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• W2914080411 abstract "The following story offers a humble example of islands as natural laboratories,stressing the significance of insights gained from free-ranging animals in asomewhat simplified context. Two generous data-sharing populations ofpromiscuous sexually coercive Hermann’s tortoises (Testudo hermanni, a specieswith delayed maturity [~10 years]) from the Prespa Lake Region in Macedoniawere scrutinized. Comparisons between island (Golem Grad, divided intonarrow shores and a large plateau) and mainland (Konjsko) populations revealedage-specific life-history trends and behavioural peculiarities. The island contextbrought to attention very unusual demographic processes, eventually resonatingwith a seemingly inevitable population doom brought upon by insufferablesexual conflict.Neonates to three-year old tortoises exhibit slow growth and low variationin body size (VBS) among individuals, likely illustrating the impact of a soft shelland lack of parental care. The subsequent gradual approach of a survival plateau(annual survival rate increase: 0.30 to 0.70) parallels a gradual increase inconfidence and a slowly hardening shell that promotes better foragingcapabilities reflected onto a phase of fast linear growth. Unlike long-livedmammals that are in a hurry to reach maturity at a certain size (lowering VBS)that will increase survival and ensure reproduction during a non-growing adultphase, tortoises have the potential for indeterminate growth (estimatedindividual asymptotic sizes from incremental growth after maturity on GolemGrad range from ~153 to ~224). When protected by a hard carapace thattranslates into a survival plateau (0.90) at the age of five, indeterminate growthleaves room for young tortoises to express individuality in growth regimes,promoting an ever increasing VBS prior to adulthood. Size-at-maturity is thus ablurred notion in these tortoises. Testosterone levels and sexual activity indicatethat minimal size at maturity in precocious males is somewhere between 115-120mm straight carapace length (SCL), whereas VBS and literature point to arange of 140-150mm. Clearly some tortoises mature early, while others are in norush at all. Sexual size dimorphism in the Testudo genus suggests most larger-atmaturitytortoises are likely females; Golem Grad population-mean femaleasymptotic size estimates make no exception.Nevertheless, actual body sizes on the island do not reflect estimates fromincremental growth – the largest individuals are males. At ~100 individuals/hawith an operational sex ratio (OSR [♂/♀]) of ~11, male sexual coercion fromconstantly aroused tortoises drastically increased female mating costs, wreakinghavoc on Golem Grad. Adult survival estimates are considerably higher in males(0.97) than in females (0.84). This is accompanied with low female bodycondition,intense cloacal injuries inflicted by males, that can even push femalesfrom the island’s high cliffs. Overall, island females do not live long and are alsodiscouraged from reproduction (dissections data). Even implementing species'average fecundity, simulations predict recruitment insufficiency and a decline inthe number of females, exacerbating OSR-bias. Tortoises are long-lived animals;adult cohorts ensure population growth despite environmental fluctuations.Nevertheless, on the island the temporal-variance of adult female survival hassuccumbed to the pressure stirred up by male sexual coercion and will likely leadto population extinction. Perhaps most surprisingly, cloacal injuries indicate thateven immature females (~8 years old) have become the target of the maladaptivesexual appetite of males. After reaching nine years, females that inhabit theisland’s macho Plateau (only 5% of adults are females) are harassed and exhibitlower average annual survival probabilities.This unfortunate demographic drift does not seem to be the onlyconsequence of OSR bias and high density – island frustrated males court andmount other males more frequently than females. They even exhibit extravagantsexual behaviours, attempting to copulate with dead conspecifics, empty shells,and stones. Golem Grad tortoises elucidated the first natural example of a“prison effect,” whereby a high population density combined with femaledeprivation (but not accompanied with abnormal testosterone levels) triggeredsame-sex sexual behaviours (SSB) as a mere outlet of sexual stimulation. Moregenerally, this supports the hypothesis that SSB can be a nonadaptiveconsequence of unusual proximate factors rather than reflecting physiologicaldisorders. Finally, SSB may even benefit females by diluting aggressive malemounting efforts among males as well.In light of the expensive conservation endeavours on the endangeredHermann’s tortoises in western Europe, life-history insight gained from GolemGrad tortoises can provide a valuable conservation lesson: taking into accountHermann’s tortoises’ environmental sex determination, captive breedingprograms can easily create dense female biased colonies that will stand the bestchance of creating a prosperous breeding population in the shortest time. Suchvaluable advice can reduce conservation costs, and help reverse the artificialseparation of fundamental research from conservation, particularly evident inthe developing (e.g. Macedonia) and third world. After all, applied conservationshould only be the inevitable and likely unavoidable side-effect of research,rather than a short term must!" @default.
• W2914080411 created "2019-02-21" @default.
• W2914080411 creator A5066990593 @default.
• W2914080411 date "2018-11-22" @default.
• W2914080411 modified "2023-09-23" @default.
• W2914080411 title "Run-of-the-mill ecology to sexual brutality and evolution : annals of an aroused tortoise population" @default.
• W2914080411 hasPublicationYear "2018" @default.
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