Avian predators as a biological control system of common vole (Microtus arvalis) populations in NW Spain: experimental set-up and preliminary results

Jareño, D., Paz, A., Arroyo, L., Viñuela, J., Arroyo, B.E., Mougeot, F., Luque-Larena, J.J., Fargallo, J.A

Density-Dependent Prevalence of Francisella tularensis in Fluctuating Vole Populations, Northwestern Spain

Self Archiving; https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/page/copyright-and-disclaimers J.J.L.L., F.M., and R.R.P. held official licenses for trapping wildlife in Spain. Capture permits were provided by the Dirección General del Medio Natural, Junta de Castilla y León. This study was supported by projects ECOVOLE (grant CGL2012-35348), ECOTULA (grant CGL2015-66962-C2-1-R), and RESERTULA (grant CLG2015-66962-C2-2-R), which were funded by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad MINECO/FEDER, Spain. R.R.P. was supported by a PhD studentship from the University of Valladolid (co-funded by Banco Santander).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Irruptive mammal host populations shape tularemia epidemiology

Funding: This work was funded by Programa Estatal de I+D+i Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Gobierno de España (Spain). This publication is part of the project ECOTULA (reference: CGL2015-66962-C2-1-R). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Inventario y criterios de gestión de los mamíferos del Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido

2 volúmenes + 1 vol. Anexos + Resumen.-- Informe Final del Convenio de Investigación entre el Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales y el Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC).Peer reviewe

Sexual Selection Halts the Relaxation of Protamine 2 among Rodents

Sexual selection has been proposed as the driving force promoting the rapid evolutionary changes observed in some reproductive genes including protamines. We test this hypothesis in a group of rodents which show marked differences in the intensity of sexual selection. Levels of sperm competition were not associated with the evolutionary rates of protamine 1 but, contrary to expectations, were negatively related to the evolutionary rate of cleaved- and mature-protamine 2. Since both domains were found to be under relaxation, our findings reveal an unforeseen role of sexual selection: to halt the degree of degeneration that proteins within families may experience due to functional redundancy. The degree of relaxation of protamine 2 in this group of rodents is such that in some species it has become dysfunctional and it is not expressed in mature spermatozoa. In contrast, protamine 1 is functionally conserved but shows directed positive selection on specific sites which are functionally relevant such as DNA-anchoring domains and phosphorylation sites. We conclude that in rodents protamine 2 is under relaxation and that sexual selection removes deleterious mutations among species with high levels of sperm competition to maintain the protein functional and the spermatozoa competitive

Sperm Competition, Sperm Numbers and Sperm Quality in Muroid Rodents

Sperm competition favors increases in relative testes mass and production efficiency, and changes in sperm phenotype that result in faster swimming speeds. However, little is known about its effects on traits that contribute to determine the quality of a whole ejaculate (i.e., proportion of motile, viable, morphologically normal and acrosome intact sperm) and that are key determinants of fertilization success. Two competing hypotheses lead to alternative predictions: (a) sperm quantity and quality traits co-evolve under sperm competition because they play complementary roles in determining ejaculate's competitive ability, or (b) energetic constraints force trade-offs between traits depending on their relevance in providing a competitive advantage. We examined relationships between sperm competition levels, sperm quantity, and traits that determine ejaculate quality, in a comparative study of 18 rodent species using phylogenetically controlled analyses. Total sperm numbers were positively correlated to proportions of normal sperm, acrosome integrity and motile sperm; the latter three were also significantly related among themselves, suggesting no trade-offs between traits. In addition, testes mass corrected for body mass (i.e., relative testes mass), showed a strong association with sperm numbers, and positive significant associations with all sperm traits that determine ejaculate quality with the exception of live sperm. An “overall sperm quality” parameter obtained by principal component analysis (which explained 85% of the variance) was more strongly associated with relative testes mass than any individual quality trait. Overall sperm quality was as strongly associated with relative testes mass as sperm numbers. Thus, sperm quality traits improve under sperm competition in an integrated manner suggesting that a combination of all traits is what makes ejaculates more competitive. In evolutionary terms this implies that a complex network of genetic and developmental pathways underlying processes of sperm formation, maturation, transport in the female reproductive tract, and preparation for fertilization must all evolve in concert

Large-scale range expansion and eruption of common vole (Microtus arvalis) outbreaks in agricultural plains of NW Spain: historical reconstruction and novel impacts

By the end of last century the distribution range of Microtus arvalis in NW Spain greatly expanded and outbreaks began to be reported in recently-colonised agricultural habitats. Ever since, novel impacts to regional farming, biodiversity conservation and public health have recurrently been associated to vole outbreaks. Here we present the first attempt to reconstruct recent changes of common vole dynamics and distribution in the NW of the Iberian Peninsula. We compile published information for the last 50 years and describe a new methodological approach based on semi-quantitative data obtained from complementary sources. Our results show how, from late-1970s, the entire lowland plains of Castilla y León region were rapidly (< 20 years) filled in by expanding populations. Analyses of outbreaks also suggest a 5-year cyclic pattern from late-1970s onwards, contrasting with the typical 3-year cycle described in most populations of this species. Our results contribute to improve the current knowledge of rodent dynamics in Europe and may serve as a baseline to local pest management programmes