Biology subjects

Vogt, C. C.

Publications and source records attributed to Vogt, C. C..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Genetically Identical Mice Express Alternative Reproductive Tactics Depending on Social Conditions in the Field

In many species, establishing and maintaining a territory is critical to survival and reproduction, and an animals ability to do so is strongly influenced by the presence and density of competitors. Here we manipulate social conditions to study the alternative reproductive tactics displayed by genetically identical, age-matched laboratory mice competing for territories under ecologically realistic social environmental conditions. We introduced adult males and females of the laboratory mouse strain (C57BL/6J) into a large, outdoor field enclosure containing defendable resource zones under one of two social conditions. We first created a low-density social environment, such that the number of available territories exceeded the number of males. After males established stable territories, we introduced a pulse of intruder males and observed the resulting defensive and invasive tactics employed. In response to this change in social environment, males with large territories invested more in patrolling but were less effective at excluding intruder males as compared to males with small territories. Intruding males failed to establish territories and displayed an alternative tactic featuring greater exploration as compared to genetically identical territorial males. Alternative tactics did not lead to equal reproductive success--males that acquired territories experienced greater survival and had greater access to females.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Reproductive state switches the valence of male urinary pheromones in female mice

Internal states shape responses to sensory stimuli. Mammalian female reproductive states are understudied considering they are one of the most regular state changes in the animal kingdom. Here we examine female house mouse preferences toward male odors across the reproductive states of estrus and late-stage pregnancy. In house mice, urine scent marks are salient social odors that convey information about the sex and identity of individuals by major urinary proteins (MUPs). Males secrete a sex-specific pheromonal protein called darcin (MUP20). Additionally, genetically diverse mice secrete unique combinations of MUPs used in individual recognition. Prior work has revealed that male odors are powerful social stimuli for female mice, yet we have a limited understanding of how the valence of such odors change across reproductive states. We discovered a valence shift among estrus and pregnant females toward novel male urine, in which estrus females exhibit preference and pregnant females show strong avoidance. This valence switch also occurs toward darcin alone, providing further support for darcin as a strong sexual signal. However, when presented with familiar male urine, the approach-avoidance response disappears, even when additional darcin is added. In contrast, when an existing identity protein (MUP11) is added to familiar male urine the approach-avoidance response is recovered. This indicates that darcin in the absence of other identity information denotes a novel male and that familiar identity information present in male urine is sufficient to modify responses to darcin. Our findings suggest that the sex and identity information encoded by MUPs are likely processed via distinct, and potentially opposing pathways, that modulate responses toward complex social odor blends. Furthermore, we identify a state-modulated shift in decision-making toward social odors and propose a neural circuit model for this flow of information. These data underscore the importance of physiological state and signal context for interpreting the meaning and importance of social odors.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2022

Postural analysis reveals persistent vigilance in paper wasps after conspecific challenge

Vigilant animals detect and respond to threats in the environment, often changing posture and movement patterns. In social animals vigilance is modulated not only by predators but also by threatening conspecifics. Precisely how social interactions alter vigilance behavior over time is not well understood. We report persistent effects of a simulated social challenge on the vigilance behavior of wild northern paper wasp foundresses, Polistes fuscatus. During the founding phase of the colony cycle conspecific wasps may usurp nests from the resident foundress, representing a severe threat. Using postural tracking, we found that after simulated intrusions wasps displayed increased vigilance during the minutes after the threat was removed. Sustained vigilance elicited after social threat manifested as increased movement, greater bilateral wing extension, and reduced antennal separation. However, no postural changes were observed after a control stimulus presentation. By rapidly adjusting individual vigilance behavior after fending off a conspecific intruder, paper wasp foundresses invest in surveillance of potential social threats, even when such threats are no longer immediately present. The prolonged state of vigilance observed here is relevant to plasticity of recognition processes as a result of conspecific threats.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2022

Spatial and social structure of rewilded laboratory mice

Social behavior and social organization have major influences on individual health and fitness. Yet, biomedical research focuses on studying a few genotypes under impoverished social conditions. Understanding how lab conditions have modified social organizations of model organisms, such as lab mice, relative to natural populations is a missing link between socioecology and biomedical science. Using a common garden design, we describe the formation of social structure in the well-studied laboratory mouse strain, C57BL/6J, in replicated mixed-sex populations over 10-day trials compared to control trials with wild-derived outbred house mice in outdoor field enclosures. We focus on three key features of mouse social systems: (i) territory establishment in males, (ii) female social relationships, and (iii) the social networks formed by the populations. Male territorial behaviors were similar but muted in C57 compared to wild-derived mice. Female C57 sharply differed from wild-derived females, showing little social bias toward cage mates and exploring substantially more of the enclosures compared to all other groups. Female behavior consistently generated denser social networks in C57 than in wild-derived mice. The repeatable societies formed under field conditions highlights opportunities to experimentally study the interplay between society and individual biology using model organisms.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2021

Color is necessary for specialized face learning in the Northern paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus

Visual individual recognition requires animals to distinguish among conspecifics based on appearance. Though visual individual recognition has been reported in a range of taxa, the features that animals rely on to discriminate between individuals are often not well understood. Northern paper wasp females, Polistes fuscatus, possess individually distinctive color patterns on their faces, which mediate individual recognition. It is currently unclear what facial features P. fuscatus use to distinguish individuals. The anterior optic tubercle, a chromatic processing brain region, is especially sensitive to social experience during development, suggesting that color may be important for recognition in this species. We sought to test the roles of color in wasp facial recognition. Color may be important simply because it creates a pattern. If this is the case, then wasps should perform similarly when discriminating color or grayscale images of the same faces. Alternatively, color itself may be important for recognition, which would predict poorer performance on grayscale image discrimination relative to color images. We found wasps trained on grayscale faces, unlike those trained on color images, did not perform better than chance. Suggesting that color is necessary for the recognition of an image as a face by the wasp visual system.

animal behavior and cognition↗