Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cristina-Maria Valcu, Mihai Valcu, Bart Kempenaers
Summary: This study explored the geographical variation in the frequency of extra-pair paternity (EPP) among bird populations and species. The results showed that EPP frequency decreases with latitude, increases with distance from the breeding range boundary, is negatively associated with generation length and pair-bond duration among species, and decreases with latitude at the assemblage level. The latitudinal decline of EPP is consistent across zoogeographical realms.
Article
Ornithology
Peter Santema, Kim Teltscher, Bart Kempenaers
Summary: This study found that the number of sperm on the egg's perivitelline layers in female blue tits is consistent within clutches, but there was no evidence to suggest differences in copulation activity between females with or without extra-pair young.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Emily Rebecca Alison Cramer
Summary: The study found that in socially monogamous species, tests related to sperm traits in extra-pair paternity situations can be highly biased, recommending the use of multivariate selection analysis and proportional regression to avoid biases.
Article
Zoology
Yating Liu, Zhengjun Wu, Wenbo Liao
Summary: This study examined the relationship between extra-pair paternity (EPP) and brain size, testis size, and life histories among bird species. The findings indicate that birds with larger brains, which are associated with enhanced cognitive abilities, are more inclined to maintain long-term stable relationships with their mates and engage in mutualism, rather than increasing the frequency of EPP.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hajime Yaguchi, Itaru Kobayashi, Kiyoto Maekawa, Christine A. Nalepa
Summary: Subsocial Cryptocercus cockroaches, believed to be socially monogamous, were found to have common extra-pair paternity in field-collected families. The study revealed that approximately half of young females exhibit serial monogamy and produce offspring with the last mated male, while pair males extend parental care to unrelated nymphs. This suggests genetic monogamy may not be a strict prerequisite for the evolution of termite eusociality.
Article
Ornithology
Mateusz Ledwon, Patricia Szczys
Summary: Patterns of extra pair paternity and intraspecific brood parasitism were studied in a Whiskered Tern population, with low rates observed due to the high male parental investment in the species. Intraspecific brood parasitism had a greater impact on chick proportions compared to extra pair paternity, the latter being relatively rare in this population.
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Callum S. McDiarmid, Roger Li, Ariel F. Kahrl, Melissah Rowe, Simon C. Griffith
Summary: Research on sperm is important in various fields such as ecology and evolution. Sperm Sizer, a freely available Java program, can semi-automate the process of measuring sperm length efficiently. The program produces high quality sperm length data and can be used in various species.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Magdalena Matzke, Soren Toft, Jesper Bechsgaard, Astrid Pold Vilstrup, Gabriele Uhl, Sven Kuenzel, Cristina Tuni, Trine Bilde
Summary: Sperm competition is a driving force for the development of traits that enhance fertilization success. This study focuses on the polyandrous spider Pisaura mirabilis and examines the effects of female polyandry, male mating order, and sexual selection intensity on sperm precedence patterns and paternity. The findings suggest that intense sperm competition can shift sperm precedence patterns and that longer copulations increase paternity shares, highlighting the importance of traits that prolong copulation duration under intense competition.
Article
Ecology
Jessica H. Browne, Darryl T. Gwynne
Summary: Male parental investment is associated with high confidence of paternity. In species where males invest by providing food, there is less control over insemination and a greater risk of investing in unrelated offspring. Paternity sharing is expected due to the risk of sperm competition and the fitness cost of excluding males from siring offspring. The study of two insect species with sexually selected females and nuptial food gifts provided evidence of shared paternity and a lack of last-male sperm precedence, suggesting reduced paternity bias in nuptial-gift systems.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Jason Shadmany, Siu F. Lee, Phillip W. Taylor
Summary: Polyandry in Queensland fruit flies can reduce the efficacy of the Sterile Insect Technique, with females storing fewer sperm from their second mate and asymmetry in sperm storage from the first mate influencing sperm storage from the second mate. These findings have implications for understanding sperm competition patterns in this species and for pest control methods.
JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jorgen S. Soraker, Jonathan Wright, Fredrik oglaend Hanslin, Michael Le Pepke
Summary: Extra-pair paternity negatively affects paternal care in bird species, as shown by our study on 271 socially monogamous species.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Huan Liu, Yun Fang, Yingqiang Lou, Yuehua Sun
Summary: This study found the presence of extra-pair paternity (EPP) in the wild Chestnut Thrush population, and the paternity was related to morphological traits of males and females.
