Effects of life-history traits on parasitism in a monogamous mammal, the eastern rock sengi (Elephantulus myurus)

dc.contributor.authorLutermann, Heike
dc.contributor.authorMedger, Katarina
dc.contributor.authorHorak, Ivan Gerard
dc.contributor.emailhlutermann@zoology.up.ac.zaen_US
dc.date.accessioned2012-02-14T06:35:41Z
dc.date.available2012-02-14T06:35:41Z
dc.date.issued2012-02
dc.description.abstractThe distribution of parasites is often characterised by substantial aggregation with a small proportion of hosts harbouring the majority of parasites. This pattern can be generated by abiotic and biotic factors that affect hosts and determine host exposure and susceptibility to parasites. Climate factors can change a host’s investment in life-history traits (e.g. growth, reproduction) generating temporal patterns of parasite aggregation. Similarly, host age may affect such investment. Furthermore, sex-biased parasitism is common among vertebrates and has been linked to sexual dimorphism in morphology, behaviour and physiology. Studies exploring sex-biased parasitism have been almost exclusively conducted on polygynous species where dimorphic traits are often correlated. We investigated the effects of season and life-history traits on tick loads of the monogamous eastern rock sengi (Elephantulus myurus). We found larger tick burdens during the non-breeding season possibly as a result of energetic constraints and/or climate effects on the tick. Reproductive investment resulted in increased larval abundance for females but not males and may be linked to sex-specific life-history strategies. The costs of reproduction could also explain the observed age effect with yearling individuals harbouring lower larval burdens than adults. Although adult males had the greatest larval tick loads, host sex appears to play a minor role in generating the observed parasite heterogeneities. Our study suggests that reproductive investment plays a major role for parasite patterns in the study species.en
dc.description.librariannf2012en
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Research Foundation (NRF), HL a Research Fellowship from the University of Pretoria and IGH funding from the University of Pretoria.en_US
dc.description.urihttp://www.springerlink.com/content/0028-1042/en_US
dc.identifier.citationLutermann, H, Medger, K & Horak IG 2012, 'Effects of life-history traits on parasitism in a monogamous mammal, the eastern rock sengi (Elephantulus myurus)', Naturwissenschaften, vol. 99, no. 2, pp. 103-110.en
dc.identifier.issn0028-1042 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1432-1904 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1007/s00114-011-0874-0
dc.identifier.other7102989086
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/18121
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherSpringeren_US
dc.rights© Springer-Verlag 2011. The original publication is available at www.springerlink.comen
dc.subjectMonogamous mammalsen
dc.subjectSex-biased parasitismen
dc.subjectTick burdenen
dc.subjectLife-history traitsen
dc.subject.lcshElephantulus -- Diseasesen
dc.subject.lcshElephant shrews -- Diseasesen
dc.subject.lcshHost-parasite relationshipsen
dc.subject.lcshParasitism -- Physiological aspectsen
dc.subject.lcshMacroscelidea -- Diseasesen
dc.subject.lcshRhipicephalusen
dc.titleEffects of life-history traits on parasitism in a monogamous mammal, the eastern rock sengi (Elephantulus myurus)en
dc.typePostprint Articleen

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