Macroparasitism influences reproductive success in red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
Macroparasitism influences reproductive success in red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
复制标题
DOI：
10.1093/beheco/arr112
复制
发表时间：
2011-11-01
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Schulte-Hostedde, Albrecht
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gooderham, Krista;Schulte-Hostedde, Albrecht
生命史理论预测，所有生物体都有有限的能量储备。为了优化适应性，个体必须在生存、生长和繁殖之间进行能量分配的权衡。寄生虫有能力对宿主适应性产生负面影响，并改变能量平衡。我们的研究的目的是确定寄生虫负载和繁殖成功之间的关系，在自由生活的人口北美红松鼠（Tamiasciurus hudsonicus）在阿尔冈琴公园，安大略。我们假设严重寄生的个体必须分配更多的能量用于免疫功能。由于能量储存是有限的，这将不可避免地减少可用于繁殖的资源。在这里，我们表明，寄生虫丰富度可以通过降低繁殖成功率来损害健身。然而，外寄生虫的强度增加，增加男性的生殖成功，但不是女性，这表明在男性的第二性征和睾酮的免疫抑制素质之间可能的权衡。我们的研究提供了寄生虫在宿主身上花费的独特证据。这是在生态环境中进行的相对较少的研究之一，将宿主适应性与多种寄生虫感染相结合。
Life-history theory predicts that all organisms have finite energy reserves. In order to optimize fitness, individuals must make trade-offs in allocating energy among survival, growth, and reproduction. Parasites have the ability to negatively impact host fitness and shift the balance of energy trade-offs. The aim of our study was to determine the relationships among parasite load and reproductive success in a free-living population of North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in Algonquin Park, Ontario. We hypothesized that heavily parasitized individuals must allocate more energy toward immune function. As energy storage is finite, this will inevitably reduce the resources available for reproduction. Here, we show that parasite richness can compromise fitness through decreasing reproductive success. However, ectoparasite intensity increased with increasing reproductive success in males but not females, suggesting a possible trade-offs between secondary sexual characteristics in males and immunosuppressive qualities of testosterone. Our study provides unique evidence of the costs parasites exact on their hosts. It is among the relatively few studies conducted within an ecological context incorporating host fitness in relation to multiple parasite infections.