Survival costs of reproduction are mediated by parasite infection in wild Soay sheep

Jessica A. Leivesley; Luc F. Bussière; Josephine M. Pemberton; Jill G. Pilkington; Kenneth Wilson; Adam D. Hayward

doi:10.1111/ele.13275

Survival costs of reproduction are mediated by parasite infection in wild Soay sheep

Jessica A. Leivesley, Luc F. Bussière, Josephine M. Pemberton, Jill G. Pilkington, Kenneth Wilson, Adam D. Hayward

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A trade‐off between current and future fitness potentially explains variation in life‐history strategies. A proposed mechanism behind this is parasite‐mediated reproductive costs: individuals that allocate more resources to reproduction have fewer to allocate to defence against parasites, reducing future fitness. We examined how reproduction influenced faecal egg counts (FEC) of strongyle nematodes using data collected between 1989 and 2008 from a wild population of Soay sheep in the St. Kilda archipelago, Scotland (741 individuals). Increased reproduction was associated with increased FEC during the lambing season: females that gave birth, and particularly those that weaned a lamb, had higher FEC than females that failed to reproduce. Structural equation modelling revealed future reproductive costs: a positive effect of reproduction on spring FEC and a negative effect on summer body weight were negatively associated with overwinter survival. Overall, we provide evidence that parasite resistance and body weight are important mediators of survival costs of reproduction.

Original language	English
Journal	Ecology Letters
Volume	Early View
Early online date	20 May 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13275
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 20 May 2019

Keywords

Costs of reproduction
Fitness
Immunity
Infection
Life history
Peri-parturient rise
Trade-offs

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10.1111/ele.13275

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@article{f8130b7026f246a68b40f49d3141daf3,

title = "Survival costs of reproduction are mediated by parasite infection in wild Soay sheep",

abstract = "A trade‐off between current and future fitness potentially explains variation in life‐history strategies. A proposed mechanism behind this is parasite‐mediated reproductive costs: individuals that allocate more resources to reproduction have fewer to allocate to defence against parasites, reducing future fitness. We examined how reproduction influenced faecal egg counts (FEC) of strongyle nematodes using data collected between 1989 and 2008 from a wild population of Soay sheep in the St. Kilda archipelago, Scotland (741 individuals). Increased reproduction was associated with increased FEC during the lambing season: females that gave birth, and particularly those that weaned a lamb, had higher FEC than females that failed to reproduce. Structural equation modelling revealed future reproductive costs: a positive effect of reproduction on spring FEC and a negative effect on summer body weight were negatively associated with overwinter survival. Overall, we provide evidence that parasite resistance and body weight are important mediators of survival costs of reproduction.",

keywords = "Costs of reproduction, Fitness, Immunity, Infection, Life history, Peri-parturient rise, Trade-offs",

author = "Leivesley, {Jessica A.} and Bussi{\`e}re, {Luc F.} and Pemberton, {Josephine M.} and Pilkington, {Jill G.} and Kenneth Wilson and Hayward, {Adam D.}",

note = "The long‐term project on St Kilda, including field assistant JGP, has been largely funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council. JAL and LFB were both supported by the University of Stirling. ADH has received support from a University of Stirling Impact Research Fellowship and a Moredun Foundation Research Fellowship.",

year = "2019",

month = may,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1111/ele.13275",

language = "English",

volume = "Early View",

journal = "Ecology Letters",

issn = "1461-023X",

publisher = "John Wiley & Sons, Ltd",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Survival costs of reproduction are mediated by parasite infection in wild Soay sheep

AU - Leivesley, Jessica A.

AU - Bussière, Luc F.

AU - Pemberton, Josephine M.

AU - Pilkington, Jill G.

AU - Wilson, Kenneth

AU - Hayward, Adam D.

N1 - The long‐term project on St Kilda, including field assistant JGP, has been largely funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council. JAL and LFB were both supported by the University of Stirling. ADH has received support from a University of Stirling Impact Research Fellowship and a Moredun Foundation Research Fellowship.

PY - 2019/5/20

Y1 - 2019/5/20

N2 - A trade‐off between current and future fitness potentially explains variation in life‐history strategies. A proposed mechanism behind this is parasite‐mediated reproductive costs: individuals that allocate more resources to reproduction have fewer to allocate to defence against parasites, reducing future fitness. We examined how reproduction influenced faecal egg counts (FEC) of strongyle nematodes using data collected between 1989 and 2008 from a wild population of Soay sheep in the St. Kilda archipelago, Scotland (741 individuals). Increased reproduction was associated with increased FEC during the lambing season: females that gave birth, and particularly those that weaned a lamb, had higher FEC than females that failed to reproduce. Structural equation modelling revealed future reproductive costs: a positive effect of reproduction on spring FEC and a negative effect on summer body weight were negatively associated with overwinter survival. Overall, we provide evidence that parasite resistance and body weight are important mediators of survival costs of reproduction.

AB - A trade‐off between current and future fitness potentially explains variation in life‐history strategies. A proposed mechanism behind this is parasite‐mediated reproductive costs: individuals that allocate more resources to reproduction have fewer to allocate to defence against parasites, reducing future fitness. We examined how reproduction influenced faecal egg counts (FEC) of strongyle nematodes using data collected between 1989 and 2008 from a wild population of Soay sheep in the St. Kilda archipelago, Scotland (741 individuals). Increased reproduction was associated with increased FEC during the lambing season: females that gave birth, and particularly those that weaned a lamb, had higher FEC than females that failed to reproduce. Structural equation modelling revealed future reproductive costs: a positive effect of reproduction on spring FEC and a negative effect on summer body weight were negatively associated with overwinter survival. Overall, we provide evidence that parasite resistance and body weight are important mediators of survival costs of reproduction.

KW - Costs of reproduction

KW - Fitness

KW - Immunity

KW - Infection

KW - Life history

KW - Peri-parturient rise

KW - Trade-offs

U2 - 10.1111/ele.13275

DO - 10.1111/ele.13275

M3 - Article

SN - 1461-023X

VL - Early View

JO - Ecology Letters

JF - Ecology Letters

ER -

Survival costs of reproduction are mediated by parasite infection in wild Soay sheep

Abstract

Keywords

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