Costs and benefits of communal rearing to female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)
Costs and benefits of communal rearing to female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)
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DOI：
10.1007/s00265-004-0815-4
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发表时间：
2004-10-01
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Solomon, NG
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hayes, LD;Solomon, NG
集体养育后代可以帮助母亲以降低自身身体状况的成本，最大限度地增加对后代的投资，从而最大限度地提高生育成功的潜力。本研究的目的是量化集体饲养草原田鼠(Microtus Ochrogaster)幼鼠和母亲的成本和收益。母亲被分配到三个社会单位中的一个：独身母亲、单亲生育小组(即一名母亲和一名非生殖姐妹)和多名生育小组(即两名哺乳期姐妹)。对于每种类型的社会单位，一些复制品被随意提供食物，而另一些复制品被提供有限的食物。焦点母亲(即第一个生下一窝孩子的母亲)的体重是幼崽生长的重要预测因素。不考虑食物的可获得性，在多个繁育群体中集中饲养的母亲的窝比独居母亲饲养的窝增加了更多的体重。在单一繁育群体中饲养的幼崽体重增加中等，但与单独繁殖的后代相比，体重增加并不明显。来自每种社会单位的焦点母亲的体重没有差异，无论食物的供应情况如何。在多个繁育群体中，两窝的体重增加和主母和二母的体质量没有差异。然而，在食物有限的情况下，来自多个繁育群体的集中母亲哺育的幼崽比单独繁殖的母亲少，也比她们的筑巢伙伴少。我们的结果表明，与单独和单一的饲养相比，复数饲养对母亲的适应性更强。
Communal rearing of offspring may help mothers maximize their investment in offspring at a reduced cost to their own bodily condition, thus maximizing their potential for reproductive success. The objective of this study was to quantify the costs and benefits of communal rearing to prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) pups and mothers. Mothers were assigned to one of three social units: solitary mothers, singularly breeding groups (i.e. one mother and one non-reproductive sister) and plurally breeding groups (i.e. two lactating sisters). For each type of social unit, some replicates were provided with food ad libitum, while others were provided with limited food. The body mass of focal mothers (i.e. the first mother to produce a litter) was a significant predictor of pup growth. Regardless of food availability, litters of focal mothers in plurally breeding groups gained more weight than litters reared by solitary mothers. Pups reared in singularly breeding groups were intermediate in weight gain, but did not gain significantly more weight than solitary offspring. There was no difference in the body mass of focal mothers from each type of social unit, regardless of food availability. Within plurally breeding groups, the weight gain of the two litters and body mass of focal and second mothers did not differ. However, focal mothers from plurally breeding groups nursed fewer pups than solitary mothers and also fewer pups than their nestmates when food was limited. Our results suggest that plural breeding results in greater fitness to mothers than solitary and singular breeding.