The role of olfactory genes in the expression of rodent paternal care behavior

Olfaction is the dominant sensory modality in rodents, and is crucial for regulating social behaviors, including parental care. Paternal care is rare in rodents, but can have significant consequences for offspring fitness, suggesting a need to understand the factors that regulate its expression. Pup-related odor cues are critical for the onset and maintenance of paternal care. Here, I consider the role of olfaction in the expression of paternal care in rodents. The medial preoptic area shares neural projections with the olfactory and accessory olfactory bulbs, which are responsible for the interpretation of olfactory cues detected by the main olfactory and vomeronasal systems. The olfactory, trace amine, membrane-spanning 4-pass A, vomeronasal 1, vomeronasal 2 and formyl peptide receptors are all involved in olfactory detection. I highlight the roles that 10 olfactory genes play in the expression of direct paternal care behaviors, acknowledging that this list is not exhaustive. Many of these genes modulate parental aggression towards intruders, and facilitate the recognition and discrimination of pups in general. Much of our understanding comes from studies on non-naturally paternal laboratory rodents. Future studies should explore what role these genes play in the regulation and expression of paternal care in naturally biparental species

The effects of antibiotics and illness on gut microbial composition in the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat (Melomys cervinipes)

The gut microbiota are critical for maintaining the health and physiological function of individuals. However, illness and treatment with antibiotics can disrupt bacterial community composition, the consequences of which are largely unknown in wild animals. In this study, we described and quantified the changes in bacterial community composition in response to illness and treatment with antibiotics in a native Australian rodent, the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat (Melomys cervinipes). We collected faecal samples during an undiagnosed illness outbreak in a captive colony of animals, and again at least one year later, and quantified the microbiome at each time point using 16s ribosomal rRNA gene sequencing. Gut bacterial composition was quantified at different taxonomic levels, up to family. Gut bacterial composition changed between time periods, indicating that illness, treatment with antibiotics, or a combination affects bacterial communities. While some bacterial groups increased in abundance, others decreased, suggesting differential effects and possible co-adapted and synergistic interactions. Our findings provide a greater understanding of the dynamic nature of the gut microbiome of a native Australian rodent species and provides insights into the management and ethical well-being of animals kept under captive conditions

Problem solving of wild animals in the Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia

While many species of animals can solve food-baited problems, most studies are conducted in captivity, which may not reflect the natural behavioural and cognitive abilities of wild animals. As few studies have explored problem solving of Australian animals generally, we investigated the problem solving abilities of native Australian species in natural rainforest in the Wet Tropics of Queensland. We baited multiple types of puzzles (matchbox task, cylinder task, and tile and lever tasks on a Trixie Dog Activity Board) with different food types (seeds, fruit, sardines) and placed the puzzles in front of trail cameras. We noted the species captured on camera, whether or not individuals interacted with the puzzles, the number of interactions with puzzles, and whether or not different animals solved them. We found that seven species from multiple taxa (mammals, birds, reptiles) could solve food-baited problems in the wild, providing the first evidence of problem solving in these native species. As problem solving may help animals cope with anthropogenic threats, these results provide some insights into which Wet Tropics species may potentially be more vulnerable and which ones might be better at coping with changing conditions

A comparison of policies to reduce the methane emission intensity of smallholder dairy production in India

Within the dairy sector, the effects of climate change are particularly diverse as cows are affected by, and a significant contributor to climate change. With a burgeoning body of work indicating the importance of livestock’s contribution to climate change (via Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions), the dairy sector will increasingly be targeted for emission reduction. Yet, gaps in knowledge remain as to the effectiveness of interventions in achieving emission reductions. The investigation examines two high-profile Indian policies to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing the methane emission intensity of milk production in Odisha, India. Selected policies included the installation of smallscale anaerobic digesters and the control of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). The interventions were evaluated at the cow level informed by data collected from 115 smallholder dairy producers in Puri (n =31) and Khurda (n =84) districts in Odisha, India. The installation of an anaerobic digester was found to increase methane emission intensity by 4.41–5.01%. Control of FMD reduced methane emission intensity by 3.68–12.95% depending on the infection scenario considered. The findings highlight the importance of contextually relevant and multi-sectoral approaches to mitigation as the increase in methane emission intensity following anaerobic digester installation represents movement of emissions from the energy sector into the dairy sector where mitigation is inherently more complex. Thus, the long-term usefulness of anaerobic digester installation as a mitigation strategy is limited