Article
Ecology
Min Chen, Guopan Li, Jinlong Liu, Shaobin Li
Summary: The study suggests that pursuing extrapair copulations may be a natural instinct in birds, and the interaction between males and females for EPCs may lead to larger brains. However, larger brains may also restrict the EPC level for both sexes across bird species, as indicated by the negative association between relative brain size and EPP rates.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Silje L. Rekdal, Jarl Andreas Anmarkrud, Jan T. Lifjeld, Arild Johnsen
Summary: This study shows that female bluethroats tend to choose a social mate that is MHCII-compatible in order to prevent other males from gaining paternity in their brood. However, this preference occurs only when the social male is young, as older males can override female preferences through higher sperm production. Additionally, offspring with MHC diversity close to the golden mean exhibit higher immune responsiveness.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Jamie Dunning, Terry Burke, Julia Schroeder
Summary: The question of why socially monogamous females engage in extra-pair behavior is explored in this study. The results suggest that females who divorce their social partner are more likely to produce extra-pair offspring, but it does not demonstrate that these females also have a higher proportion of extra-pair offspring. Additionally, the number of broods initiated by females is positively correlated with the number of extra-pair males that father their offspring.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gerhardus M. J. Lansink, Rodrigo Esparza-Sala, Maija Joensuu, Anni Koskela, Dominika Bujnakova, Oddmund Kleven, Oystein Flagstad, Tuomo Ollila, Ilpo Kojola, Jouni Aspi, Laura Kvist
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Magni Olsen Kyrkjeeide, Kristine Bakke Westergaard, Oddmund Kleven, Marianne Evju, Anders Endrestol, Marie Kristine Brandrud, Odd Stabbetorp
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Oddmundy Kleven, Henrik Broseth, Kyrre Jonassen, Hans Christian Pedersen
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Biology
Tim Schmoll, Geir Rudolfsen, Holger Schielzeth, Oddmund Kleven
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alexander Kopatz, Oddmund Kleven, Ilpo Kojola, Jouni Aspi, Anita J. Norman, Goran Spong, Niclas Gyllenstrand, Love Dalen, Ida Floystad, Snorre B. Hagen, Jonas Kindberg, Oystein Flagstad
Summary: The study on the genetic connectivity between brown bear populations in Scandinavia and Karelia revealed asymmetric gene flow between the two populations, possibly influenced by different recovery histories and population densities. By coordinating monitoring efforts between neighboring countries, a better understanding of biological processes across relevant spatial scales was achieved.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Barbora Gajdarova, Elisa Belotti, Ludek Bufka, Martin Dul'a, Oddmund Kleven, Miroslav Kutal, Janis Ozolins, Carsten Nowak, Tobias E. Reiners, Branislav Tam, Josefa Volfova, Jarmila Krojerova-Prokesova
Summary: By using microsatellite genotyping, it was found that dispersing male Eurasian lynx can be successfully assigned to different source populations in Europe, and they have undertaken very long-distance movements in Central Europe. This highlights the importance of creating and protecting potential migratory corridors in human-dominated landscapes to facilitate the movements of these iconic predators for their conservation in Central Europe.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Oliver Kersten, Bastiaan Star, Deborah M. Leigh, Tycho Anker-Nilssen, Hallvard Strom, Johannis Danielsen, Sebastien Descamps, Kjell E. Erikstad, Michelle G. Fitzsimmons, Jerome Fort, Erpur S. Hansen, Mike P. Harris, Martin Irestedt, Oddmund Kleven, Mark L. Mallory, Kjetill S. Jakobsen, Sanne Boessenkool
Summary: The study on genetic flow and population structure of Atlantic puffins reveals four genetically distinct clusters, isolation by distance between colonies within these clusters, and evidence of a secondary contact zone, challenging current taxonomy and indicating contemporary biotic factors impeding gene flow. The research underscores the value of whole genome data in understanding unexpected population structures in marine seabirds and its relevance for seabird taxonomy, evolution, and conservation.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sarah Ashley Mueller, Stefan Prost, Ole Anders, Christine Breitenmoser-Wursten, Oddmund Kleven, Peter Klinga, Marjeta Konec, Alexander Kopatz, Jarmila Krojerova-Prokesova, Tomma Lilli Middelhoff, Gabriela Obexer-Ruff, Tobias Erik Reiners, Krzysztof Schmidt, Magda Sindicic, Tomaz Skrbinsek, Branislav Tam, Alexander P. Saveljev, Galsandorj Naranbaatar, Carsten Nowak
