Elevated glucocorticoid concentrations during gestation predict reduced reproductive success in subordinate female banded mongooses.

J L Sanderson,H J Nichols,H H Marshall,S L Walker,M A Cant,E I K Vitikainen,A J Young,F J Thompson

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2015.0620

J L Sanderson, H J Nichols + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0620

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Abstract

Dominant females in social species have been hypothesized to reduce the reproductive success of their subordinates by inducing elevated circulating glucocorticoid (GC) concentrations. However, this ‘stress-related suppression' hypothesis has received little support in cooperatively breeding species, despite evident reproductive skews among females. We tested this hypothesis in the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), a cooperative mammal in which multiple females conceive and carry to term in each communal breeding attempt. As predicted, lower ranked females had lower reproductive success, even among females that carried to term. While there were no rank-related differences in faecal glucocorticoid (fGC) concentrations prior to gestation or in the first trimester, lower ranked females had significantly higher fGC concentrations than higher ranked females in the second and third trimesters. Finally, females with higher fGC concentrations during the third trimester lost a greater proportion of their gestated young prior to their emergence from the burrow. Together, our results are consistent with a role for rank-related maternal stress in generating reproductive skew among females in this cooperative breeder. While studies of reproductive skew frequently consider the possibility that rank-related stress reduces the conception rates of subordinates, our findings highlight the possibility of detrimental effects on reproductive outcomes even after pregnancies have become established.

Highlights

IntroductionSubordinate females often have lower reproductive success than dominant females
In animal societies, subordinate females often have lower reproductive success than dominant females
The stress-related suppression hypothesis proposes that dominant females suppress subordinate reproduction through behaviours that lead to chronic elevations in circulating glucocorticoids (GCs) and consequent reproductive downregulation [1,2,3,4]

Summary

Introduction

Subordinate females often have lower reproductive success than dominant females. The stress-related suppression hypothesis proposes that dominant females suppress subordinate reproduction through behaviours that lead to chronic elevations in circulating glucocorticoids (GCs) and consequent reproductive downregulation [1,2,3,4]. Though, compelling support for this hypothesis remains scarce in cooperatively breeding societies, where reproductive skews among females are frequently apparent ([1,2]; but see [3,5]). Stressrelated suppression might only be necessary, in the subset of cooperative breeders in which subordinate females do still attempt to breed, as complete reproductive restraint by subordinates might otherwise obviate the need for dominants to stress their subordinates [3,6,7].

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