Title |
The physiological cost of male-biased parasitism in a nearly monomorphic mammal
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Published in |
Parasites & Vectors, April 2017
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DOI | 10.1186/s13071-017-2060-5 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Arturo Oliver-Guimerá, Carlos Martínez-Carrasco, Asta Tvarijonaviciute, María Rocío Ruiz de Ybáñez, Jordi Martínez-Guijosa, Jorge Ramón López-Olvera, Xavier Fernández-Aguilar, Andreu Colom-Cadena, Gregorio Mentaberre, Roser Velarde, Diana Gassó, Mathieu Garel, Luca Rossi, Santiago Lavín, Emmanuel Serrano |
Abstract |
Even though male-biased parasitism is common in mammals, little effort has been made to evaluate whether higher parasitic burden in males results in an extra biological cost, and thus a decrease in fitness. Body condition impairment and the augmentation of oxidative stress can be used as indicators of the cost of parasite infections. Here, we examined relationships between gastrointestinal and respiratory helminths, body condition and oxidative stress markers (glutathione peroxidase, paraoxonase-1) in 28 Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica) sampled in autumn. Only male chamois showed a reduction in body condition and higher oxidative stress due to parasite infection, likely because of the extremely high parasite burdens observed in males. This study made evident a disparity in the physiological cost of multiple parasitism between sexes in a wild mammal, mainly due to parasitic richness. Because of the similar life expectancy in male and female chamois, we suggest that males may have developed natural mechanisms to compensate for higher parasite loads during the rut. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Unknown | 5 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 3 | 60% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 2 | 40% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Spain | 1 | 2% |
Unknown | 45 | 98% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
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Researcher | 9 | 20% |
Student > Bachelor | 8 | 17% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 6 | 13% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 5 | 11% |
Student > Master | 3 | 7% |
Other | 5 | 11% |
Unknown | 10 | 22% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
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Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 11 | 24% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 10 | 22% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 2 | 4% |
Business, Management and Accounting | 2 | 4% |
Unspecified | 1 | 2% |
Other | 6 | 13% |
Unknown | 14 | 30% |