Mugabo, M, Le Galliard, J-F, Perret, S et al. (3 more authors) (2017) Sex-specific density-dependent secretion of glucocorticoids in lizards: insights from laboratory and field experiments. Oikos. ISSN 0030-1299
Abstract
Negative density feedbacks have been extensively described in animal species and involve both consumptive (i.e. trophic interactions) and non-consumptive (i.e. social interactions) mechanisms. Glucocorticoids are a major component of the physiological stress response and homeostasis, and therefore make a good candidate for proximate determinants of negative density feedbacks. Here, we combined laboratory and field experiments with enclosed populations to investigate the relationship between density, social stress and plasma corticosterone levels in the common lizard Zootoca vivipara. This species exhibits strong negative density feedbacks that affect females more than males, and its life history is sensitive to experimentally-induced chronic elevation of corticosterone plasma levels. We found that prolonged crowding in the laboratory can trigger a chronic secretion of corticosterone independent from food restriction. In the field experiments, corticosterone levels of females were not affected by population density. Corticosterone levels of males increased with population density but only during the late activity season in a first field experiment where we manipulated density. They also increased with density during the mating season but only in populations with a female-biased sex ratio in a second field experiment where we crossed manipulated density and adult sex ratio. Altogether, our results provide limited evidence for a role of basal corticosterone secretion in density feedbacks in this species. Context and density-dependent effects in males may arise from changes in behavior caused by competition for resources, male–male competition, and mating.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 The Authors. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Mugabo, M., Galliard, J.-F. L., Perret, S., Decencière, B., Haussy, C. and Meylan, S. (2017), Sex-specific density-dependent secretion of glucocorticoids in lizards: insights from laboratory and field experiments. Oikos. doi:10.1111/oik.03701, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.03701. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Biological Sciences (Leeds) > School of Biology (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 19 Jun 2017 10:00 |
Last Modified: | 30 Jan 2019 13:21 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/oik.03701 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:117874 |