一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，遺傳和社會因素相互作用影響野生寬吻海豚的生殖成功。長久以來人們知道自然和營養(yǎng)在影響動物的生殖健康方面的作用,。然而,，人們幾乎不知道基因和社會因素的相互作用如何驅動著野生種群的健康,，這部分是由于很難收集數(shù)據(jù),，以及缺乏梳理出此現(xiàn)象中的具體因素的技術。
為了幫助填補這種信息空白,，C. H. Frère及其同事采用了統(tǒng)計模型分析了西澳大利亞鯊魚灣的52只雌性寬吻海豚的20年的生命史數(shù)據(jù),。這組作者發(fā)現(xiàn)，這些海豚的生殖成功——它們具有顯著的認知能力以及一個復雜的社會系統(tǒng)——取決于其親屬以及偏愛的伙伴的生殖成功,?；蚝蜕鐣蛩刂g的這種相互作用的效果并非僅僅是加法,，而是乘法。此外,，這組作者發(fā)現(xiàn)有遺傳親緣關系的雌性并不總是相互結伴,，而且與近親結伴也并不總是導致生殖成功率高,。
這組作者說,，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)表明相互作用的遺傳和社會因素影響了一個野生種群的生殖健康。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦英文摘要：
PNAS doi: 10.1073/pnas.1007997107
Social and genetic interactions drive fitness variation in a free-living dolphin population
Celine H. Frèrea,1, Michael Krützena,b, Janet Manna,c, Richard C. Connora,d, Lars Bejdera,e, and William B. Sherwina
aSchool of Biological Earth and Ecological Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia;
bAnthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland;
cDepartments of Biology and Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057-1229;
dDepartment of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MA 02747; and
eCentre for Fish and Fisheries Research, Cetacean Research Unit, Murdoch University, Murdoch 6150, Western Australia
The evolutionary forces that drive fitness variation in species are of considerable interest. Despite this, the relative importance and interactions of genetic and social factors involved in the evolution of fitness traits in wild mammalian populations are largely unknown. To date, a few studies have demonstrated that fitness might be influenced by either social factors or genes in natural populations, but none have explored how the combined effect of social and genetic parameters might interact to influence fitness. Drawing from a long-term study of wild bottlenose dolphins in the eastern gulf of Shark Bay, Western Australia, we present a unique approach to understanding these interactions. Our study shows that female calving success depends on both genetic inheritance and social bonds. Moreover, we demonstrate that interactions between social and genetic factors also influence female fitness. Therefore, our study represents a major methodological advance, and provides critical insights into the interplay of genetic and social parameters of fitness.
