniel Delorme Rébecca Garcia A. J. Mark Hewison Jean-François Lemaître |
| author_sort | Solène Cambreling |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is now broadly admitted that female reproductive senescence – a decline in reproductive performance with increasing age – occurs in most species, at least among birds and mammals. Although information is more limited, male reproductive senescence has been regularly inferred from the decline in the size or performance of phenotypic traits that underly male reproductive success, particularly secondary sexual traits. However, the degree to which environmental conditions influence the pattern of senescence in sexual traits remains largely unknown. From the analysis of two long-term studies of populations of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) subjected to markedly different environmental contexts in the wild, we tested the hypothesis that harsh natal and/or current conditions should lead to earlier and/or stronger rates of senescence in the length of fully-grown antlers than good natal and/or current conditions. We found evidence of similar patterns of antler length senescence in both populations, with an onset of senescence around 7 years of age and a decrease of length by about 1–1.5 cm per additional year of life from 7 years of age onwards. We found that good early-life conditions delay senescence in antler length in roe deer. Our results also revealed that senescent males seem to be unable to allocate substantially to antler growth, confirming that antler size is, therefore, an honest signal of male individual quality. By modulating age-specific allocation to secondary sexual traits, natal and current conditions could influence female mate choice and male–male competition over mates, and as a result age-specific reproductive success, and should be accounted for when studying the dynamics of sexual selection. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:12:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d287ce3998a947d9bf5140526e0cbd50 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:12:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-d287ce3998a947d9bf5140526e0cbd502023-07-05T17:56:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2023-07-011110.3389/fevo.2023.11392351139235Natal environmental conditions modulate senescence of antler length in roe deerSolène Cambreling0Jean-Michel Gaillard1Maryline Pellerin2Cécile Vanpé3François Débias4Daniel Delorme5Rébecca Garcia6A. J. Mark Hewison7Jean-François Lemaître8Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5558, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, FranceLaboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5558, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, FranceOffice Français de la Biodiversité, Direction de la Recherche et de l’Appui Scientifique, Service Conservation et Gestion Durable des Espèces Exploitées, Châteauvillain, FranceOffice Français de la Biodiversité, Direction de la Recherche et de l’Appui Scientifique, Service Conservation et Gestion des Espèces à Enjeux, Impasse de la Chapelle, Villeneuve-de-Rivière, FranceLaboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5558, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, FranceOffice Français de la Biodiversité, Direction de la Recherche et de l’Appui Scientifique, Service Conservation et Gestion Durable des Espèces Exploitées, Châteauvillain, FranceLaboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5558, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, FranceComportement et Ecologie de la Faune Sauvage (CEFS), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAe), Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, FranceLaboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5558, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, FranceIt is now broadly admitted that female reproductive senescence – a decline in reproductive performance with increasing age – occurs in most species, at least among birds and mammals. Although information is more limited, male reproductive senescence has been regularly inferred from the decline in the size or performance of phenotypic traits that underly male reproductive success, particularly secondary sexual traits. However, the degree to which environmental conditions influence the pattern of senescence in sexual traits remains largely unknown. From the analysis of two long-term studies of populations of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) subjected to markedly different environmental contexts in the wild, we tested the hypothesis that harsh natal and/or current conditions should lead to earlier and/or stronger rates of senescence in the length of fully-grown antlers than good natal and/or current conditions. We found evidence of similar patterns of antler length senescence in both populations, with an onset of senescence around 7 years of age and a decrease of length by about 1–1.5 cm per additional year of life from 7 years of age onwards. We found that good early-life conditions delay senescence in antler length in roe deer. Our results also revealed that senescent males seem to be unable to allocate substantially to antler growth, confirming that antler size is, therefore, an honest signal of male individual quality. By modulating age-specific allocation to secondary sexual traits, natal and current conditions could influence female mate choice and male–male competition over mates, and as a result age-specific reproductive success, and should be accounted for when studying the dynamics of sexual selection.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1139235/fullCapreolus capreolusreproductive ageingsecondary sexual traitssexual selectionweapon |
| spellingShingle | Solène Cambreling Jean-Michel Gaillard Maryline Pellerin Cécile Vanpé François Débias Daniel Delorme Rébecca Garcia A. J. Mark Hewison Jean-François Lemaître Natal environmental conditions modulate senescence of antler length in roe deer Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Capreolus capreolus reproductive ageing secondary sexual traits sexual selection weapon |
| title | Natal environmental conditions modulate senescence of antler length in roe deer |
| title_full | Natal environmental conditions modulate senescence of antler length in roe deer |
| title_fullStr | Natal environmental conditions modulate senescence of antler length in roe deer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Natal environmental conditions modulate senescence of antler length in roe deer |
| title_short | Natal environmental conditions modulate senescence of antler length in roe deer |
| title_sort | natal environmental conditions modulate senescence of antler length in roe deer |
| topic | Capreolus capreolus reproductive ageing secondary sexual traits sexual selection weapon |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1139235/full |
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