Problem solving in fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rats Melomys cervinipes is not significantly influenced by maternal care or genetic effects

Innovative problem solving is thought to be a flexible trait that allows animals to adjust to changing or challenging environmental conditions. However, it is not known how problem solving develops during an animal's early life, or whether it may have a heritable component. We investigated whether maternal genetic and nongenetic effects influenced problem-solving ability in a native Australian rodent, the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat Melomys cervinipes. We measured direct (time spent grooming and huddling), indirect (time spent nesting), and total amount of maternal care received across pup development (postnatal Days 1-13). We measured problem solving in juveniles using matchbox tasks, and in mothers and adult offspring using six tasks of varying complexity (matchbox, cylinder, obstruction, pillar, tile, and lever tasks). We found no relationship between any maternal care measures and problem-solving abilities across multiple tests, suggesting limited (if any) maternal nongenetic effects. We also found that, as shown by low heritability estimates, problem solving only had a small heritable component in some tasks, but this was nonsignificant and requires further investigation. These results suggest that problem solving is unlikely to be constrained by maternal effects experienced during early development, and is, instead, more likely to be influenced by other factors (e.g., experience) later in an individual's lifetime

Decision-making by bushveld gerbils (Gerbilliscus leucogaster)

Decision-making reflects an individual’s behavioral motivation, shaped by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. We investigated the motivation and decision-making to forage in captive bushveld gerbils (Gerbilliscus leucogaster) using an individually tailored experimental protocol. Individual gerbils were subjected to 4 experiments, where we assessed behavior and decision-making in response to: (a) food quality when resources were clumped (Experiment 1), (b) food quality when resources were scattered (Experiment 2), (c) changing food distribution (clumped vs. scattered; Experiment 3), and (d) predation risk. Each experiment comprised 4 treatments, where both cost (a weighted door) and incentive (preferred vs. nonpreferred seeds; clumped vs. scattered seeds) varied according to the mass and personal preferences of individual gerbils. We counted the number of seeds eaten, assessed the frequency of door usage, and measured the duration of exploration, vigilance, and foraging (as a proportion of total time) of gerbils in each experiment. Gerbils showed individual preferences for different seed types although all preferred sunflower or sorghum seeds. Generally, gerbils ate more seeds and used the door more frequently when the costs were low. Similarly, gerbils tended to forage more when the costs were low and predation risk was low. We also found that males, in general, were more vigilant than females in Experiments 3 and 4, likely because of risk of intrasexual competition over a high-resource patch. There was considerable individual variation in behavior, but there was also consistency in most behaviors, indicating that individual gerbils perform consistently differently to other gerbils

Resilience to droughts in mammals: a conceptual framework for estimating vulnerability of a single species

The frequency and severity of droughts in certain areas is increasing as a consequence of climate change. The associated environmental challenges, including high temperatures, low food, and water availability, have affected, and will affect, many populations. Our aims are to review the behavioral, physiological, and morphological adaptations of mammals to arid environments, and to aid researchers and nature conservationists about which traits they should study to assess whether or not their study species will be able to cope with droughts. We provide a suite of traits that should be considered when making predictions about species resilience to drought. We define and differentiate between general adaptations, specialized adaptations, and exaptations, and argue that specialized adaptations are of little interest in establishing how nondesert specialists will cope with droughts. Attention should be placed on general adaptations of semidesert species and assess whether these exist as exaptations in nondesert species. We conclude that phenotypic flexibility is the most important general adaptation that may promote species resilience. Thus, to assess whether a species will be able to cope with increasing aridity, it is important to establish the degree of flexibility of traits identified in semidesert species that confer a fitness advantage under drying conditions

