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Immunocompetent birds choose larger breeding colonies
Joanna Drzewińska-Chańko1, Radosław Włodarczyk1, Adrian Gajewski2
1Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland.
The Journal of Animal Ecology
|May 24, 2021
Summary
Individual immune status, not genetics, determines social group size choice. More immunocompetent common terns (Sterna hirundo) chose larger colonies, suggesting immunity influences sociality decisions in animals.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Immunology
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Social group size impacts pathogen transmission and individual fitness.
- Optimal group size may vary based on individual traits like immunocompetence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if immunocompetence influences social group size selection in common terns.
- To investigate the role of current immunological status versus immunogenetic traits in settlement decisions.
Main Methods:
- Experimental induction of breeding colonies of varying sizes using artificial nesting rafts.
- Measurement of innate (natural antibody-mediated complement activation) and adaptive (immunoglobulin concentrations) immunity.
- Analysis of genetic diversity in Toll-like Receptors (TLRs), Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), and genome-wide heterozygosity.
Main Results:
- Colony size was the sole significant predictor of immunological traits.
- More immunocompetent common terns preferentially settled in larger experimental colonies.
- No association found between colony size and genetic diversity of TLRs, MHC, or genome-wide heterozygosity.
Conclusions:
- Settlement decisions into social groups are flexible and primarily driven by an individual's current immunological status.
- Immunocompetence, rather than fixed immunogenetic factors, appears to be a key determinant of group size choice.
- Highlights the intricate relationship between immunity and social behavior in animals.
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