Summary: Reintroductions of large carnivores may result in decreased genetic diversity and increased inbreeding. This study examines the genetic outcomes of reintroducing the Eurasian lynx and finds that reintroduced populations have lower genetic diversity and higher levels of inbreeding compared to natural populations. The study highlights the importance of considering genetic factors in reintroduction programs and advocates for regular genomic assessments to safeguard genetic diversity.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Lukas Tietgen, Ingerid J. Hagen, Oddmund Kleven, Cecilia Di Bernardi, Thomas Kvalnes, Karin Noren, Malin Hasselgren, Johan Fredrik Wallen, Anders Angerbjorn, Arild Landa, Nina E. Eide, Oystein Flagstad, Henrik Jensen
Summary: This study utilized whole-genome analysis to successfully identify the MC1R gene as the sole causal gene for fur color in wild Arctic fox populations. The study also demonstrated the adaptive importance of fur color genotypes in fitness, with a tendency for heterozygous blue foxes to have higher fitness than homozygous white foxes. The findings suggest that the genotype's effect on fitness is independent of winter duration but varies with prey availability, with the strongest effect in years of increasing rodent populations.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Correction
Behavioral Sciences
Jan T. Lifjeld, Oddmund Kleven, Frode Fossoy, Frode Jacobsen, Terje Laskemoen, Geir Rudolfsen, Raleigh J. Robertson
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jan T. Lifjeld, Oddmund Kleven, Frode Fossoy, Frode Jacobsen, Terje Laskemoen, Geir Rudolfsen, Raleigh J. Robertson
Summary: In birds with extrapair mating, older males have higher fertilization success than younger males. This can be explained by the fact that females prefer older and more ornamented males, or that older males invest more in reproduction and fertility. In a study of barn swallows in Canada, it was found that male fertilization success increased with age, especially for extrapair offspring and second broods. This success was also associated with an early start of breeding in spring. Male fertility traits, including testis size, sperm motility, and sperm velocity, increased across age groups. The length of the outer tail feathers, a male ornament preferred by females, also increased with age but did not predict fertilization success. These findings suggest that older males have higher fertilization success due to their higher reproductive investment and early arrival on breeding grounds.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laura Monclus, Mari Engvig Loseth, Marie J. Dahlberg Persson, Igor Eulaers, Oddmund Kleven, Adrian Covaci, Jonathan P. Benskin, Raed Awad, Jochen P. Zubrod, Ralf Schulz, Petter Wabakken, Oddvar Heggoy, Ingar Jostein Oien, Magnus Johan Steinsvag, Veerle L. B. Jaspers, Torgeir Nygard
Summary: The study revealed high levels of legacy and emerging organohalogenated compounds in Eurasian eagle-owls in Norway, with geographic area and year being influential factors. PFAS levels showed considerable spatial variation, with higher levels in the southern area.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
G. M. J. Lansink, O. Kleven, R. Ekblom, G. Spong, A. Kopatz, J. Mattisson, J. Persson, I. Kojola, K. Holmala, T. Ollila, H. Ellegren, J. Kindberg, O. Flagstad, J. Aspi, L. Kvist
Summary: This study used multiple genetic markers to analyze the genetic population structure of wolverines in Fennoscandia. A clear population subdivision was observed between the Scandinavian and eastern Finnish populations, with a steep cline in the contact zone. The Scandinavian population showed isolation by distance, but also exhibited high connectivity in many areas. Resistance to gene flow in certain regions is likely due to historical isolation and founder effects. Promoting gene flow from the eastern Finnish population to the northwest of Scandinavia could enhance the genetic diversity and demographic resilience of all subpopulations. Transboundary cooperation among Finland, Sweden, and Norway, with aligned actions of harvest and conflict mitigation, could improve genetic connectivity.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Malene Nygaard, Alexander Kopatz, James M. D. Speed, Michael D. Martin, Tommy Presto, Oddmund Kleven, Mika Bendiksby
Summary: The study examines the spatiotemporal genetic change in the northern dragonhead plant species in Europe, focusing on its population decline and habitat loss. Genotyping of old herbarium specimens from Norway provides insight into the historical genetic diversity, showing limited genetic change over time. The genetic structure in Norway differs from populations outside of Norway, highlighting the importance of continued protection for the species. The species has not fully achieved its potential distribution in Norway, preferring warmer and drier habitats.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jarmila Krojerova-Prokesova, Barbora Gajdarova, Tobias Erik Reiners, Petra Bolechova, Oddmund Kleven, Petr Koubek, Carsten Nowak, Janis Ozolins, Branislav Tam, Inna Voloshina, Peter Vallo
Summary: The aim of ex situ programmes is to provide individuals for future reintroductions or reinforcement. Genetic evaluation of captive Eurasian lynx populations showed high genetic similarity to wild populations, supporting the potential of captive individuals for genetic rescue programs.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2023)