Olfactory recognition of snake cues by fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rats Melomys cervinipes

Rodents rely on their sensitive olfactory systems to detect and respond to predators.We investigated the ability of a native Australian rodent, the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat Melomys cervinipes, to detect, recognise, and discriminate between two species of native snakes. We used snake sheds from a sympatric venomous red-bellied black snake Pseudechis porphyriacus and a non-sympatric non-venomous Stimson’s python Antaresia stimsoni. 20 mosaic-tailed rats each experienced three olfactory tests using a Y-maze. Rats were first exposed to one snake shed against a paper control, and then exposed to the other snake shed against a paper control. Which rat experienced which shed first was allocated randomly. Mosaic-tailed rats were then exposed to both sheds simultaneously. Rats could detect the snake sheds, spending longer investigating, and making more visits to, the sheds than the paper control. They also recognised the sheds as potentially dangerous, reducing their total investigation over time, but increasing their frequency of visits. However, rats did not discriminate between sheds, suggesting a general strategy for assessing the identity of reptilian predators

Challenges in Linking Cognition and Survival: A Review

Linking cognitive performance with fitness outcomes, measured using both reproductive and survival metrics, of free-living animals is crucial for understanding the evolution of cognition. Although there is increasing evidence showing a link between cognitive traits and reproductive success metrics, studies specifically exploring the link between cognition and survival are scarce. We first explore which cognitive traits related to survival have been investigated in free-living animals. We also discuss the challenges associated with investigating the links between cognition and survival. We then review studies that specifically consider survival of animals of known cognitive abilities that are either free-living or in captivity and later released into the wild. We found nine studies exploring cognitive traits in wild populations. The relationships between these cognitive traits and survival were equivocal. We found a further nine studies in captive-reared populations trained to predator cues and later released into the wild. Training to recognize predator cues was correlated with increased survival in the majority of studies. Finally, different individual intrinsic characteristics (i.e., age, body condition, personality, sex) showed varied effects between studies. We argue that finding ecologically relevant cognitive traits is crucial for gaining a better understanding of how selection impacts certain cognitive traits, and how these might contribute to an individual's survival. We also suggest possible standardized, easy to implement, cognitive tests that can be used in long-term studies, which would generate large sample sizes, take into account intrinsic characteristics, and provide an opportunity to understand the mechanisms, development and evolution of cognition

A deterministic evaluation of heat stress mitigation and feed cost under climate change within the smallholder dairy sector

In the global South, dairying is often promoted as a means of poverty alleviation. Yet, under conditions of climate warming, little is known regarding the ability of small-scale dairy producers to maintain production and/or the robustness of possible adaptation options in meeting the challenges presented, particularly heat stress. The authors created a simple, deterministic model to explore the influence of breed and heat stress relief options on smallholder dairy farmers in Odisha, India. Breeds included indigenous Indian (non-descript), low-grade Jersey crossbreed and high-grade Jersey crossbreed. Relief strategies included providing shade, fanning and bathing. The impact of predicted critical global climate parameters, a 2°C and 4°C temperature rise were explored. A feed price scenario was modelled to illustrate the importance of feed in impact estimation. Feed costs were increased by 10% to 30%. Across the simulations, high-grade Jersey crossbreeds maintained higher milk yields, despite being the most sensitive to the negative effects of temperature. Low-capital relief strategies were the most effective at reducing heat stress impacts on household income. However, as feed costs increased the lower-grade Jersey crossbreed became the most profitable breed. The high-grade Jersey crossbreed was only marginally (4.64%) more profitable than the indigenous breed. The results demonstrate the importance of understanding the factors and practical trade-offs that underpin adaptation. The model also highlights the need for hot-climate dairying projects and programmes to consider animal genetic resources alongside environmentally sustainable adaptation measures for greatest poverty impact